10 Nov 06
I live in a democracy.
A democracy where I'm constantly tracked, filmed and spied upon.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6108496.stm
Or more amusingly:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/tees/5353538.stm
A democracy which uses unsubstantiated reasoning to justify wars, prison sentences and restrictions on freedom.
weapons of mass destruction, Guatanamo bay and the patriot act
A democracy where my leader tells me that to have peace we need to have war. And that because we have war there is peace in our time.
various speaches by Blair, Bush and the Israeli administration
A democracy where people are arrested for thought crimes
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6122270.stm)
I live in a democracy.
10 Nov 06
Originally posted by shavixmiractually sounds more like 3 different democracies...
I live in a democracy.
A democracy where I'm constantly tracked, filmed and spied upon.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6108496.stm
Or more amusingly:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/tees/5353538.stm
A democracy which uses unsubstantiated reasoning to justify wars, prison sentences and restrictions on freedom.
we ...[text shortened]... ght crimes
[i](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6122270.stm)
I live in a democracy.
14 Nov 06
2 edits
Originally posted by shavixmirWhat about the real possibility that democracy is inherently flawed and will inevitably converge into a powerplay between elites such as we now experience in the world. It would seem that any potential for democracy to be experienced by a majority of citizens in any society is very shortlived, and that society will either have its political processes hi-jacked by some form of rear-guard action of some previously displaced power group.
I live in a democracy.
A democracy where I'm constantly tracked, filmed and spied upon.
A democracy which uses unsubstantiated reasoning to justify wars, prison sentences and restrictions on freedom.
I live in a democracy.
If that democracy survives for any length of time it would probably only be as a result of vigilence and civic mindedness shown on the part of that nations citizens, but as soon as any large enough segment of that society were to enjoy a degree of relative increase for a reasonable length of time, you would probably see that same society fall apart from within as apathy and insensitivity to guarding the ideals of democarcy become a secondary pursuit to that of accumulating the most toys before dying.
Unreasonably pessimistic and cynical, possibly, but by the same token, socialist experiments also require a high degree of civic minded motivation and participation from all its citizens who as true believers are willing to sacrifice for the greater good. Once the hard core(usually first generation) dies out the system usually segues into a more despotic, desperate form of tyranny we usually more easily recognize as communism.
Does democracy have a hope? Not the question of this thread but in my humble opinion real democracy in this the post industrial age was delivered doa when America chose to model its government along the lines of a representative republican democracy.
14 Nov 06
Originally posted by kmax87With internet and security codes, I'm sure we can be imaginative and think up something really cool.
What about the real possibility that democracy is inherently flawed and will inevitably converge into a powerplay between elites such as we now experience in the world. It would seem that any potential for democracy to be experienced by a majority of citizens in any society is very shortlived, and that society will either have its political processes hi-jacke ...[text shortened]... America chose to model its government along the lines of a representative republican democracy.
Get rid of political parties and politicians. Install an elected civil serive and have a system of perpetual referendums.
Or, have every member of society fill in an on-line "what do you want your money spent on" form.
Then the government can see what people want their money spent on. The money gets spent per percentage of crossed boxes.
etc.
14 Nov 06
Originally posted by shavixmirYou're almost there mate, don't you see, instead of giving your money to the gummint (whether ewe like it or not) then filling out these boxes, why not just hang on to your money in the first place, cut out the middle man then...
Or, have every member of society fill in an on-line "what do you want your money spent on" form.
Then the government can see what people want their money spent on. The money gets spent per percentage of crossed boxes.
etc.
",,,the government can see what people want their money spent on.
That above statment coming from you has....aww shucks....I'm all goosey...there's hope for you my boy.
"Under democracy one party always devotes its chief energies
to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule --
and both commonly succeed, and are right."
-- H. L. Mencken
14 Nov 06
The post that was quoted here has been removedAny 'solution' to the admittedly perilous state of the nation which is favoured by the likes of you and the pervert shav is to be dismissed out of hand.
We could do with another Margaret Thatcher, or an Enoch Powell , to rescue us from our current malaise. She saw off the trade union troglodytes who brought Britain to its knees in 1979, whilst Enoch correctly foresaw (and would have prevented) the results of allowing indescriminate mass immigration from such undersirable sources as the West Indies, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
Unfortunately the BNP is not the answer either since it appears to be solely representative of the bottom end of the social spectrum in Britain. So do not bother to refer me to that set of hooligans.
14 Nov 06
1 edit
Originally posted by PhilodorYou don't like the idea of being associated with the BNP out of snobbishness because the BNP represents the views of the extreme right-wing working class, a class you do not belong to, however you do not say anything about rejecting what they stand for, their political views, which is worrying.
Unfortunately the BNP is not the answer either since it appears to be solely representative of the bottom end of the social spectrum in Britain. So do not bother to refer me to that set of hooligans.
14 Nov 06
Originally posted by FrenchQueenHey Sun Queen, is your secret admirer back as well?
You don't like the idea of being associated with the BNP out of snobbishness because the BNP represents the views of the extreme right-wing working class, a class you do not belong to, however you do not say anything about rejecting what they stand for, their political views, which is worrying.