True Democracy

[Kraannei]

To obtain a true democracy you must have educated citizens. Educated citizens are key because of their ability to solve problems, learn, and be open to new ideas. The democratic system should be set up like this: there are the citizens who elect senators. Then the people, at local community centers and town halls, shall come up with issues and ideas to improve the country or state. The citizens shall then send the ideas and issues to the senators at the capital. The senators shall then pick the most important issues and ideas and put them into place for them to take action. Thus the people choose what goes on in their nation. The tax placed on the people should be relatively high, to ensure enough money for the ideas and issues to get into action. In this state the people shall elect any government official to represent a certain section of the budget. For example the citizens of this ‘country A’ elect a Secretary of Defense for choosing what money, from the military budget, should be spent on; equipment, weapon production, etc. These government officials must be educated for this system to work, for the people would not want a Secretary of Defense spending all of the military money on food for the soldiers when there are no soldiers. This shows the importance of education in this kind of society. Going back to the senators, these men and women must be highly intelligent in the state of the country to know how they should spend the budget. In this kind of society, children in high-school should not be able to drop out, education is key to this country. In some cases poor families would not be able to afford special education, healthcare, college, etc. so a large section of the budget must be spent on plans for the poor and even the middle and high classes. In this nation if people cannot be healthy – or educated – the government will not work. This country now might be called a ‘socialist democracy’ because of its generally high tax rate and large umbrella welfare/health/education programs, but this government could not really take a turn into right-wing politics. The government needs to be taking care of everyone, meaning higher taxes, watching out for the poor, and a little bit of socialism.

[Lenehen]

I think this belongs in general. What is the point of this thread- is it just your beliefs?

[Tigeria]

"democracy, dear America, democracy now, and forever"

-President John Henry Eden

Democracy, in my opinion, is the only way to run a nation.

However, there probably are successful nations without democracy..

[Imeriata]

Democracy is a bad way to run a nation and it will most likely result in a bureaucratic mess where the majority rules with an iron fist, no the only true way to defend liberty and to rule in a civilised manner is absolute monarchy mixed with feudalism and federalism!

[Anarcho-Syndicalist Commune]

The only way any government will work in the long term is if it is local and decentralized. The more overall power governments and corporations have, the more corrupt the entire system becomes. Powerful private industry dominates a weak government and steamrolls over freedom. Powerful government dominates weak private industry and steamrolls over freedom. A fusion between powerful private industry and powerful government (like what we have in the US right now) steamrolls over freedom and then grinds into gristle whatever wee bits of freedom were left. There is no true democracy except for direct democracy.

Anarcho-syndicalism, dear America. Anarcho-syndicalism now and forever.

[FreeOlesia]

Democracy? Only the Emperor and the Royal Family are blessed with the power to rule this great nation.

[Dainer]

True Democracy is rather like a True Scotsman. Whatever you are, you're not it.

[Icesteam]

The Dictator's official statement on democracy is "fun, but harmful".

[Kraannei]

This is just what the people of Kraannei beleive, although we beleive alot of government types work, we beleive Democracy is the storngest, further more the Liberal (left wing: democratic) philosophy is the way to go, a little bit of socialism and patriotism is always right. OOC: this could turn inot a discussions thread for left/right wing political philosophy arguments, which could be interesting and cool. Let me know, if ya'll want to do this. PLEASE REPLY.

[Tlaceceyaya]

This is just what the people of Kraannei beleive, although we beleive alot of government types work, we beleive Democracy is the storngest, further more the Liberal (left wing: democratic) philosophy is the way to go, a little bit of socialism and patriotism is always right. OOC: this could turn inot a discussions thread for left/right wing political philosophy arguments, which could be interesting and cool. Let me know, if ya'll want to do this. PLEASE REPLY.

General is out of character.

[The Seven Realms]

Totalitarianism is the only way to be sure *nods*

[Call to power]

Educated citizens are key because of their ability to solve problems, learn, and be open to new ideas.

Prove it.

Also its incredibly silly to assume a bloke in Washington has a better idea of what you need than yourself or even has the same values as you.

The only way any government will work in the long term is if it is local and decentralized. The more overall power governments and corporations have, the more corrupt the entire system becomes.

Why can't local governments and small business* be corrupt?

*I assume this is the opposite of what you mean by corporations

[Bulgislavia]

I think it takes a sophisticated population to maintain a free society

when power seeking individuals or groups begin distorting and subverting the morality of the people, dumbing and numbing them down, keeping them distracted, making them disengaged and cynical it is extremely easy to collapse a free society into a closed society. The power seekers find accumulating more power especially easier by injecting fear into the population, separating the people from each other, cutting off their connections with one another and with nature and then when the people are docile or frightened enough they will support any move by the power seekers to "Restore" routine, stability and security

And it takes sophisticated people to recognize when this is happening so they can organize and fight back to prevent the loss of their free society.

which is why a free society can be effectively maintained by a sophisticated population (And why its in the interests of the power seekers to unsophisticate the population - having a nation of mindless consumers and cloned Kardashians would be their ultimate dream)

[Mike the Progressive]

An educated citizen is still a passionate one. He still gets scared and acts irrationally when he loses his job, when a crime is committed, when a sudden news flash gives only half the story.

