democracy tulip bruises welcome to democracy people. we are fighting to overthrow a dictatorship, but in britain, recently we have had army presence at airports, we have had censorship of the media on the anti war movement (be it unspoken, it is there), we have had the prime minister completely ignoring a third of his population. why are we fighting to overthrow dictatorship in iraq, we have it right here at home. and also in america, it is openly admitted and known that there is a media lock down on the anti war movment, that they dont mention the fact that collateral damage means dead people and destroyed lives. the government should at least admit their tsarism and get on with being the dictators that they are. 030402 ... satan satan satan One of the worst parts of it is that so many of the people have willingly bought into it and let it happen. Selling their soul for a few extra moments of ignorant, flag-waving bliss. It's one thing to be so overwhelmed in one's daily life that you never notice the iron fist closing over you, it's quite another to actually help the fingers close around you. And the more i see, the more i realize how true this is. 030402 ... User24 see my comment on yes_or_no 030612 ... Smurf Not true democracy anyways. A Republic. That is, Feudalism under guise of Republic under guise of Democracy. Freedom is over-rated. 040420 ... Ptolemy DCLVIII To yearn for a change, to desire a change, to inwardly Thunder with painfully heartfelt need for a change, but to feel unable to effect any changes whatsoever... this is amongst the worst of the worst places for a sentient being to find oneself. Let all people of this world feel Able to effect Change in their World. This is why I support Democracy. It is not without its faults. I am not naive enough to ignore the advantages of despotisms, oligarchies, or anarchies, etc. But if there must be power systems, let us seek to endow each Human with empowerment to harmoniously pursue the life they feel they must live, and to partake in the shaping of the existence around them. Are you really going to turn away from these ideas, simply because a few extreme examples seem to ruin it for the rest of us? I have been crying, just now. Usually I do not blathe near to tears. But I have been crying, because there is an emotional poignance about the democratic concept, a poignance that resonates on a very Human level, a poignance which too often is lost in the rhetorical discussions of democracy. Of all the things I have experienced, the one I least wish upon any other Human - definitely a word to capitalize - is the horror of feeling unable to effect a necessary change* in one's life. By minimizing this kind of terror, we minimize terrorism... perhaps by this route alone. It will not be eliminated with guns, my friends. [ * What seems imperative to A may seem trivial to B. Comparative diminishment is of no use to a malsentient A.] Some of you are so eager to intentionally disempower your neighbors. It is horrendous, and unnecessary. Anyway, go ahead and tear my argument to shreds, I don't care. I intuitively sense that you, Human, know in your [perhaps skeptical, little, and cold] heart that your neighbor is worthy of [at least some] dignity (no matter how foul the beast may seem), the dignity of being a Being, a Human Being. If there must be a political apparatus, may it be democratic in nature. 061107 ... () ( p: first, bravo! i am heartened by your passionate declaration. i, too, feel that a great gift has been bestowed upon me, one that it would be a travesty to squander. democracy is the luxury available to even the poorest among us. and yet it is an ethical responsibility as well. use of democracy (as flawed as it may be) is not a requirement in order to receive it's benefits, but rather a predictor of the quality of it's outcome. i believe that fairness in our system is directly proportional with voter turnout. manipulations of the process are much more difficult to affect when greater volume is expressed. we need to overcome those who seek to change, guide or control the outcomes. you can do that today. just vote. thanks. ) 061107 ... stork daddy it is true that the feeling one cannot change one's life is a horrible one. some people solve this problem by making actual effective attempts to change their lives. others delude themselves into thinking they are doing so. 061107 ... Wasandru Re: StoDad I seem to think I'm doing the former when I am actually doing the latter. The saving grace of this is that when I think I am doing the latter I am usually doing the former. Harumph! That made no sense, did it? Alas. 061107 ... pete today i sacrificed a portion of my brain cells for democracy. 