“Science and democracy have always been twins.”

So that's why a democratic Athens killed Socrates?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial_of_Socrates

There's a good reason the USA isn't a democracy.

An interesting essay, excited by President Obama's pledge to “restore science to its rightful place,” that considers the relationship between science and democracy and how the health of one influences strongly the other.

“If there is anything democracy requires and thrives on, it is the willingness to embrace debate and respect one another and the freedom to shun received wisdom. Science and democracy have always been twins.”

democracy is social constructivism. this is diametrically opposed to science. it doesn't matter how many people disagree with you if you're right.

Democracy = Wisdom of Crowds

Science = Meritocracy

This is the most stupid essay I have read in my life. Most scientific advances have not been made in democratic governments - The old Islamic Discoveries, the old Chinese Discoveries, the old European Discoveries were all made under King-like dynasties. A huge number of inventions were made under Fascist Germany.

Democracy is in fact really bad for science, because in a democratic society, you need to convince many people you are right. In a fascist or monarchist society, you just need to convince the king.

And then stupidly equating this with china - china is where it is right now because of a very strong central government with tight control. Without this government, the chinese people would have collapsed into civil war and split up - it would not have been at the level it is at now at all.

Old men with limited experience should not go meddling with systems they do not understand and that seem to be working, based on their ideology. The alternative could mean the death of millions - look what happened when they thought to bring 'democracy' to Iraq.