13th July 2013
12:35 GMT -5
I stare into the depths of my pint glass, watching the bubbles making up the foam on the head gradually burst. On the television in the corner of the room Batman is introducing the first few Global Peace Agency officers to a broadly positive reception, both from the audience and from the few people in the bar watching it.
National sports leagues haven't really restarted yet. They
could, in theory, but the money isn't there to pay the participants what they're accustomed to so there have only been a few exhibition games.
"Hey."
I don't look up.
"Miss Grant. How can I help you?
"
"Depends. How many of those have you had?"
My eyes ascend to the top of the glass.
"Looks like about half of one.
"
"According to the social media posts I've been following, you got here three hours ago."
"I like to nurse my drinks.
" I sit up and turn to face her.
"I've never really been drunk before. I don't think I'm doing it right.
"
"Never?"
I shake my head.
"The closest I ever got was 'tipsy', and all that really happened was that I went to bed early. Didn't even have a headache the next day.
"
She frowns. "What brought this on?"
"Political legitimacy.
"
"Are you a secret political science major?"
"Philosophy.
"
"Want me to get you some laudanum, then?"
"Best you didn't.
" I pick up my glass and take a sip, the twenty or so minutes since my last one not having noticeably improved the taste.
"You know… How, originally, the Vice President was the person who came second in the Presidential Election?
"
"And it got changed almost immediately because no one wants to work with the guy they just campaigned against?"
"Right, but… You've got an ideal, and everyone shares it, and you might disagree about what the best way to realise it is, but you're all working to the same goal… And then someone comes along and says 'I've got a new ideal'…
"
"The U.S. Constitution
can be changed."
I shake my head.
"That's just top tier laws. I'm talking about something fundamental. The assumption that people have rights and as such there are things a state
must do and things that it
cannot do. And within that paradigm you can disagree about what those rights are and how far they extend… But that
faith in intangible
rights is the same.
"
"…
Just half?"
"Philosophy degree. But then I look at Greater Kahndaq, right? Adom wanted a democratic system that he could oversee in a… Hands off sort of way. And then Mannheim sent in robots to murder most of the people who could make that work so he ended up needing to make a far more centralised state. There's still… Voting, but it's more of a test to see whether appointed officials have enough popular support locally to do their jobs, rather than a source of independently minded representatives. Their constitution guarantees a few things to its citizens, but it's more procedural rather than a high-minded metaphysical claim. Like… 'So that we may best enact good order and public safety, citizens will receive fair trials'. Rather than 'citizens have an innate right to fair trials'.
"
"And when the Anti-Life broadcast happened, barely any Kahndaqis died. Because Adom could use his magic to shield them. And obviously, that's not something any elected politicians could do. You can't vote Anti-Life away, so...
"
I smile unhappily.
"How did the
Ron Jeremy sketch go? 'All men are created equal? What
bullshit'. So maybe my problem is that I'm working with outdated schema? My expectations are wrong?
"
She waits a moment to see if I'm going to ramble about anything else. When nothing else comes out she sits down next to me. "Is this about the Justice League taking over the world?"
A burst of laughter escapes my lips, then I lean forwards until my forehead touches the surface of the bar.
"'Taking'? Well, I can't talk about
that, but it looks like I don't need to.
"
I… Straighten back up… Most of the way.
"And Accalacan didn't do as well as Kahndaq, but they did
pretty well. Short supply lines, dispersed population… They didn't get
any city boss equivalents. And I… I want people to have the opportunity to improve themselves, but maybe people don't want to? Do you know what s-?
High school attainment rates are like in the U.S.? How many people, living in an advanced society, can't read that well? People from a hundred years ago would kill for that opportunity, and a lot of people today just can't be bothered? So maybe people don't want that.
"
"Ah… Don't want to read?"
"Don't want to push themselves. And think about how many people don't bother voting in elections. I know there's an assumption in the United States that people are put off voting if they don't think it will make a difference, you know, if a place always returns a candidate from a particular party. But maybe they don't care? Maybe one person in power is pretty much like another at such a deep psychological level that it's a fools errand to try and engage… A lot of people. Maybe it's not the party but the decisions they decide they can't really affect… Whoever they vote for, and that's what turns them off.
"
"I guess? Are you
okay?"
I gesture to her with both hands.
"I mean… Would you prefer a sweet merchant, or a dentist?
"
"I… Guess that depends what for?"
"No, no, no. It's a thing from Ancient Greek philosophy. The guy was arguing against democracy, on the grounds that people will always vote for someone who gives them nice-tasting food over someone who stabs holes in their mouth for a living. Most… Modern democracies don't have qualifications beyond 'is a citizen' and 'isn't in prison', but the Greeks had other requirements, Rhodesia had other requirements and even the Founding Fathers discussed a property requirement before deciding against it. So… Adom rules Kahndaq, and there's no point giving people the opportunity to vote against him because, one, they wouldn't, and two, even if they did, there isn't anyone else who
could do what he does.
"
"So are we getting to a point where the well-known flaws in democracy have… Reached the point where human civilisation needs something radically different? Where..? Some other form of legitimacy is..? Coming to the fore?
Should I be working towards bringing about meritocratic rule instead of trying to make new opportunities available to a broader base? I
can, it would be a lot simpler once I had a way of identifying the best motivated people in the population. I hadn't done that… Other than sharing things with self-selecting people who can use them
now to make it easier to get results, but my intent was always to move to something with mass appeal.
"
"Is this about the Global Peace Agency? The Justice League's police officers?"
"Yes. Or… Maybe 'no' but it comes from the same place. Batman is the best detective on the planet. What does holding him accountable to a body
far less capable than him do except waste his time? Or Superman? 'Accounts audit? Sure, I guess those Nepalese villagers can just dig
themselves out of that mudslide.' And when we have telepaths and truth lassos, we don't need systems to ensure that people are staying trustworthy because we can directly test it in advance.
"
"Maybe oligarchy is the way to go.
" I shrug with both hands.
"Maybe it is. Maybe I've been on a hiding to nothing. But I can't help but feel a bit despondent about it.
"
