Democracy - does it work? (1 Viewer)

[xXeMoxXxCoRexX]

There's been a lot of hype in the media about the wonders of democracy, and it is often equated with such noble ideals as freedom, progress, equity, stability, peace, prosperity and even civilisation. But is this really true?

Under democracy, Australia and also America have come under the leadership of complete idiots, ie. Bush. Just because the majority believe someone would be a good leader clearly doesn't mean they're right.

Democracy has put the real power in the hands of the giant media corporations, because Murdoch et. al have power over everyone's opinion and can influence or even outright control how they choose to vote, what issues people are informed and concerned about, and what people are kept ignorant about.

If democracy is supposed to be good for people, how come inequality is only increasing with time, with the wealthiest people continually gaining an increasingly large share of society's wealth?

Democracy has allowed the continual degradation of the natural environment, with massive issues such as Climate Change made to be of secondary importance in the public opinion to non-issues such as "interest rates" and "killing Muslims".

Most people are not intelligent, informed or educated, and as such not fit to determine the direction a country's leadership should best take. In other words Democracy puts power in the hands of those not competent to use it, who don't even have the slightest idea what's going on in the world around them.

I believe that because most people are so blind and selfish, we require a benign dictatorship to keep the masses' idiocy in check, and make informed decisions about the nation's future.

The alternative is an eternity of George Bushes.

 

[jimmayyy]

There's been a lot of hype in the media about the wonders of democracy, and it is often equated with such noble ideals as freedom, progress, equity, stability, peace, prosperity and even civilisation. But is this really true?

Under democracy, Australia and also America have come under the leadership of complete idiots, ie. Bush. Just because the majority believe someone would be a good leader clearly doesn't mean they're right.

Democracy has put the real power in the hands of the giant media corporations, because Murdoch et. al have power over everyone's opinion and can influence or even outright control how they choose to vote, what issues people are informed and concerned about, and what people are kept ignorant about.

If democracy is supposed to be good for people, how come inequality is only increasing with time, with the wealthiest people continually gaining an increasingly large share of society's wealth?

Democracy has allowed the continual degradation of the natural environment, with massive issues such as Climate Change made to be of secondary importance in the public opinion to non-issues such as "interest rates" and "killing Muslims".

Most people are not intelligent, informed or educated, and as such not fit to determine the direction a country's leadership should best take. In other words Democracy puts power in the hands of those not competent to use it, who don't even have the slightest idea what's going on in the world around them.

I believe that because most people are so blind and selfish, we require a benign dictatorship to keep the masses' idiocy in check, and make informed decisions about the nation's future.

The alternative is an eternity of George Bushes.

1. you are a fucking halfwit. bush was ELECTED, you boob. he didn't stage a fucking coup or anything. enough people wanted him in 2000 AND 2004. heck, america elected regan - TWICE. electing a president, idiot or otherwise is democracy in work. if you don't like it, fuck off and live in china or cuba or north korea or some other utopia.

2. hahahahaha

 

[Serius]

1. We arent a democracy, we are a representitive democracy

2. I would like to see a true democracy, but most people are dumbasses who dont deserve the right to vote on important topics.

3. Australian rep demo is much better than the american version

 

[iamsickofyear12]

1. you are a fucking halfwit. bush was ELECTED, you boob. he didn't stage a fucking coup or anything. enough people wanted him in 2000 AND 2004. heck, america elected regan - TWICE. electing a president, idiot or otherwise is democracy in work.

That is exactly the point you moron.

Most people are not intelligent, informed or educated, and as such not fit to determine the direction a country's leadership should best take.

 

[xXeMoxXxCoRexX]

Representative or otherwise, my point for both American and Australian democracy was that they have lead to installing regimes that are incompetent, selfish and don't act in the nation's best interests.

This I suppose mirrors the population, as you'd expect democracy to, where most people are ignorant uneducated consumers who are only interested, funnily enough, in consuming.

I think we need a dictatorship of educated, intelligent people who understand society and politics and economics (and by that I don't mean corporate greed) and can produce equitable and sustainable outcomes for society. This will never be possible in a democracy.

Look at what our government is doing to the environment, to our educational institutions, to our international reputation, to our public infrastructure and to our working people, and you can see that any system that leads to such a government must be a failure.

 

[iamsickofyear12]

Representative or otherwise, my point for both American and Australian democracy was that they have lead to installing regimes that are incompetent, selfish and don't act in the nation's best interests.

I think we need a dictatorship of educated, intelligent people who understand society and politics and economics (and by that I don't mean corporate greed) and can produce equitable and sustainable outcomes for society. This will never be possible in a democracy.

The job of politicians isn't to act in the nation's best interests, it's a popularity contest... do whatever it takes to ensure re-election. Can you really blame them for giving people what they want? If there weren't so many complete morons around we wouldn't have this problem.

