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From: cliff@unmvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: freedom, democracy, etc
Message-ID: <610@unmvax.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 26-Jan-85 05:55:36 EST
Article-I.D.: unmvax.610
Posted: Sat Jan 26 05:55:36 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 30-Jan-85 06:38:56 EST
References: <630@wucs.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque
Lines: 34

> Examples like this show that democracy is absolutely the worst system of 
> government.
> Except for all the others.
> Including libertarianism.

If you are such a fan of unrestrained democracy, why aren't you writing anything
that supports it rather than the status quo?  It seems there are quite a few
people willing to say "I really like what we have just now--after all, *I* am
well off."  Isn't this why so many people say democracy is the best thing, yet
what they really stand behind is the democratic republic set forth by the U.S.
Constitution subject to all the restraints of the Bill of Rights and the other
amendments?

Sure, go ahead and say that democracy is great, when what you mean is what we
have now is great...  I would *love* to see democracy on the national level.
When I lived in New Hampshire I could see democracy in action--the town
meetings.  One man--one vote is quite a powerful concept, as long as the vote
is directly on a proposition, rather than on which of three or four crooks will
make thousands of unrestrained decisions in the next few years...

Is it any surprise that the state that still supports democracy
has some of the most fiscally sound policies (e.g. no broad based state tax)?
In addition to the town meetings, New Hampshire has one of the largest
congressional bodies (possibly third behind the U.S. senate/house and British
Parliament) even though it still has a small population.  The result?  it is
hard for special interests to effectively control such an unwiedly body.

I don't agree with Richard Carnes that we need socialism, but I do agree with
him that the current set up is quite unfair and needs overhaul.

	--Cliff [Matthews]
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	4744 Trumbull S.E. - Albuquerque  NM  87108 - (505) 265-9143