1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

How To Fix American Democracy

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by Wildkow, Aug 14, 2006.

  1. Wildkow

    Wildkow New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 24, 2006
    5,270
    37
    36
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    How To Fix American Democracy

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    What's The Problem?

    Politicians say that the single most important thing for winning an election is a big advertising budget. Sadly, the evidence is they're right. Their platforms are full of generalities, and campaign promises are made to be broken. On actual issues, corporate lobbyists seem to have more input than the voters. How can there be a conflict of interest, in the mind of someone with no interest beyond re-election? Why bother to vote, when I can't tell the candidates apart?

    Is There A Solution?
    Sure. Give me a candidate with a chance, a candidate who says the right things about my pet issues, and I'll embrace him. Millions would. But in a restricted geographic area, no politician can be like that. In any one area, there are almost never enough votes for a single-issue candidate. Voters who deeply care about NASA, or NAFTA, or NOW, or the NRA, are spread across the countryside. They are diluted and usually get drowned out.

    So, let's have candidates of no fixed geographic region. Every candidate who gets enough votes is in, regardless of where the votes came from. If someone wants to speak for (say) commercial fishermen, well, he can campaign up and down the coasts, and around the Gulf. If someone wants to speak for Microsoft customers, or Baptists, or nurses, or accident victims, or ex-convicts, there are ways to reach these people. Go look at the best magazine display in your town. Horse owners can be reached. Heck, there's a magazine for security guards. And now candidates have the Internet.

    Can We Make That Work?
    It works in Australia. Instead of each state holding a winner-takes-all Senate election, they hold elections where five winners become Senators.

    The only major stumbling block is how to get the system changed. The only way to do that is to get the idea popular in a few States, and hope it spreads from there. Each State does have the power to operate in this way, within its own borders. California elects 53 Representatives, but the federal Constitution doesn't tell California to have districts.

    I am convinced that everything else is relatively easy. Voter and candidate registration, and the actual voting, are fairly ordinary organizational problems. There are some side issues - like, does getting twice the minimum number of votes, result in twice the power. I have answers, but let's skip the details.

    What Would The New World Be Like?
    Hopeful. Activist. Involved. The old playing field probably wouldn't go away, but politicians on the new playing field would be more entrepreneurial, and more rooted in their constituency. They might have a narrow vision, but at least they'd have a vision! They would have incentive to truly fight for "their" issues. Being inoffensive and photogenic wouldn't be so much on their minds. And remember, it's easier to deal with someone when you know his agenda.

    "Machine politics" and big parties wouldn't vanish. Instead, there would be more machines. Would the Teamsters or the RIAA push their own candidates? Why not? They already influence candidates. They'd simply stop spreading their power thin. And we'd all know who their candidate was.

    It could be a very different world from today's, where so many issues are just lost in the political mush, or mostly get to Washington as marches and anger.


    http://www.don-lindsay-archive.org/essays/election.html
     
  2. dragonfly

    dragonfly New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 4, 2006
    2,217
    7
    0
    <Thanks for fixing it Wildkow.>
     
  3. IsrAmeriPrius

    IsrAmeriPrius Progressive Member

    Joined:
    May 27, 2004
    4,333
    7
    0
    Location:
    Southern California
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Plagiarizing?

    It is considered to be poor netiquette to copy something from another website without attribution. Not to mention that it probably is a copyright violation.

    P.S. Just as I suspected. I found your source:

    Don Lindsay Archive

    P.P.S. Dragonfly beat me to the punch.
     
  4. dragonfly

    dragonfly New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 4, 2006
    2,217
    7
    0
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IsrAmeriPrius @ Aug 14 2006, 04:42 PM) [snapback]303202[/snapback]</div>
    It all makes sense now.... Wildkow is really Ann Coulter! :eek:
     
  5. eyeguy13

    eyeguy13 Member

    Joined:
    Mar 26, 2006
    337
    0
    0
    Location:
    Vermont
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IsrAmeriPrius @ Aug 14 2006, 04:42 PM) [snapback]303202[/snapback]</div>

    Wildkow knows better....he's done this before....

    I read the article. Not sure if it would work here in America.

    What would work is a big campaign fund that ALL corporate lobbyists put their money in. Then, the money is divided up among all registered candidates and that is all the money they can spend. All fair. They all get the same amount of money to start with.

