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From: jimr@hcrvx2.UUCP (Jim Robinson)
Newsgroups: net.followup
Subject: Re: S.A., Soviets, & Sanctions
Message-ID: <2387@hcrvx2.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 14-Sep-86 16:19:45 EDT
Article-I.D.: hcrvx2.2387
Posted: Sun Sep 14 16:19:45 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 15-Sep-86 00:21:11 EDT
References: <225@mdivax1.UUCP> <334@ubc-cs.UUCP> <2368@hcrvx2.UUCP> <1023@kontron.UUCP> <2382@hcrvx2.UUCP> <1158@erix.UUCP>
Reply-To: jimr@hcrvx2.UUCP (Jim Robinson)
Organization: Human Computing Resources, Toronto
Lines: 34
Summary: 

In article <1158@erix.UUCP> mike@erix.UUCP (Mike Williams) writes:
>In article <2382@hcrvx2.UUCP> jimr@hcrvx2.UUCP (Jim Robinson) writes:
>>PS Would one of those who believes that political freedom (including free
>>   elections) is any less important than other human rights please 
>>   explain this position?
>.........................
>.......................
>I don't think one should be so niave to assume that ANY country has complete
>political freedom (even if one could define what political freedom is). The
>only thing one can say is that we have more such freedom in the west that
>they have in the east. Given this perspective I value other freedoms like
>free speech, freedom to travel a free press much more highly.

But there is an interesting point that is being missed. Namely, that *in
practice* the best means of guaranteeing such freedoms as free speech 
is to be able to kick out out of office the government that would take 
that freedom away. If we look at those countries that do not have
free speech, freedom to travel, or a free press we find one glaring
common denominator - there is no means of holding the ruling government
accountable by way of elections. These governments may do what they
desire secure in the knowledge that the citizenry has no recourse.
I would thus submit that those freedoms that Mike values above 
political freedom will in practice only exist if said political freedom
(in the form of the people being able to change governments) exists.
It is no accident that the west which  Mike admits has more political
freedom than the east also has more of the other previously  mentioned 
freedoms. 

As for proportional representation - the impression I get is that leads
to there being a thousand and one different parties being represented
in Parliament which leads to *unstable* coalition governments. Just
my impression which could very well be incorrect. 

J.B. Robinson