General Discussion

[fenian]

http://www.livescience.com/18706-people-smart-democracy.html

discuss.

I agree.

[Gutfather]

De-moc-ra-cy? what's that? is it some sort of demon sea?

[Domiiinatrix]

I agree. Governments love ill-educated people as they can fill their heads with propaganda, act despicably with little or no excuse and if anything happens to go wrong and people say to them, " 'ere, hang on a minute, what's happened to our dinner money and why are you giving our lunches to the banks?" they can distract them with something twinkly or spangly and say look at that! Argentina's being naughty and while people look to see what Argentina are up to, the people in power are raping the country...dry and bareback too and taking away the nice things like the NHS and our liberties and stuff like that.

That's what I think anyway. but I went to a good school I did.

[fenian]

I do agree with it, I think most educated people can guess at good ideas, but I think its true unless youre an expert in an area those genius eureka ideas may not seem like much to others and some people just dont have a clue about anything.

What would you think about only certain people in certain jobs voting on certain issues. Accountants on tax laws and financial ministers, army and police on home security, bus drivers taxi drivers on transport ministers, nurses and doctors on nhs/health issues.

Or would that end up in an even more corrupt situation.

[Domiiinatrix]

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fenian wrote:

I do agree with it, I think most educated people can guess at good ideas, but I think its true unless youre an expert in an area those genius eureka ideas may not seem like much to others and some people just dont have a clue about anything.

What would you think about only certain people in certain jobs voting on certain issues. Accountants on tax laws and financial ministers, army and police on home security, bus drivers taxi drivers on transport ministers, nurses and doctors on nhs/health issues.

Or would that end up in an even more corrupt situation.

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I agree with it too. They've just had a similar discussion on Question Time actually. I think the best people to ask about policy changes are the experts, those who live it day in day out because they know exactly what needs cutting and improving. However I don't believe that there should be self-regulation (or near as damnit) for those bodies or decision-makers because I believe that that is what has led us to the mess we're in now tbh.

[fogel_mclovin]

Well, what's the alternative?

 We all either have an apparently equal say on what needs to be done and the ability to voice and vote on  our opinions, regardless of how much or little we know about a given subject. 

We let the experts loose to decide the best course of action, hope they all have a nice altruistic streak and just want people to be safe and happy, properly hold them accountable (Jailterms, massive financial penalties, exile etc..) if/when they start feckin about for personal gain.

Lift an idea straight out of an Iain M Banks novel, develop an AI somewhat akin to Skynet hopefully without the genocidal tendencies but full of nice happy thoughts towards humanity, get over our egos and do what it says. Not to the point of blind obedience, more like, AI is right, wanting to kill someone over their faith/sexual orientation or whatever is plain stupid. Lets be friends and live happily ever after.

I do realise I just wrote a bit without saying much at all, but it's 3.42 am and I've been drinking for the best part of a day, this is much safer than drunken texts. Apologies all.

[PatC_PSN]

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fogel_mclovin wrote:

Well, what's the alternative?

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I think we have to move to some kind of party/proles model as popularised in Nineteen Eighty-Four. People like my good self would be in the Inner Party and that makes perfect sense when you think about it.

I could also have this post removed so it would never have existed. It's win-win.

[fogel_mclovin]

Can't say I've ever been a fan of class systems or exploitation for that matter, give it a go anyway though. 

Wouldn't be excessively different from the way things are now, not in all respects anyway, the Outer Party may not like Victory Gin.

[Gawge]

Although there is clearly an issue with a lack of knowledge from voters, there appears to be no clear alternatives.

I wouldn't want any sort of 'intelligence qualification' required to vote, such as having a certain IQ, or other method. If we are going to have democracy, then everybody should be allowed to vote. Education is the way to improve the knowledge of voters.

If you don't support a democracy for all, then I think you have to look more towards Socialism, Communism or some sort of Schumpeterian system.

[Domiiinatrix]

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Gawge wrote:
Education is the way to improve the knowledge of voters.

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Yes but governments don't want a higly educated electorate, Gawge, there's the rub

They want people who are only interested in vile thickos from Essex and what Cheryl Cole's wearing this week and what size Jordan's knockers are and who's been playing with them this week.