    Problem solved.
     
  6. Wildkow

    Wildkow New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 24, 2006
    5,270
    37
    36
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Oh give me a BREAK! You don't think I know that you can search and find this type of plagiarism with relative ease on the net! Especially when it is WORD FOR WORD how many plagiarisers quote word for word you guys are comical!! I forgot to add the cite as I was in a hurry and I thought his name was in the post. Observe that I was indeed in a hurry as I did not sign the post as I always do and it also shows I was not taking credit for the content as I did not sign the post. Doesn't say much for your critical thinking skills does it? An eyeguy prove that I have done this before. [attachmentid=4492]

    Wildkow

    p.s. Typical tactics that take every opportunity to destroy someone's reputation that doesn't see eye to eye with their viewpoints. <_< Your characters and vapid content of your hearts is revealed by your own hands. :(
     
  7. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2004
    14,487
    1,518
    0
    Location:
    Spokane, WA
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    As much as I hate to agree with the Kow on anything, proportional representation is a lot more democratic than our winner-take-all electoral farce. And while corporate lobbyists would not voluntarily contribute to a general campaign fund for all candidates (after all, the whole point is they are buying the candidates) it would make sense to ban all private campaign spending, in favor of a system that provided limited, free media time for all candidates.

    In some parliamentary democracies each party puts forth a slate of candidates and voters vote for the parties. Each party then get a number of seats proportional to its popular vote, counting down from the top of its published slate of candidates. The result is that most voters have some representation. By contrast, in our two-party system, most voters have no representation, because most voters are disgusted with both of the big parties.
     
  8. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2005
    15,232
    1,563
    0
    Location:
    off into the sunset
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I think proportional representation makes sense and is among the best of the 'alternatives.' But, there's much that could be done to improve the current system. If everyone voted, and everyone's vote were counted, we'd be a little closer to something resembling democracy.

    In Canada we have several political parties, not just two polar opposites, though I will admit some of them exist only for the entertainment value. (Some of them intentionally.)
     
  9. Godiva

    Godiva AmeriKan Citizen

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2005
    10,339
    14
    0
    Location:
    San Diego, CA
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Ah, the old "everybody does it defense".

    Good for getting you kicked out of any higher education school in the nation and an automatic "F" in K-12.

    How far would "I was in a hurry". "I forgot." get before a judge as justification?

    You also put Priuschat in danger of sanctions or a cease and desist by violating copyright. I've seen it happen twice on boards I frequent by repeat offenders. You say you know better. Prove it by following the law and the rules of Priuschat.

    You've certainly destroyed your credibility now.

    ************
    BTW here's my fix.

    The candidate that raises the most money wins. No advertising or election stuff at all. All of the money is paid into the budget of the government level the candidate is running for I.E. city, county, state, Federal.

    You can only run once and you only get one term.

    A list of contributors will be provided along with the money and you must abstain from any issue that any contributor is a part of or can gain from. (This will need some strict reform of current law.)

    No one gets a pension and their healthcare stops when they leave office.

    All officials makes the average salary of the population they represent for the period they are in office.

    :lol: Makes as much sense as the uncited editorial. :p

    While I like a common money pot to provide a leveled playing field that won't work. Freedom of speech will allow groups to campaign for their choice without donating money by paying directly for whatever. And you'll also have every nutcase applying for funding to run along with serious candidates. While I love the fact that you don't have to be rich or a member of the "club" to run for office, it still won't work.

    And I won't vote for a party, I want to vote for a candidate. And I want regional elections as I don't want someone across the state or even across the nation deciding who represents me. They don't know where I live or what our local problems or needs are.
     
