Democracy. Do you believe in it?

[Primordial Annihilator]

Originally Posted by astarath

I am more about one nation under Christ.

Over my cooling corpse...

[Terrywoodenpic]

There was aa good program on the BBC last night.
It was looking at how politics in the UK has returned to the domination of politics by a single class of people. as it had been up to the end of the WW2.

With the demise of the grammar schools, Private education, represented by mostly only a few of the top schools, Have dominated all parties in England.
A majority of ministers and Shadow ministers of all parties have studied at Oxford and taken degrees in PPE ( philosophy, politics and economics) Cambridge students seem less interested in politics.

The selection process for candidates in both Tory and labour has favoured not only these people. but especially those that have gone on to be researchers for existing MP's and Ministers.
We now have a class of professional politicians.

Other routes that once thrived for Labour supporters have dried up with the decline of the unions.

Even the Liberals who buck this trend, have a fairly high proportion of MP's who have followed the same route into parliament.

It is hard to see how to change this....

[LuisDantas]

Originally Posted by astarath

I am more about one nation under Christ.

That might perhaps be a good idea, if it did not invariably end up attracting powermongers who have no respect for people's rights and other beliefs.

[Father Heathen]

Originally Posted by LuisDantas

That might perhaps be a good idea, if it did not invariably end up attracting powermongers who have no respect for people's rights and other beliefs.

The dark ages are a prime example of why "under christ" is a terrible idea.

[astarath]

The dark ages are what happens when a political agenda uses a Christ to their means. Truly under Christ is completely different then dark ages.

[Shyanekh]

Originally Posted by astarath

The dark ages are what happens when a political agenda uses a Christ to their means. Truly under Christ is completely different then dark ages.

Do you mind expanding on this? I'm not sure what you mean

[croak]

Democracy. Who needs it? Ravens sure don't.

[kylixguru]

Originally Posted by Onkara

I do not believe democracy really exists. The vote and the sensation that we have free choice exists, but in reality our choices are limited and our vote is almost insignificant.

Also the actions of an elected Government do not always reflect the voters, perhaps not even the wishes of the majority. So democracy for me, explains a political concept more than a universal practice.

The only just democracy shall limit itself in only being able to do collectively what an individual can do individually.

If stealing is something I cannot do, then a democracy should not give itself the ability to do that either. Assuming a democracy derives its powers from those individuals being governed.

Unfortunately, what is in most people's minds today as a democracy is really just a mobocracy in disguise.

You must have the foundation of law that protects individuals in their individual rights from the majority and then whatever people want to do in the remaining domain of social justice and welfare is up to them. A democratic process is perfect for the organization and governance of such things that do not conflict with individual rights.

So, you cannot have true democracy unless you also have the foundation such as the Constitution of the United States, which was a republic based on rule of law so that the democratic aspect wouldn't shortly thereafter commit suicide.

A pure democracy as some people understand it is two wolves and a sheep voting on what's for dinner. I for one am grateful we were not given such a democracy by our founding fathers. They cared for the sheep just as much as they cared for the wolves. They knew the greatest threat to the people's ability to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness was actually the government itself. The fastest track for the government to become an enemy of the people was to turn it into a mobocracy.

[Primordial Annihilator]

Originally Posted by astarath

The dark ages are what happens when a political agenda uses a Christ to their means. Truly under Christ is completely different then dark ages.

I would sooner make war on a nation under christ than be a part of it...before they do what nations under christ used to do...commit genocide and atrocity after atrocity.

Theocracies are among the most dangerous and repressive forms of government that have ever existed...they should never be allowed to exist in the first place.

Religion has no place in government...especially christianity which in my opinion and that of many others is one of the worst perpetrators of crimes against humanity.

(Crusades, Missionary sponsored ethnic cleansing, Witch hunts, Heretic burning, 'Institutional' sexual abuse of children and sexual repression, spreading HIV across the world plus many more crimes to be taken to into consideration....organised christianity should be brutally put to death....its about time.)

[Caladan]

One of my favourite WWII politicians wisely and memorably said:

“democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others”

Apparently he was paraphrasing an unknown man who said if previously.