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| Purrverse |
This will be short for a while, as I'm falling into bed.
But I've been thinking a lot about democracy. Now, keep in mind that what we have in the US isn't a democracy, and that I don't believe democracies work on a big scale.
That said, I find it interesting how we submit to the concept of democracy- everyone has a vote, majority wins, etc. But then when the vote doesn't go our way, we moan about it. Are we only fans of democracy when it works in our favour? Do we only feel democracy is at work when our opinions mirror the majority rule? Because if we're true fans of democracy, we should be able to accept when we're in the minority- if we really believed in majority rule being the right rule, when another party wins we would be ok with that. But we aren't. I think, then, we're not actually supporters of democracy as we claim.
Thoughts?
| 7 Oct 09, 10:00 AM jazzpiano UK(KT), 4 yrs  |
I think in the UK we live in a voted dictatorship. Once the winner takes power, they start to change things in a way that wasn't mentioned in their manifesto. Our government has imposed such overbearing legislation on us that we no longer have free will. Only 1 in 10 people really understand binary | |
| 7 Oct 09, 12:12 PM tanken UK(NR), 2 yrs |
It's a lot more complicated than that and I don't have time to go into it here but just make one or two points. The people who actually rule (CEOs, bankers, boards, judges, administration, etc.) are not voted in by the public. The government is elected but they generally do what the real rulers want. The main difference between a democracy (democratic dictatorship in fact) and an autocratic form of rule is that you are allowed to form political parties (finance permitting) and vote for whom you want (although your source of news and information will tend to support those whom the real rulers want). Generally you will also have more freedom of speech than under an autocratic government and freedom to form trade unions and other bodies. Finance plays a huge part in western political systems and it is generally only those parties with large incomes that ever make it into power.
"Red hair and black leather is my favourite colour scheme" - Richard Thompson | |
| 7 Oct 09, 3:47 PM HarmCandy UK, 3 yrs |
I think the first point you made is spot-on. It takes an army to oppress a people: We still have freedom. But, we need to take the power back [RATM stylee] before things go too far. At present we have a rubber-stamp monarch and a bunch of jumped-up buffoons and liars in parliament. This isn't like to change until a new political party which has the backing and support to knock the blues/reds/yellows off the stage comes to the fore. H
'It is the centaur! Chiron, halt! And let me speak with you. You taught and formed, with wisdom, strength and grace, the greatest heroes of a hero-race. In their noblest footsteps you have trod, and lived the hard life of a demigod.' |