  10. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2004
    14,487
    1,518
    0
    Location:
    Spokane, WA
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hyo silver @ Aug 14 2006, 08:04 PM) [snapback]303330[/snapback]</div>
    ????????? Two polar opposites?????? Our two political parties are like peas in a pod. They fight like cats and dogs over extremely minor differences. They agree on throwing half the budget down the military rat hole. They agree on killing civilians in foreign countries as a way of trying to make the governments of those countries kowtow to us. They agree on dragging their heels on alternative energy. They agree on letting big corporations run roughshod over the people and the environment. They agree on the philosophy that "What's good for GM is good for the nation." They agree on the philosophy that it's capital rather than labor that creates wealth and therefore deserves to make all controlling decisions regarding production. They agree on allowing the nuclear-power industry to continue to create nuclear waste without having a plan for disposing of that waster, and they agree that the government, rather than the industry, should bear the cost of the eventual storage of that waste. They agree that pot should be illegal while tobacco is illegal, a double standard that teaches kids it's just fine to use drugs. They agree that junk-food companies have a "free speech" right to direct advertisements for candy disguised as breakfast cereal at kids, and in fact that corporations have a right to run intentionally misleading ads... In short, they agree on screwing the public in favor of the corporations who fill their pockets with campaign donations and outright bribes.

    Our two political parties are not polar opposites. They are identical twins. And half the population knows it and stays home from the poles because they know it makes no difference to their lives which twin wins the election.

    If everyone voted we'd still have those same two parties running the whole show; we'd still have the winner-takes-all system that gives no representation at all to the majority of people who are not served by the interests of those two parties.
     
  11. Mystery Squid

    Mystery Squid Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 18, 2005
    2
    3
    0
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Wildkow @ Aug 14 2006, 08:49 PM) [snapback]303267[/snapback]</div>
    I agree with Wildkow...

    B.F.D., no one is writing any sort of official documents, this is merely "talking amongs "friends"" :lol: I'm sure we've all spouted stuff off, from mere phrases, to significant amounts of text, without "citing"... :rolleyes:

    You know you're on the right track when they start grasping for straws like this... :lol:

    Actually, I think I will now make a conscientious effort TO plagiarize!

    Feel free to plagiarize anything I write Wildkow!!!

    Better yet, as ruling God of my own world, I hereby decriminlize the concept of "plagiarism", and encourage its implementation to the highest degree for the benefit of all society!



    ...and remember to have your pets spayed or neutered to help control the pet population...

    [​IMG]
     
  12. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2005
    15,232
    1,563
    0
    Location:
    off into the sunset
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Aug 15 2006, 10:09 AM) [snapback]303487[/snapback]</div>
    I'm usually willing to risk being wrong in return for learning. Thank you, Daniel, for the lesson in American politics. With all the vitriol between parties, I mistakenly assumed they were a little further apart.

    "Not opposite" means there's no such thing as a left wing political party in America, 'corporate responsibility' should be added to the list of oxymorons, and Stephen Harper should be added to the list of morons.
     
  13. Wildkow

    Wildkow New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 24, 2006
    5,270
    37
    36
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Aug 15 2006, 01:27 AM) [snapback]303414[/snapback]</div>
    Where did I say that? If you look the post over you will see that the headers in each section are in bold and that the body text is in italics. Have I ever done that in any of my posts except the ones I’m quoting? My intention was not to plagiarize but to offer up a topic for discussion your intention is to cast dispersions and ruin my reputation. The people that also joined you in this endeavor reflect the hate and intolerance that is in them for others that don't see eye to eye with their own views. Why do you do this?

    Wildkow

    p.s. You don't give credibility to anyone that doesn't agree with you so I feel quite secure in my credibility,
    However, the inaccuracy of your post does reflect rather poorly upon your credibility. I believe only a retraction could help restore it. :mellow: I have said some things on this board that I regret and I have apologized for them. Are you too proud to do the same? <_<
     
  14. daronspicher

    daronspicher Active Member

    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2005
    1,208
    0
    0
    In spite of Wildkow's insistance that this article is not his own work, I still believe it is. I believe he wrote it and no amount of denial on his part will convince me otherwise.

    Deny deny deny deny, but I know the truth, you wrote it and are trying to pass it off as a quote... Trying to throw me off with the big title, the divider bar and the italics. A completly different writing style was also a good tactic, but I am on to your tricks!

    IT WON'T WORK, I see through you!!

    :lol:
     
  15. Wildkow

    Wildkow New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 24, 2006
    5,270
    37
    36
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IsrAmeriPrius @ Aug 14 2006, 02:42 PM) [snapback]303202[/snapback]</div>
    So are you accusing me of plagiarizing or poor netiquette?

    Wildkow
     
  16. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2005
    15,232
    1,563
    0
    Location:
    off into the sunset
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    The problem with American democracy is right here. Why bother to debate the issues when it's so much more fun to pick an enemy and start shooting?
     