I think there should be a test to determine whether you can vote or not. It should be hard. Only the top 10% should be allowed to vote.

 

[Born2baplacebo]

It does. Suprisingly.

 

[xXeMoxXxCoRexX]

The job of politicians isn't to act in the nation's best interests, it's a popularity contest...

That's the whole problem :/

I think there should be a test to determine whether you can vote or not. It should be hard. Only the top 10% should be allowed to vote.

That could be a workable compromise to retain some sense of democracy, but the other 90% would have to be kept in the dark about the power the 10% had and the nature of government.

We could just feed them more updates on Big Brother in the segments of the commercial networks' news that usually mentioned political events. We'd all be happier.

 

[Serius]

failure? i am not sure about that. We seem to be doing ok, our education is high, good standard of living and we havent been invaded yet.

 

[xXeMoxXxCoRexX]

Well look at the plight of Aboriginal Australians, arguably the worst treated of Indigenous people in all developed nations. Australia is by far prosperous enough to fix all their problems, and they're the most studied people in the world so there's plenty of knowledge about how to do it. But it'll never get done because the average ignorant 'Strayan doesn't care about anything that doesn't lower their grocery bill.

 

[Screwball116]

That's the whole problem :/


That could be a workable compromise to retain some sense of democracy, but the other 90% would have to be kept in the dark about the power the 10% had and the nature of government.

We could just feed them more updates on Big Brother in the segments of the commercial networks' news that usually mentioned political events. We'd all be happier.

Totally agree - I think that most of the population is so wrapped up in 'reality tv' that they wuold be happier not knowing about 'reality'

As for the issue being raised here - I dont think that the problem here is democracy rather that the problem is found with the people running for prime minister are really quite incapable of running a country.

 

[iamsickofyear12]

I dont think that the problem here is democracy rather that the problem is found with the people running for prime minister are really quite incapable of running a country.

...but the only reason that is even allowed to happen is because of stupid people who will vote for them anyway. If only certain people were allowed to vote then all the different parties would know that if they didn't put someone credible as their leader they would not get any votes.

 

[Screwball116]

...but the only reason that is even allowed to happen is because of stupid people who will vote for them anyway. If only certain people were allowed to vote then all the different parties would know that if they didn't put someone credible as their leader they would not get any votes.

You need someone "credible" to be there in the first place. Look at our current options and tell me which of them is honestly capable of running a country how you people think it should be run. Enough said.

 

[*BIRDIE*]

democracy is just a nice way of saying easy dictator!

think about it we're stll being told what to do and how to do it.

y cant we all be communists?? im a comunist at heart

 

[Screwball116]

I think the theory behind communism is logical, but in the real world it just doesn't work.
Does Tianamen Square need to be brought up here?
Honestly stop complaining if you wanna be a communist move to China. Or Russia and let yourself be ruled by someone else's opinion. If we didn't have democracy I'm not entirely sure websites like this would be allowed.

 

[*BIRDIE*]

Screwball116 , your right about the fact that the logic of communism is good but if i were to move to russia or china then i would still not be living in a communist state as those two countries run a sub form of a totalitarin communist - meanig its still a dicatorship juz disguised as communism. pure communism has never been put into action as ppl are power hungry and greedy, hence the idea of a communist state!

 

[Screwball116]

Therefore in practice it is technically impossible to be achieved as it is human nature to be power hungry greedy etc.
The next best thing after "pure communism" -as you say- would be a democracy, I would rather freedom of speech than being mowed down by tanks personally.
As our good friend Leunig exclaims:
"You can fool some of the people all of the time
You can fool all of the people some of the time
But you only have to fool a majority of the people for one day...
And you have a democracy"
Omg so true :rofl:

 

[ur_inner_child]

Democracy Doesn't Work!

Can you please elaborate?

 

[Gilbert1]

Democracy work beautifully. The fact that you don't agree with Bush being elected is irrelevent. Despite yourself thinking you are one of gods gifts to men and hold yourself higher then most meer mortals is again irrelevent.

Democracy is about giving everyone the same vote, and being able to vote for who they want to. Thats it. Alot of people would say that Bush is a great leader and Howard is also a great leader but your thought is that they are idiots and if they were intellegent people like yourself they would never have voted for Howard or Bush and would have voted for whatever crap party you go for.

Truth be told, our country does well, despite us always complaining. Im much happier to live in Australia then I would be to live in China or East Timor

 

[iamsickofyear12]

Democracy work beautifully.

Democracy is about giving everyone the same vote, and being able to vote for who they want to. Thats it.

Truth be told, our country does well, despite us always complaining. Im much happier to live in Australia then I would be to live in China or East Timor

If the only purpose of democracy is to give everyone the same vote then it does work beautifully... but surely the aim of a political system should be to run the country as effectively as possible and democracy doesn't do that.

I don't think there is a better system anywhere else either but that doesn't mean democracy is the best.