On 15 Sep 2002 at 18:18, rhinoceros wrote:
>
> [rhinoceros]
> I have been thinking about democracy as a philosophical ideal and as a
> government system in connection to why Bush, with his specific
> (dis)abilities and traits, was nominated from his party and then
> (almost) elected. I am not talking about how media manipulations or
> mischief were possibly carried out; I am talking about what is implied
> by these facts. Why not some other republican? Is democracy really
> working as supposed to, according to its philosophical basis?
>
>
> [Joe Dees]
> I believe that the electoral college should be abolished and that
> elections should be decided by direct popular vote. There was a need
> for electors 200 years ago before we developed out present
> transportation and communications technology; the system is not an
> obsolete anachronism, and should be repealed.
>
>
> [rhinoceros]
> Probably. The system seems a little bit feudal. On the other hand, it
> may promote regional initiative. But then again, electors are not
> going to surrender their power gracefully. I wouldn't know.
>
No, they won't; going to the conventions is a big party perk.
>
> However, how would direct popular vote avert the nomination or
> election of someone less qualified than most, such as Bush. What would
> the difference from the current system be in that respect?
>
Democracy is all about trusting the people to elect capable leaders,
and, whether they do or not, living with the electoral decision that the
people make, for better or for worse (short of Nixon-style criminality),
with the sure knowledge that the decision will be enjoyed or endured for
only a finite term (or, at most, two). We get the leaders that we
deserve, because we choose them. We may not tell the electorate who
they must not vote for, any more than we may tell them who they must
vote for, from among the candidates that meet the constitutional
conditions; either command is a freedom-killer.
>
> ----
> This message was posted by rhinoceros to the Virus 2002 board on
> Church of Virus BBS.
> <http://virus.lucifer.com/bbs/index.php?board=51;action=display;thread
> id=26597>
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