Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site alliant.UUCP Path: utzoo!lsuc!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!mtuxo!drutx!ihnp4!cbosgd!ukma!psuvm.bitnet!psuvax1!burdvax!sdcrdcf!sdcsvax!dcdwest!ittatc!decvax!linus!alliant!gottlieb From: gottlieb@alliant.UUCP (Bob Gottlieb) Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Re: American Foreign Policy Message-ID: <152@alliant.UUCP> Date: Sat, 11-Jan-86 15:53:38 EST Article-I.D.: alliant.152 Posted: Sat Jan 11 15:53:38 1986 Date-Received: Fri, 17-Jan-86 03:36:38 EST References: <41@ubc-vision.UUCP> Reply-To: gottlieb@alliant.UUCP (Bob Gottlieb) Organization: Alliant Computer Systems, Acton, MA Lines: 68 Keywords: Democracy, Republic, Representative Democracy In article <41@ubc-vision.UUCP> mokhtar@ubc-vision.UUCP (Farzin Mokhtarian) writes: OK, America is a *representative* democracy. But this is open to interpretation. When it comes to an important foreign policy decision, can a single person (no matter how intelligent and informed) realistically represent a large nation? [Farzin Mokhtarian] I think that it is fairly obvious that no single person can represent the opinions of every individual, in that there will be many different views of ANY subject (N+1 views for N individual, minimum). The goal of the US system is to elect (or, unfortunately, to appoint in some cases, although George Schultz ain't terrible) individuals to REPRESENT the country as a whole. By necessity, this means that things will rarely be exactly as you want, and often decidedly not as you want. Being the member of any minority group (be it religious, ethnic, political, or whatever) will exerbate the situation even more - even an absolutely balanced treatment of a situation between two differing sides, assuming it could exist, would have BOTH sides probably feeling angry that we (the US) didn't feel that THEY were obviously correct (In all issues like that, I know that I'M correct :-). --- I sort of look at our system of government as a feedback system - If it swings too far in any direction, then people tend to get elected in who swing things back. This is not a fast response system, though. Additionally, people can be mislead by candidates, can change their own opinions, and can choose one particular issue as "THE ISSUE" when many are worthy of consideration. Another method is also very significant - making sure that your opinions are heard. Politicians like to stay in office, and are usually flexable in the face of hard opposition (sometimes, too much so). What I guess I'm saying is, if you don't like what's going on, make yourself heard (legally, please)! Get everyone who agrees with you to make themselves heard (and even those who don't...). You must constantly push to get your views through. Write your congressman or representative (I would really, REALLY, REALLY!!! love them to get feeds from this network). You must also recognize that the views of the government officials and/or the majority of the population may disagree with your views, in which case you will either have to work to educate them, or live with the situation. And yes, I recognize that people outside the US may die with the situation - the purpose of our government is primarily to represent us, and thru action or inaction we affect the lives and deaths of individuals in other countries. I've heard about many countries on this network: Israel, Syria, Libya, Turkey, El Salvadore, Nicaragua, to name but a few. Some of the US's actions I like (more or less), some I strongly dislike. But we affect the lives of people outside the US by whatever we do or don't do. But basically, even doing NOTHING is bad... I recognize that I sound a little preachy, but I happen to like the system, although I don't like many of the elected representatives all that much. Many of the faults in the system are due to people sitting on their asses and letting the system do it's own thing. Democracy (whatever it's flavor) isn't free - you have a responsibility to make it work. Apathy is a tradition in the US - who am I to change a tradition? Finally, I must ask the obvious - what do you propose as an alternative? Mind you, I would oppose any attempt to change the system of government in the US, because frankly I'm scared that it couldn't really be much better, and it would very likely be very much worse. -- -- Bob Gottlieb UUCP: ...!linus!alliant!gottlieb Mail: Alliant Computer Systems Corp, 42 Nagog Park, Acton, MA 01720 Phone: (617) 263-9110 Foot: "You can't get there from here". --------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I don't know what I'm doing, and Alliant isn't responsible either, so there!"