Are Americans too lazy for Democracy?

[Kim]

Has it now become socially acceptable for Americans to be so lazy and irresponsible that they either don't vote at all or they don't bother educating themselves before they vote? A government by the people for the people? That means we have to vote to maintain a Democracy. If our country is a mess, all that means is that we, the people, didn't bother governing our own country.

 

[editec]

Are Americans too lazy for Democracy?

Yes.

Well, that's not entirely fair.

There is no democracy for them to work with anyway.

We have a Republic, so the connection between democracy and what we've got going is pretty damned tenuous.

 

[Kim]

Yes.

Well, that's not entirely fair.

There is no democracy for them to work with anyway.

We have a Republic, so the connection between democracy and what we've got going is pretty damned tenuous.

What do you mean by saying "there is no democracy for them to work with"?

 

[Epsilon Delta]

It's all "their" fault, obviously. Those liberals/conservatives/fascists/communists wackos running this country.

 

[editec]

What do you mean by saying "there is no democracy for them to work with"?

I meant:

We have a Republic, so the connection between democracy and what we've got going is pretty damned tenuous.

 

[William Joyce]

Yes.

Well, that's not entirely fair.

There is no democracy for them to work with anyway.

We have a Republic, so the connection between democracy and what we've got going is pretty damned tenuous.

That, and, the entrenched powers are hard to fight. I'm not saying that's an excuse for doing nothing, but it's one of life's dilemmas: You can't fight city hall, but you don't want to stop plotting!

 

[editec]

I've been fighting city hall for many years in various ways,

Believe me it's a lifestyle that is fruaght with peril for you personally to decide to stand up and be counted.

ESPECIALLY if you are prone to pointing out warts no matter where or on whom you find them.

Basically politics is a team sport, and I am not much of a team player in most cases.

 

[busara]

I've been fighting city hall for many years in various ways,

Believe me it's a lifestyle that is fruaght with peril for you personally to decide to stand up and be counted.

ESPECIALLY if you are prone to pointing out warts no matter where or on whom you find them.

Basically politics is a team sport, and I am not much of a team player in most cases.

all i can think about in this thread is the Tenacious D song City Hall

"all you people up there in city hall. youre f**king it up for the people that's in the streets"

 

[manifold]

all i can think about in this thread is the Tenacious D song City Hall

"all you people up there in city hall. youre f**king it up for the people that's in the streets"

[youtube]Zdl_Gbc-YY8[/youtube]

 

[Bern80]

Regardless of the type of government the answer is yes. We are too lazy.

Interestingly it is probably a direct result of the type of government we have. We are, for the most part, a free country and get to do what we want. We don't NEED to participate in government. So far government apparently hasn't crossed enough of a line to warrant people deciding that they need to directly and frequently participate in it.

 

[Avatar4321]

I am not sure it's laziness. I think it's ignorance. They don't understand what freedom is. They don't understand self governance because they have been force fed this idea that the government has to provide for them. I think if people were truely educated they would embrace it.

 

[AllieBaba]

Only the left is lazy.

 

[busara]

Only the left is lazy.

 

[Chris]

Are Americans to lazy for democracy?

Yes, no question.

The people are not interested in forcing the changes that are needed such as term limits, campaign finance reform, and universal healthcare.

 

[AllieBaba]

"Forcing"? "Democracy"?

Sounds like mob rule to me, and it isn't laziness that prevents us from "forcing" changes which the majority doesn't want....it's called representative government, and abiding by the vote, dumbshit.

 

[Chris]

"Forcing"? "Democracy"?

Sounds like mob rule to me, and it isn't laziness that prevents us from "forcing" changes which the majority doesn't want....it's called representative government, and abiding by the vote, dumbshit.

This post perfectly illustrates your wisdom and intellect.

I think you should have it framed.

The majority of Americans want term limits, campaign finance reform, and universal healthcare.

 

[AllieBaba]

How strange that they haven't voted those things into existence, then.

 

[Chris]

How strange that they haven't voted those things into existence, then.

Which proves the point of this thread.

Have you ever seen Jay Leno asking people on the street questions about our government and foreign affairs?

It is frightening!

 

[AllieBaba]

Which illustrates your ignorance of polling perfectly.

I once conducted a "poll" for a newspaper where I was to see who the college students were voting for. I asked students who I knew had little interest in politics, and the school was outraged when the article came out on the first page and most of the kids questioned stated they either weren't voting at all, or were just voting however their parents told them they should.

YOu can do anything you want with a poll.

 

[Kim]

Regardless of the type of government the answer is yes. We are too lazy.

Interestingly it is probably a direct result of the type of government we have. We are, for the most part, a free country and get to do what we want. We don't NEED to participate in government. So far government apparently hasn't crossed enough of a line to warrant people deciding that they need to directly and frequently participate in it.

This makes me view most Americans like frogs. Isn't it frogs that will sit in a pot of cold water & stay there continually adjusting as the temperature rises and eventually boils them to death?