Edwynn
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Joined: 10/26/2008
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quote:
you can watch it working in Switzerland
And the functioning of a direct democracy in a country with population of less than 8 million says... what? about how this would translate to country with population of 313 million? The greater population size and even more so an economy almost three times larger than the next, well over 3/4 of the European Union's, has the most powerful interests in the world inviting themselves to the party, unlike in Switzerland or similar sized countries.
One example of how direct democracy 'works' in the US would be California's (pop. 37.7m) Proposition 87. The proposal to install a severance tax for oil extraction (as exists in Alaska, Louisiana & Texas) for purpose of financing alternative energy was defeated 55% to 45% or, more accurately, $94,430,014 to $61,886,129. This after polls showed voters to be 60%in favor at the outset. Here's how 'direct' democracy worked on that occasion:
http://www.tyrannyofoil.org/article.php?id=541
{Media inquiries made to the oil companies were diverted to the campaign's front group, Californians Against Higher Taxes, virtually 100 percent funded by oil company money, or to the California Chamber of Commerce — a huge recipient of oil industry largesse on the local, state, and national levels with boards of directors littered with past and present oil industry executives.
The mantra repeated in every ad, mailer, and by every spokesperson focused on the one thing that scares Californians even more than global warming: higher gas prices.
Prop 87 opponents argued that prices would go up because costs would rise and oil companies would be forced to abandon California. This claim was supported by an "independent" expert analysis provided by LECG, a consulting firm, which, as it turned out, had been paid over $94,000 by the opponents of Prop 87 to write the report and share the results with the public.
Economists challenged as specious the claim that gas prices would rise and the companies would be forced to leave the state. The tax was simply too small to have any meaningful impact on the expenditures of these mega corporations — the wealthiest companies in world history.}
Ms. Juhasz goes into much greater and more damning detail on Prop. 87 in her excellent book, The Tyranny of Oil, which, as much as any other single book would explain that all a national direct democracy would accomplish is a changing of tactics by the same players that trouble the country now, with equal or actually likely even greater success.
The media conglomerates would bring forth all these 'objective' reports from 'disinterested' parties (all in fact being well funded by interested parties) for every proposition or referendum. Direct democracy in the true spirit of the term is impossible here.
< Message edited by Edwynn -- 3/4/2012 3:33:39 PM >
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RE: Caesar, Nero, et al. - 
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