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Author Topic:   ANOTHER Political Quiz
AZPaul3
Member
Posts: 8513
From: Phoenix
Joined: 11-06-2006
Member Rating: 5.3


Message 12 of 102 (725793)
05-01-2014 8:55 PM


Democratic-Republican Party - 98%
Paris Hilton Birthday Party - 97%
Democrat Party - 74%
Non-Committal Party - 12%
Very Silly Party - 9%
Blanket Party - 2%
Republican Party - (16)%
I think I did something wrong.

  
AZPaul3
Member
Posts: 8513
From: Phoenix
Joined: 11-06-2006
Member Rating: 5.3


Message 20 of 102 (725864)
05-02-2014 4:47 PM
Reply to: Message 19 by Dogmafood
05-02-2014 4:21 PM


Let the Internet rule!
He really only represents the people that agree with him.
In a direct democracy you would probably be on the losing side just as often as now. All but the most wishy-washy lunkheads would lose a good protion of the time (except for ringo who has at least three opinions on most anything most of the time). Would you then say that direct democracy does not represent your opinion?
I think that most people are quite frightened by the idea of democracy and our systems are set up to avoid it.
Maybe because we already know that direct democracy is poison for the minority? Maybe because we fear that in the heat of a dangerous time the majority might fall to the passions of a strongman and do away with democracy altogether?
What checks and balances are there on the powers of the majority in a direct democracy? And what would stop the majority from overturning those checks by a simple show of hands?
Edited by AZPaul3, : title
Edited by AZPaul3, : No reason given.

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 Message 19 by Dogmafood, posted 05-02-2014 4:21 PM Dogmafood has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 21 by Dogmafood, posted 05-02-2014 5:30 PM AZPaul3 has replied
 Message 23 by RAZD, posted 05-02-2014 7:30 PM AZPaul3 has replied

  
AZPaul3
Member
Posts: 8513
From: Phoenix
Joined: 11-06-2006
Member Rating: 5.3


(2)
Message 22 of 102 (725870)
05-02-2014 7:29 PM
Reply to: Message 21 by Dogmafood
05-02-2014 5:30 PM


Re: Let the Internet rule!
We don't really trust the people to make the right decisions.
You have that quite right. All the issues you cited are major cases in point. War? We'd be at war with Russia right now over the Ukraine. At one time or another we would have been at war with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, China, Canada, Japan (again) and Mexico if the passions of the people ruled. If it were left up to "society", at times in the not too distant past given a spike in popular passions, freedom of religion would have been abandoned along with freedom of conscience, speech, search and seizure, trial by jury. One good thing would be that well prior to Sandy Hook, probably in response to Columbine, guns would be out, but we would expect democratic votes to force opponents to surrender their guns at gun point Waco style. Irony.
As we have seen so many times in so many ways you just cannot trust humans with the tasks of government. Law must rule if society is to function without the extremes of tyranny and anarchy. In a direct democracy the rule of law is replaced by the rule of emotions. Everyone's individual rights would be trampled on sooner or later. Just look at the past passions that so grabbed society only to be quelled by law, court, congress once cooler heads prevailed. This republic has a piss poor record to be sure but arguably much better than rule by fleeting emotion.
We will have a difference of opinion on the role of the instruments of governance. I do not trust the inflamed majority to do right at any turn on any issue. History is too bleak to be ignored.
As for society getting what it wants regardless of the costs, having to live with the consequences ...
Government of the People, By the People, For the People requires government that will protect the People ... From the People. Remember that great political philosopher Pogo, "We have met the enemy and he is us." That may have come from a cartoon but it was not said in jest. When it comes to human rights and the long term best interests of society now and for our children later, we are our own worst enemy. Direct democracy would magnify this most human fault to disaster.
But that's just one exceptionally eminent opinion. I'm sure there are lesser ones.
Edited by AZPaul3, : puncheashun

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AZPaul3
Member
Posts: 8513
From: Phoenix
Joined: 11-06-2006
Member Rating: 5.3


(1)
Message 24 of 102 (725879)
05-03-2014 12:07 AM
Reply to: Message 23 by RAZD
05-02-2014 7:30 PM


Re: Let the Internet rule! with Occupy Rules
Interesting, yes. Though we have to accept that it isn't that hard to build a consensus of like minded people brought together to achieve the same political goals. I would like to think that if the movement had gone on for some time it could have shown us whether consensus government can be maintained without devolving into competing interest groups. That would have been instructive.
Does anyone know of any longer lived organizations that lived by consensus arrangement? Especially ones that successfully incorporated the disparate views of a wider society.

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