Current Affairs Does democracy work?

[deipnosophist]

And indeed there will be time
To wonder, “Do I dare?” and, “Do I dare?”
Time to turn back and descend the stair,
enter the Everton forum...and leave a preview there...?

Cheers T.S Nodder

You see my Yeats...and raise me an an Eliot...nice work my friend

 

[Tubey]

As Brexit has shown, democracy doesn't work in terms of letting everyone vote on everything, because people generally lack the education required to judge issues on fact rather than spin. But it works in the sense of allocating a set period of responsibility for decisions to one group of people.

 

[The Cowboy]

As Brexit has shown, democracy doesn't work in terms of letting everyone vote on everything, because people generally lack the education required to judge issues on fact rather than spin. But it works in the sense of allocating a set period of responsibility for decisions to one group of people.

Exactly. That's what we vote for our local MP for, to supposedly make these informed decisions for us.

 

[hktoffee]

There's an interesting piece in the New Yorker about democracy, and in particular how effective it is in a world in which so many voters seem so ignorant of the things they've voting for.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/11/07/the-case-against-democracy

"around a third of Americans are incapable of naming even one of the three branches of the United States government. Fewer than a quarter know who their senators are, and only half are aware that their state has two of them."

I'm sure we can think of many examples from this side of the pond too. Does democracy fail in the face of such ignorance?

No system is perfect. In theory, democracy provides lesser chance to bleed injustice. Likewise, it is better to have rule of law and civil rights than having none. If you have the right to vote at least you have the right to vote out those who you deem is unfit to monitor the government. The bottom line is deprivation exists anywhere in the world and I believe the tendency of this happening is lesser under the western value.

 

[verreauxi]

It fails not so much because of ignorance, but because of greed.

 

[Blues Harp]

As quoted by that magnificent brummie Barry in Auf Wiedersehen Pet......."That's democracy for you...everyone gets what nobody wants" as a result of voting to paint their living quarters yellow

 

[abelard]

"democracy is the notion that the comman man knows what he wants, and deserves to get it, good and hard"

it can work, and there are lots of examples, but it's only as effective as the quality of its component parts. it is premised at least as much on responsibilities as rights.

 

[Foot Long Hot Dog]

The British seem to think that our supposed democracy is something that others should be envious of.

However, our voting system means that a large proportion of our population in essence don't get a vote, due to the geographic boundaries and historic party loyalties making them completely worthless.

A Tory living in Bootle or a Labour supporter living in Windsor may as well stay at home on GE day. It's never right.

 

[larbert toffee]

Bingo, second biggest myth to control the masses since religion. Democracy is just a smoke screen to make people believe they have a choice, they don't.

Is Bingo really the second biggest myth? my Nan would be spinning in her grave if we'd buried her.

 

[deipnosophist]

Is Bingo really the second biggest myth? my Nan would be spinning in her grave if we'd buried her.

lol

 

[dublinbluenose]

The biggest problem we have in this country is the idea of voting for your PM vs voting for your local MP. If the system was different and the focus was squarely on the local MP, I think folk would be a lot more engaged, as it would more directly affect them.

imo my MP speaks for me and my constituency in parliament. There should be no referenda - the MP is my proxy vote, whatever they vote for speaks for the whole constituency. If folk don't like that, vote for a different candidate.

Not sure that works in a one seat constituency model though. The MP could be diametrically opposed to the views of 49.9% of their constituents couldnt they? I know majority rules etc but its potentially unrepresentative of a large % of the population.

BTW brexit probably would not have passed with that model so yin and yang

 

[RaleighBlue]

Democracy, like all other forms of government, works fairly well within small groups. Let's say sub-200 people. It's easy to have an informed opinion on problems that affect 200 people that tend to share your culture, your outlook, your problems, your everything.

It's not so easy when it's millions of people that have entirely different experiences. Add in the complexity of the modern world and hyper specialization of knowledge...not so good.

I don't have any suggestions to move to a better system. I don't know if there is a better system, but I think the current crisis in confidence stems from an world of increasing complexity and speed for the common person combined with the clarity of the internet showing exactly how much we are under the thumb of the ruling classes.

In short, no democracy does not work.

 

[SpongeBob brown shoes]

Bingo, second biggest myth to control the masses since religion. Democracy is just a smoke screen to make people believe they have a choice, they don't.

Agree with that,

The late great George Carlin says it brilliantly

 

[Blue Cheese]

Agree with that,

The late great George Carlin says it brilliantly

Sums it up perfectly haha

 

[Efcjake]

No, it doesn't. Politics attracts people who shouldn't be in a position to lead due to their selfish nature. Doesn't matter which brand you go after, the reasons why candidates are candidates are self-serving. I don't believe anyone actually in Politics wants to "make the world a better place", anyone who did want to soon realizes that there are forces out there that have more power to direct the way things go than they ever will.

It's a rigged game, has been since the start.