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Comments on: Democracy’s great, innit? http://sharpener.johnband.org/2006/08/democracys-great-innit/ Trying to make a point Fri, 25 Jan 2008 12:21:35 +0000 hourly 1 By: The Sharpener » Blog Archive » Defend the Lords (by electing them) http://sharpener.johnband.org/2006/08/democracys-great-innit/#comment-28833 Tue, 15 Aug 2006 00:05:31 +0000 http://www.thesharpener.net/2006/08/10/democracys-great-innit/#comment-28833 […] It’s now a few days after Lords Reform Day and Paul has already written another, well-worth-a-look piece here, which makes this attempt to fulfill my pledge by writing a related article a little late. Still, hopefully it’s of some relevance and interest… […]

]]> By: G. Tingey http://sharpener.johnband.org/2006/08/democracys-great-innit/#comment-28767 Mon, 14 Aug 2006 14:43:46 +0000 http://www.thesharpener.net/2006/08/10/democracys-great-innit/#comment-28767 Erm …..

Great idea, but, we MUST HAVE a second chamber, to prevent a dictatorship-of-the-commons.

I hate to point it out, but the House of Lords did its best to stop the IDiot ID-card bill passing.
They stopped the dangerous regulatory powers bill passing, etc ….

So, if we get rid of the present Lords, what do we put in its’ place, to safeguard what few freedoms we have left?

Suggestions on a postcard, please.

]]> By: Jonn http://sharpener.johnband.org/2006/08/democracys-great-innit/#comment-28656 Mon, 14 Aug 2006 09:31:37 +0000 http://www.thesharpener.net/2006/08/10/democracys-great-innit/#comment-28656 Paul: One of the joys of democracy is that it gives people the choice to stay away and in doing so weights the thoughts of those with an unusual attachment to political affairs more heavily than those with better things to do.

James: This is very scary writing. It could also be written that we should only let people who have nothing better to do than pontificate about politics decide what is best for this country.

Me: No, that’s brilliant – let the bloggers take over. We’d sort everything out!

]]> By: Paul http://sharpener.johnband.org/2006/08/democracys-great-innit/#comment-28651 Mon, 14 Aug 2006 08:54:41 +0000 http://www.thesharpener.net/2006/08/10/democracys-great-innit/#comment-28651 Shuggy, Jonn and James: Hook, Line and Sinker ;)

]]> By: James http://sharpener.johnband.org/2006/08/democracys-great-innit/#comment-28553 Sun, 13 Aug 2006 15:05:01 +0000 http://www.thesharpener.net/2006/08/10/democracys-great-innit/#comment-28553 “Wisdom resides in crowds”.

What utter tosh.

To quote Tommy Lee Jones (in MIB I believe):

“An individual can be smart, but people are stupid, irrational and dangerous and you know it..” (or something along those lines). And he’s damn right – when groups of people form they start to behave like idiots – attempting to conform to some perceived group norm, which is then self-reinforcing – even if the person does not necessarily believe in what they are doing.

Also: “One of the joys of democracy is that it gives people the choice to stay away and in doing so weights the thoughts of those with an unusual attachment to political affairs more heavily than those with better things to do.”

This is very scary writing. It could also be written that we should only let people who have nothing better to do than pontificate about politics decide what is best for this country.

Just because most intelligent people in this country realise that due to the FPTP system their vote is pointless and so refrain from voting, doesn’t mean that they don’t want to have a say in how the country is run.

England voted for a Conservative (god help us) government. But we still got landed with the shits in red.

]]> By: Jonn http://sharpener.johnband.org/2006/08/democracys-great-innit/#comment-28411 Sat, 12 Aug 2006 18:20:00 +0000 http://www.thesharpener.net/2006/08/10/democracys-great-innit/#comment-28411 Shuggy makes a good point. No democracy is perfect – in the US, smaller states have disproportionate power thanks to the Senate and the composition of the electoral college. Which is something of a joke in itself.

The Lords do need reforming – but the fact we have one undemocratic legislative body doesn’t mean we’re not a democracy.

Personally I quite like the German system.

]]> By: Shuggy http://sharpener.johnband.org/2006/08/democracys-great-innit/#comment-28409 Sat, 12 Aug 2006 16:26:16 +0000 http://www.thesharpener.net/2006/08/10/democracys-great-innit/#comment-28409 I favour an elected Lords too but I don’t agree with the idea that, “Either we live in a democracy or we do not.”

You get degrees of democracy. Our democracy is limited because of the PM’s patronage and the Lords etc. but we are still a democracy. Sort of.

]]> By: dave bones http://sharpener.johnband.org/2006/08/democracys-great-innit/#comment-28390 Sat, 12 Aug 2006 10:52:30 +0000 http://www.thesharpener.net/2006/08/10/democracys-great-innit/#comment-28390 I like your concept of democracy and your use of my favourite anglo-indian word “innit” innit.

]]> By: chris y http://sharpener.johnband.org/2006/08/democracys-great-innit/#comment-28197 Fri, 11 Aug 2006 13:46:12 +0000 http://www.thesharpener.net/2006/08/10/democracys-great-innit/#comment-28197 chris, I favour that idea in principle too. But you have to allow for the danger that the experience of dealing directly with government ministers for 6 whole months would put so many people off politics that they’d vote for any prospective dictator without demur.

]]> By: Paranoid Android http://sharpener.johnband.org/2006/08/democracys-great-innit/#comment-28140 Fri, 11 Aug 2006 11:06:16 +0000 http://www.thesharpener.net/2006/08/10/democracys-great-innit/#comment-28140 Tony Blurgh must have too much democracy, ‘cos he’s always trying to get rid of it.

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