brenda02@m4.sprynet.com wrote:

      Guess that's all I have to say for the moment. I'd like to hear
any opposing viewpoints.

      Ed Becerra

      "Dreamers may die, but the dream is eternal..."

        As Winston Churchill once said, "Democracy is the worst form of
government.  Except for every other form that's ever been tried."  Every
form of government has it's merits, it's flaws,and it's inherant
corruption.

The gist of Churchill's statement (and I really don't think
it was original to Churchill) is that democracy, while imperfect
was better than the alternatives to date.  Of course Serenity's
government is not a monarchy as we have known it.  She has innate
powers which are fuelled by her concern for others and general
niceness, she's superhumanly long lived and charismatic, apparently
her powers actively protect the environment from degradation or at 
least have that potential.  

The funny thing about Ed Becerra's discussion of monarchy is that
I can think of no way in which his comments don't apply equally 
to democracy.  It's pretty obvious that democracy can have McCarthyism,
can ignore starving people and minority discontent, can assume that
complaints equate to disloyalty, that democratic leaders can be taken
out of the actual decision loop so that the actual decisions end up
being taken by appointed functionaries, and can place the public 
trust in untrustworthy men and women.  

In the case of Sailor Moon, however, perhaps we should look at the
actual culture which produced it.  Japan is a monarchy.  A 
constitutional monarchy.  Even before it had a constitution, the
Emperor was a semi-divine ruler who was chiefly notable for his 
symbolic role in the government.  Serenity is Usagi.  She is kind
hearted, but not tremendously bright, or industrious.  Being long lived,
and containing enough power to save or devastate the world isn't
going to change that.  The odds are, she doesn't bother to interfere in 
the administration of Crystal Tokyo, and whatever it controls.  The 
actual government could be democratic, or a minarchy, or feudal, who 
knows?