070216 ... yes how about you and them, they are the same. one world government 070217 ... excuse me selfishness is confusion and pain 070217 ... unhinged to protect the governed from the unilateral action of a oligarchy, theocracy, monarchy executive legislative judicial (lobbyists, money money money) boston tea party we do remember our formative revolution right? more currently we do remember the civil rights movement right? we do remember the bill of rights right? and we do realize how we've been restricted be conservatives under the guise of fear and terror right? like i said, barack_obama may not be the sweeping change images of his speeches conjured, but any little steps back towards the middle road that's best for all of us is fine by me. and personally, i'm glad he just can't sit down at the desk in the oval office and unilaterally make decisions. hopefully, he will rectify the concept of 'executive privilege' that has gone horribly wrong in the past eight years. give me my constitution back. 081106 ... dafremen Obama will continue to protect the oligarchy of wealthy banking interests whether by intention or as a result of being a member of one of the two parties that have done so for decades now. He can't help BUT do so as a member of that party who must work within its constraints and in cooperation with its other members. There was never a democratic process in play. Had there been, the closest party (and mind you..I think the whole notion of political parties is a misguided one, so I don't necessarily endorse these folks) to one that would restore the Constitution might have been the Libertarian ticket. Definitely won't be a Democrat OR a Republican. With very few exceptions (Ron Paul being one example) they consistently support policies which benefit the uber-wealthy bankers of the world. But here's to hope anyhow. And here's to you having and holding it in your heart once more. Here's to your being able to foster a touch of optimism that..I think I'm beginning to understand..is providing a well deserved break from the nightmare reality of the last 8 years. Here's to hope..if not to change. Here's to the promise if not to it's fruition. Here's to you..my friends..to a few relatively sunny days between the otherwise crappy ones. I can honestly say that I believe you all deserve that(and much, much better..) I_BELIEVE_IN_YOU if not in the system and I love you all very much. 081107 ... historical tourist George Washington warned against Political Parties as He was leaving Office, not that anyone listened. 081107 ... birdmad The libertarian party hasn't been all that impressive of late, either. Most of that party has been oddly silent on any number of issues relating to the erosion of the Constitution as it has progressed in the last decade or so and only started making noises again about the tenets of their party when it started getting close to election time and it had become clear that they had to be more genuinely libertarian and not just a bunch of republican entrepreneurs who occasionally like to get high. Personally, My biggest political concern this cycle was not which candidate or party was more likely to give me a pass for getting behind the wheel while stewed out of my skull, but which party was filled with the least amount of fanatical, xenophobic, homophobic, anti-science low-church, anti-intellectual dogma-fueled wingnuts who fantasize about turning this country into what would be the "Christian" equivalent of those nice theocracies they have going in the Middle East. 081107 ... grendel in other words, which party was least representative of the Eat-a-Queer-MexIslamoCommuNaziFascist-Fetus-for-Jesus crowd. 081107 ... over-easy Can I get a side of fries with that? 081107 ... H. L. Mencken "Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard." 081130 ... fghio fghio 101116 ... dafremen Not a bad little prediction that one..the day after Obama's election. (Lucky guess..plus I saw his campaign funding disclosure list..mostly bankers.) Please don't elect a Republican or Democrat AGAIN. It's been over 150 years. IF they were going to make anything better they would have. Everyone's talking about the economy. Who here has figured out that in a capitalist society, "economy" means the tool with which the rich suck the wealth out of the rest of the populace. The healthier the economy, the faster the resources and wealth of a nation are being drained from its people by the rich. Capitalism has one endgame: The richest person controls everything. WE don't need a healthier economy. We need a business model that truly supports AND rewards the people who form its customer, labor, management AND investor bases..as well as providing society with goods and services it truly NEEDS; not things that require convincing and conniving to get the customer to take home. Businesses which put profits and stock prices above employee and customer satisfaction should be taxed out of the state. More ethical businesses will eventually fill the vacuum after the Wal-Marts and other dirtbags have left due to regulations unfavourable to them. Just some random thoughts..my opinions. Good luck at the polls. Don't be suckers please. Amen. 120331 what's it to you? who go blather from