Keep in mind that from an outside view most revolutions produce a worse government then the one they replace.
If that’s actually the case, it’s particularly remarkable how much progress we’ve made over the past 3,000 years or so despite the steady march of worse and worse governance.
Or was there some mechanism other than ‘revolution’ that you credit with replacing some governments?
Some governments have been improved by slow, incremental improvement. Look for example at Great Britain which hasn’t had a revolution for hundreds of years but is clearly better off now than it was then. Moreover, even if most revolutions end badly and revolutions are the only way to improve things there will still be a slow tendency to improvement if better governments are slightly less likely to have revolts.
Moreover, even if most revolutions end badly and revolutions are the only way to improve things there will still be a slow tendency to improvement if better governments are slightly less likely to have revolts.
Good point, though depending on the actual figures not necessarily true, especially depending on the starting values.
If that’s actually the case, it’s particularly remarkable how much progress we’ve made over the past 3,000 years or so despite the steady march of worse and worse governance.
Or was there some mechanism other than ‘revolution’ that you credit with replacing some governments?
Some governments have been improved by slow, incremental improvement. Look for example at Great Britain which hasn’t had a revolution for hundreds of years but is clearly better off now than it was then. Moreover, even if most revolutions end badly and revolutions are the only way to improve things there will still be a slow tendency to improvement if better governments are slightly less likely to have revolts.
Good point, though depending on the actual figures not necessarily true, especially depending on the starting values.