Democracies also make these tradeoffs without political consequences, if the people who are subject to the negative externalities are sufficiently disenfranchised, or are simply a powerless minority that we can run over, or are ones whose concerns are sidelined for the benefit of a larger umbrella movement.
I completely agree with the parent poster. This is not a democracy vs autocracy question. This is entirely an individualism[1] versus a collectivism[2] question.
[1] Which prioritizes 'do not actively harm any individual.' [3]
[2] Which prioritizes 'do what is best for the group as a whole.' [3]
[3] While some societies are pretty clearly democratic, and some are pretty clearly autocratic (and some are a mix of both), every society is, to a mixture of degrees, individualistic, and to a mixture of degrees, collectivist. Where they differ is in where the line gets drawn, and on which questions.
I completely agree with the parent poster. This is not a democracy vs autocracy question. This is entirely an individualism[1] versus a collectivism[2] question.
[1] Which prioritizes 'do not actively harm any individual.' [3]
[2] Which prioritizes 'do what is best for the group as a whole.' [3]
[3] While some societies are pretty clearly democratic, and some are pretty clearly autocratic (and some are a mix of both), every society is, to a mixture of degrees, individualistic, and to a mixture of degrees, collectivist. Where they differ is in where the line gets drawn, and on which questions.