  17. Godiva

    Godiva AmeriKan Citizen

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2005
    10,339
    14
    0
    Location:
    San Diego, CA
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Wildkow @ Aug 15 2006, 12:50 PM) [snapback]303601[/snapback]</div>
    But you apparently don't regret the cut & paste as you haven't you gone back to edit your original post to comply with Forum policy. Nor have you apologized for same but only explained. So I guess you don't regret your actions either.

    I don't read enough of your posts to recognize when or why you do or do not use italics. And neither would a guest reading that one post. All it takes is one particular guest.

    On another forum I frequented a poster would routinely cut and paste entire articles. She actually included the author's name so no one would think she wrote them, but by copying and pasting entire articles without permission she was violating copyright. Her defense was that since she included the author's name she obviously wasn't plagiarizing and she was making it easier for people to read without having to click a link. She was told repeatedly to follow forum policy (the same policy as Priuschat) to just paste a few sentences or a summary and then provide a link to the source. She refused. Until the New York Times' lawyer sent a cease and desist letter to our webmaster demanding a post in which she had copied and pasted an entire article from the New York Times be removed and threatening to have the forum closed down if it happened again.

    Your intention doesn't go far under those circumstances. That's like claiming you're not making any money for copying movies onto VHS tapes and giving them away. It still violates copyright.

    I don't give credibilty to people who cheat or lie. Plagiarism is both. Who's to say the next time you do it you also forget to italicize?

    I have nothing to apologize for.
     
  18. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2004
    14,487
    1,518
    0
    Location:
    Spokane, WA
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hyo silver @ Aug 15 2006, 10:37 AM) [snapback]303591[/snapback]</div>
    Actually, there are left-wing political parties in America. There are several flavors of Socialist parties and at least one Communist party. Plus there are Green parties in some states. The problem is that our winner-take-all electoral system, the media's refusal to cover minor parties, and the systematic exclusion of minor parties from public debates, makes it impossible for any of them ever to get representatives elected. If you are lucky enough to live in a market where Pacifica Radio has coverage, you will get some news of left-wing parties, but those are all big cities where the quality of life is zero. And without mainstream media coverage, 99% of the voters will get to the polls never having heard of the alternative-party or independent candidates.

    We brag about being a democracy, but our elections are really little more than lotteries where only the two big corporate-sponsored parties get a ticket.
     
  19. Godiva

    Godiva AmeriKan Citizen

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2005
    10,339
    14
    0
    Location:
    San Diego, CA
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    There are also several claiming to be Centrist parties.

    With the Republicans going farther to the right and the Democrats reacting and distancing themselves by moving farther to the left, I'd like to see a viable Centrist party. (BTW if the Democrats are going farther left the GOP has nothing to complain about. Call it wish fulfillment. They've been screaming about how left the Dems are. The Dems might as well *BE* what they're always being accused of.)

    Wikipedia

    Centrist Party

    And here's a list of a lot of parties.

    Guide to American Politics
     
  20. Wildkow

    Wildkow New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 24, 2006
    5,270
    37
    36
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Aug 15 2006, 11:56 AM) [snapback]303646[/snapback]</div>
    The post directly under my initial post has the link and the first accusation of plagiarism without a chance to explain or defend myself BTW. But you are probably right I should include it in the actual post. An apology was sent to the author this afternoon it is included below.

    Subject: Plagiarizing or Poor Netiquette?

    Don

    Loved your "How to Fix American Democracy:" so I posted it on a forum I visit without citing you. I apologize. Others found your cite and added it to the forum, after accusing me of plagiarizing your work, it wasn't intentional and once again I apologize. BTW good work IMO.

    Xxxxx "Wildkow" Xxxxx
    Name withheld to protect the innocent, :rolleyes:

    Since my actions were not deliberate I don't owe you and apology just an explanation. On the other hand both you and eyeguy's actions were deliberate lies instigated to cause harm to my reputation. He accused me of plagiarism before which is not true and you accused me of using the "everybody does it defense" which I did not do. That makes both of you Liars.

    Wildkow

    p.s. <strike>Don’t bother with a apology I know it won’t be sincere.</strike>

    Come up with something or it goes to the Admin's, I'm tired of this. :angry: