With our own election hoopla, I find myself considering the implications of democracy as we practice it (and perhaps even as we imagine or idealize it).

While I am observing said hoopla with my usual "morbid fascination", I am truly disturbed by the possibility that we ARE degenerating to a Mobocracy or more technically, an /Ochlocracy/. I like Wikipedia's definition of the term as: /"Democracy spoiled by Demagoguery/".

   /Many forms of Government have been tried and will be tried in this
   world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or
   all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form
   of government except all those other forms that have been tried from
time to time./
/Winston Churchill/

While my sympathies are much more aligned with the Left than the Right at this phase of my life, and while I find the Right's presumptive "Bigot in Chief" a dangerous clown, I'm worried that the mainstream element of the "other side" isn't a lot better in their methods and style.

That said, I'm still holding out for a 4-way debate with Bernie as Independent and Gary Johnson as Libertarian. I think the Donald would get shredded on every one of his points by one or all three of the others. I think Hillary would suffer as well, but not by a fraction. I think the things Bernie and Gary differ on would degenerate to "agree to disagree" and all of them except the aspiring "Bigot in Chief" would be very strong on personal rights, splitting only on gun control.


- Steve

On 6/27/16 1:47 PM, glen ☢ wrote:
What I don't quite understand is, if referenda are "consultative" and non-binding, why 
all the hoopla?  Why can't they simply factor the results into a more rational process?  This is 
especially curious if Cameron plans to/will resign anyway.  And also curious given the Bregret.  
Did the pre-referendum legislation dictate that the government must robotically obey the results?  
We have all sorts of ways our US government can bypass, ignore, or delay the unencumbered 
"will of the people."


============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
to unsubscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com

Reply via email to