It’s not a public square until it is controlled by the public democratically. Anything less is a substitute, a stand in for The Big Conversation we probably should be having.
The fears people have about “collective action for the common good” aren’t trivial. The potential for corruption, cheating and diversion of the public will to private whims is real.
Too many people are more comfortable letting some powerful man tell them “I’ll take care of people like you” and screw the Big Conversation.
