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does democracy REALLY work ?
Democracy has a pretty good track record. It's the form of government preferred, or desired, by the vast majority of the world's people, including those living under dictatorships (I.e., students in Iran and China, activists in Pakistan, and average citizens in dozens of other countries across Africa, Asia, and South America). The number of democracies that have been toppled compared to dictatorships and other authoritarian governments is quite low.
Also, crowds of people make better decisions than autocrats or small groups of elites, when the right conditions exist. When you allow freedom of opinion and a wide range of beliefs, there is much greater opportunity for the wisest course of action to be taken. In some cases, the crowd is prone to emotional response, but usually far less often than a single person or small group of people.
Democracies are also far more effective at decentralization, which has been shown to be the only way to govern a large nation. Centralized authorities have rarely been able to hold power over large populations and territories for extended periods of time. In those cases where they did, they were actually much more decentralized than people think (Roman Empire).
Finally, democracies bring mankind closest to his natural state, which is freedom.
Is democracy inherently good? No, it needs certain conditions in order to exist successfully, otherwise its just mob rule. But when those conditions are met, democracy is far better than any other form of government.
you seem to have quoted me.. I said myself im here to learn discuss etc.with an open mind - I dont need a parrot. I study and research relevant information all the time, my mind is holding down information a lot better now than my teenage years, but democracy - I would need to spare about 8 years of my life to get a degree, and still not have a definate answer to my question of our MPs are anything to go by. im happy with my job, and cant//wont spend more time studying unless im getting paid to..
for me, california didnt have a lot aestheticaly going for it, nor socialy. I didnt like the lifestyle of people there, the localised poverty, homelessness, and lack of history.
you have never been to croydon if you think everywhere can be beautiful lol
anyways, good luck being a yankee! ta taa
Yes I have and I have read my history books. I have also lived longer. You are the future please study what you are inquiring about. Be very open minded and learn.
Your opinion about Califorina shows you didn't have an open mind. You need to travel and see some of the beauty. There is beauty in all the places of the world. It is only the people that make it ugly.
Of course I love peole and love to be able to get on my soap box and back off of it like I am doing now.
Have a good evening duppyconqueror, sorry if I got a little carried away but I love a good debate and you looked like a good debator. SMILE!
ALSO PROUD TO BE AMERICAN!
"for me, california didnt have a lot aestheticaly going for it, nor socialy. I didnt like the lifestyle of people there, the localised poverty, homelessness, and lack of history."
California is a pretty big place - culturally and socially Northern California has very little in common with Southern; it's like judging London by visiting Glasgow.
Myself I prefer the Bay Area - but I wouldn't live there.
For that matter most of the rest of the country doesn't have much in common with California. Look beneath the McDonald's and the architecture and it's all different.
Obama isn't strong enough to lead us out of this nightmare. Which like I said in the above go live somewhere else anywhere else and stay long enough and you will want back here fast. Obama or whoever is in office is better then the majority of any country in the world.
That is still why so many people want to come here. No other country in this world has our freedoms. That is democracy. Which gives us the right to have these discussions. Grown up or not.
Look back in history and that gives you, your answer.
"I don't buy the arguments that the citizens can not be trusted to make good decisions. "
It's more like the world is too complicated for direct democracy to work in a forum larger than a city.
But there have been places run that way - Athens was one. Everything was decided by the people, including elections for general, how to treat rebels, what to do with political leaders, and so forth.
It worked for them - but note that a majority of the people living in Athens did not have the franchise.
Magichalo1, you need to take a reality check. The "internets" is not only in the US. And what makes you think the US is the only democracy.
To anwer the question, yes it does work when the people get involved. I works when the government only governs with the consent of the governed. Once the people stop paying attention, and those with money and power start infiltrating governemt, doees it get weakened. That is where the US is right now. We need Obama to lead us out of this nightmare.
...it depends on what is meant by 'work'. Democracy is two wolves and a pig sitting down to decide what to have for dinner. That said, there are no democratic nations on this planet. What we have are republics.
I tend to think direct democracy would actually be better. I don't buy the arguments that the citizens can not be trusted to make good decisions. I trust myself to represent my interests much more than I trust some huckster trying to get elected at all cost to do it for me.
I travelled from age 16 - 20
I dont agree with the tax distribution, and people want to come to this country as we offer hand outs.
yeh ofc for safety in certain cases, but a lot know there is an easy system to exploit.
look at what we can do - which is monitored, and restricted very severely...
as for your grow up statement, lol my initial post was 1 sentence, either your high horse is far too high, or it is you living the naive life perhaps to make assumption as such?
It doesn't look to me like you are doing too bad. Meaning look around at what you have and what you can do.
Look at all the people risking their life to get in this this country and tell me it isn't working. Looks like you need to move to a country that is not a democracy and come back when you grow up and tell me if it works.
I get so tired of people that do not appreicate what we have in this country. If you can find a place that is better you need to move there.
oh well the us system is different. - I only visited california in my time, I didnt enjoy it. I would risk my life to leave the country lol
but a woman of your age to pass judgement so harshly only tells me your opinion is terribly 1 sided.
im here open to new ideas, feedback and information, not some dig from the self rightous
I'd gladly exchange the complexity of the world for entrusting my well being to strangers whose only incentive to look after my well being is the hope of re-election.
The reality is, the few times direct democracy has been tried, it actually worked pretty well.
"does democracy REALLY work ?"
At least as well as any system, and better than most.
Nothing is perfect, however. Any given system will eventually fail-over into a new configuration.
I don't know. It's what we've been raised to think...I've asked myself this before too.
Oh you don't live in the US well maybe you should and then ask that quesion
Well it's gotten us this far in society so I would have to say yes.
have you not been to europe then miss narrowmind?
