Dumb Democracy

Discussion in 'Politics' started by EmeraldAxe, Jul 4, 2009.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Norsefire Salam Shalom Salom Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    11,529
    Oh yes, the best cure for apathy is forcing people to get involved

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

     
  2. Google AdSense Guest Advertisement



    to hide all adverts.
  3. Cellar_Door Whose Worth's unknown Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    1,310
    "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch."
    -- Benjamin Franklin
     
  4. Google AdSense Guest Advertisement



    to hide all adverts.
  5. EmeraldAxe Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    107
    Baron,

    Perhaps I wasn't as precise as I could have been with the wording. Illiterate in the way I used it does not mean incapable of reading but "showing a lack of familiarity with the fundamentals of a particular field of knowledge." And you could easily argue this is because of apathy (but I have said the same thing in subsequent posts). I have no criticism of Americans' ability to read.

    Norsefire,

    When the 3/5 Americans can't tell you we have three branches of government, something drastic might need to be done. The suggestion I put forth is far from original or even unprecedented.

    Am I to assume the current level of compulsory service is acceptable by your standards? Why have any public education at all? I could make a strong case that all education up to and including college works to keep people out of the work force (argument made by Quinn in Ishmael), which is where they will learn most of their skills anyway - outside of elements like vocational colleges, medical schools, law schools etc where the things memorized are actually applied.
     
  6. Google AdSense Guest Advertisement



    to hide all adverts.
  7. Baron Max Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    23,053
    Which is the reason that our form of democracy is ...REPRESENTATIVE. We elect people who REPRESENT us in the government, we don't vote on every single issue of government.

    Baron Max
     
  8. tuberculatious Banned Banned

    Messages:
    987
    The populace is mostly literate.

    end thread.
     
  9. EmeraldAxe Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    107
    They certainly are not. They can literally read, but are illiterate in matters of government and politics. Again, illiterate, like most words, does not have one meaning. It can mean, in addition to the connotation you've taken it to mean, "showing a lack of familiarity with the fundamentals of a particular field of knowledge". If it is still not obvious that the populace is largely ignorant:

    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/article715982.ece
     
  10. Balerion Banned Banned

    Messages:
    8,596
    You should have used a better word. Even though literate does not only refer to inability to read, it has colloquially come to mean just that.

    Now, to your point, since when does democracy require the population to be knowledgeable on all of the particulars?
     
  11. EmeraldAxe Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    107
    Point taken, I'd like to submit though that in the literature this is the word used more than say 'ignorance'.

    Next, in a republic (what we have), knowledge of the particulars is not necessary. Knowledge of the fundamentals is still important however. But we vote for the voters in the US with this in mind. In a democracy, every matter is conceivably brought to the people. If it's not obvious that first the United States population is largely ignorant to the basic structure of its government, and second that this is dangerous, then I could provide more argument and information.
     
  12. Balerion Banned Banned

    Messages:
    8,596
    What literature?

    Well, you've revised your argument quite a bit, and I appreciate that, because this one is easier to agree with than the OP. You say here that it's important to understand the fundementals, and I agree. And I think most voters do understand the fundamentals. They may not know how best to handle the problem, but that's why they're voters and not politicians.

    Also, this is not a direct democracy, so not every issue is brought to the people. This is a representative democracy, so we elect people to have the problem presented to.

    Also, define "basic structure of government". And "dangerous", if you don't mind. We've come this far with the condition largely unchanged, so I don't really see how your argument holds water.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page