I'm skeptical.

[Bulgislavia]

An educated citizen is still a passionate one. He still gets scared and acts irrationally when he loses his job, when a crime is committed, when a sudden news flash gives only half the story.

I'm skeptical.

Its easier for an educated population to maintain a free society

then it is for an illiterate population struggling to meet their daily needs to maintain a free society

well thats what I think, not saying its true but........ I could imagine a starving illiterate surrender their rights to a charasmatic individual who promised them education and food. and it seems less likely for an educated individual to submit so easily to a would be dictator....... but then again sophisticated and educated societies have fallen to tyranny in the past

[Herskerstad]

Elitism on it's finest.

No, I doubt true democracy confines itself to trying to out-root stupidity, and it would be even worse if the government itself was to have a census of some kind to decide who's opinion matters and who's do not. Furthermore, it is not always the most intellectual presidents that turn out to be the best. Woodrow Wilson, Carter and Obama are pretty intellectual, yet yielded limited success particularly on the state of the nation. Whereas practical presidents like Reagan and Truman had much better records of doing so. Same abroad really, Churchill was by no means a financial genius, but he was innovative and took initiative. Be it from inventing the land-based prototype of what would later be known as an armored division or tank, to using common sense in revealing that the Nazi's were in fact warmongering. A task where he had to force his way past many intellectuals mind you. Or Thatcher, who mercilessly pursued fiscal responsibility. While gutting the unions, privatizing rapidly and eliminating wasteful spending, she had the inflation down one present on average during each year in office. The GDP for all classes had improved and they were repaying debt. In other words, something intellectuals fear doing, as in doing so she made a lot of enemies and had to rely on practicality, rather than intentions.

Having the government remain the servant of it's people, and not the master of it's people. Is a foundation on which all other liberties depend. To have a government which defines who's opinion matter. who's vote counts, is essentially a fast track to 'benevolent tyranny' which liberties will be greatly reduced. As the government will have all kinds of ideas on what you can and cannot eat, what you can and cannot drive, who you vote and cannot vote for. And having been a student of a university of the year, I can safely say that it is a haven for opinionated idiots who desperately needs a crash course with reality. While not vindicating intellectualism which can yield good results, I will say that it's average standard is insignificant on most cases. Especially when it relates to political areas, and should by no basis define who gets to vote and who gets to count. As well as who gets to run for office.

[Free Buccaneers]

What we need is not more democratic government per se but rather less of it. Democracy is inherently flawed due to the ignorance of most of the electorate, and lobbying, bought elections etc being inevitable. However all forms of non-democratic government are inherently flawed too. Government always ends up giving the power (and monopoly on violence/initiation of force) to the political and economic elites - these may be politicians, those who are well connected with the government or put the money in their pockets...

So the solution is to gradually whittle down the size of the state until we have either classical liberalism or minarchy, with a constitution that prevents government from growing again. From there the state could be got rid of altogether, if feasible. However its almost impossible to decide if a stateless society would work unless we are close to it anyway, going to a stateless society from here is nigh impossible and unimaginable, because its so alien to how everything works now.

[Call to power]

I think it takes a sophisticated population to maintain a free society

You see the thing is you haven't really defined what a sophisticated person is.

I presume you include yourself in such a group but that just means you want a nation of angsts-ridden teenagers

well thats what I think, not saying its true but........ I could imagine a starving illiterate surrender their rights to a charasmatic individual who promised them education and food.

But then rights are frequently curtailed in the interest of economic benefits in every society -not just in some "hurr durr dem corporations" but in things such as airport expansions.

So the solution is to gradually whittle down the size of the state until we have either classical liberalism or minarchy, with a constitution that prevents government from growing again. From there the state could be got rid of altogether, if feasible. However its almost impossible to decide if a stateless society would work unless we are close to it anyway, going to a stateless society from here is nigh impossible and unimaginable, because its so alien to how everything works now.

So in order for the state to remove the influence of powerful bodies it must hand over power to powerful bodies.

[Oliver the Mediocre]

"Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others which have been tried."

I more or less agree with the opinions of the OP.. the question for me is less "What do we do" but "How do we get it done"?

[Exemplis]

Prove it.

People Aren't Smart Enough for Democracy to Flourish

[Mavorpen]

How does a smarter population make for a better democracy?

[Call to power]

People Aren't Smart Enough for Democracy to Flourish

The article clearly ignores findings such as the wisdom of the crowd and the findings instead point towards the importance of being polymath rather than any sort of fixed intelligence.

[Ifreann]

In a true democracy people use paragraphs.

[Nazis in Space]

I think it takes a sophisticated population to maintain a free society

You see the thing is you haven't really defined what a sophisticated person is.

I presume you include yourself in such a group but that just means you want a nation of angsts-ridden teenagers

The internet.

You just won one of them.

[Dainer]

"Education" is more commonly understood as "academic learning" which carries a stigma of "ivory tower" in some places due to a trend of anti-intellectualism.

I think the concept of an educated population is more adequately described as a population where people can think for themselves and can access the necessary knowledge to take informed decisions. It also doesn't mean the UNeducated don't get to have a say in the matter, but that the ideal state would be the absence of uneducation (not absence of the uneducated, before someone objects).