This got me thinking:
Collapse Box
As elections near for governmental positions all over Peekia, polls predict near-certain victories for candidates from an ultra-nationalist party promising reactionary policies on immigration, crime, civil liberties and military spending.
The Debate
1. "Victory for these nutjobs would be a travesty for the people of Peekia and the democracy they cherish!" declares Bianca Love, leader of the left-wing People's Democratic Party. "We must ban these dangerous extremists from running for office. If they want to espouse their ignorant views, let them do so in the private sector. Our democracy belongs to the people, not the wackos."
2. "Pfft, it's the people who voted them in in the first place," says Akira McAlpin, an international observer of your elections. "If it's the people's will to turn power over to the extremists, then you should do all you can to work with the new parliament. Truly listening and acting upon what your citizens want? THAT is what makes a democracy."
3. "Don't say I didn't warn you: this experiment in mob-ocracy was doomed from the start!" claims political adviser Thomas Barry. "Now any idiot with a loyal army of fringe-voters can come in here and tell you what's what! You are the only leader our citizens can truly respect and for the sake of national unity we should put an end to these popularity contests once and for all!"
I believe in freedom and democracy, but what if the people were vote to allow a dictator-for-life to come into power? It "could" be lawful, provided they change the constitution, but a dictator would go against the very principles of democratic theory.
What would you do when your ideology threatens to destroy itself? Do you (or should you) adopt new principles? Or should you allow a single self-destructive tendency run its course and destroy everything you used to stand for?
Win by luck, lose by skill.
It usually depends on the political and sentimental environment. So under context, if a country is in a time of peace and prosperity, people will likely prefer government with less power. And in a time of emergency and danger, people will likely prefer government with more power.
And let me tell you, you've just discovered that you were not believing in freedom and democracy. You believed in the words, not the ideology itself. You knew it in definitions, and believed them. Yet, you have experienced neither of them. So tell me, do you really know what freedom and democracy is?
None.
The people cannot democratically elect a dictator. You need to look up those words.
I personally think term limits are a poor solution to a serious problem. They are, from what I can infer, intended to prevent people from becoming inundated by the give and take/quid pro quo mentality of politics. However, due to earmarks, this has just become a "you support my company/locality" instead of "you support my legislature." It's a serious issue that no one really talks about.
If we truly find an excellent and capable leader with high popularity across the country who is unilaterally improving our nation, why would we throw that person out after 8 years? The concept is asinine.
None.
Of course it's possible to elect a dictator or opt for a dictatorial style government. See, for example, Jamaica in 1865. The legislature voted to abolish itself and hand over control to the British Governor, and without pressure from the executive.
None.
When they do that, it's no longer a democracy.
None.
Isn't that what the topic is about?
And let me tell you, you've just discovered that you were not believing in freedom and democracy. You believed in the words, not the ideology itself. You knew it in definitions, and believed them. Yet, you have experienced neither of them.
Well, I think people should be free to do whatever they want as long as it doesn't harm anyone else. Of course, there are some restraints that need to be mandated by the government for health and safety reasons (e.g. food safety), but as for things such as religious practices, there's no need to forcefully change others' beliefs.
And as for democracy, it seems like the best way we have at the moment of guaranteeing a slightly-benevolent government. Other forms of government, such as monarchies and dictatorships, may be stable, but they don't always listen to the people. There have been some good despots in the past, but they are few and far between. Radical libertarianism and anarchism doesn't seem to be the answer to our problems either, since order is better than chaos in guaranteeing a stable society.
So tell me, do you really know what freedom and democracy is?
I do not know truly what they are. I only know my impressions of the doctrines, and from those I base my beliefs.
Win by luck, lose by skill.
You can argue that a true democracy is tyranny of the majority. Our representative democracies are more like plutocracies where voters have to choose between two privileged groups with similar interests and ideas. The result is something of an illusory choice.
Personally I have lost faith in democracy. I think some kind of radical change is needed but I don't know what.
None.
We could jump aboard payne's structured-anarchy (with laws, economy, and firefighters!) or whatever he's always pushing.
Or we could always go in France's direction ... Don't like it? Kill
everyone and put yourself in power!
We need extreme government and way of life.
TinyMap2 - Latest in map compression! ( 7/09/14 - New build! )
EUD Action Enabler - Lightweight EUD/EPD support! (ChaosLauncher/MPQDraft support!)
EUDDB -
topic - Help out by adding your EUDs! Or Submit reference files in the References tab!
MapSketch - New image->map generator!
EUDTrig -
topic - Quickly and easily convert offsets to EUDs! (extended players supported)
SC2 Map Texture Mask Importer/Exporter - Edit texture placement in an image editor!
This page has been viewed [img]http://farty1billion.dyndns.org/Clicky.php?img.gif[/img] times!
