Is Congress really necessary?

[OohPooPahDoo]

I don't like pure democracy - because it equates to mob rule.

Pure democracy doesn't equate to mob rule any more than republicanism equates to rule by dictator.

"Pure democracy" is exercised every time citizens in a state vote on ballot initiatives.

 

[lizzie]

I don't like pure democracy - because it equates to mob rule.

Pure democracy doesn't equate to mob rule any more than republicanism equates to rule by dictator.

"Pure democracy" is exercised every time citizens in a state vote on ballot initiatives.

Not in reality. We have other balancing powers which override the wishes of the majority at times. See California.

 

[OohPooPahDoo]

I don't like pure democracy - because it equates to mob rule.

Pure democracy doesn't equate to mob rule any more than republicanism equates to rule by dictator.

"Pure democracy" is exercised every time citizens in a state vote on ballot initiatives.

Not in reality. We have other balancing powers which override the wishes of the majority at times. See California.

So can a Constitutional pure democracy.

 

[Ringel05]

Baptists are not a majority.

The majority can only be tyrants if they don't have a Constitution. Has nothing to do with how big their legislative body is. By that logic, any state with referendum elections are subject to the "tyranny of the majority".

I don't know where you've been but the largest single religious (and overall) demographic in the country is baptist.
Baptists in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

That doesn't make them a majority. Do you know what the word "majority" means?

If you think a constitutional republic will continue to exist in a pure democracy then you don't understand the dynamics (and definition) of a pure democracy.

You can't explain or justify your statement.

You're not firing on all cylinders, are you.........

 

[Sunshine]

I don't know if this topic has come up on this forum before, but in case it has not, I believe it it worth stating. At the start of this country, the founding fathers needed some sort of democracy to keep the people of the United States "in the loop." Congress was the best option at the time. Up until very recently, it was the best option. But as we enter the information age, this may no longer be true. I propose that we start using the internet as a alternative to congress. Yes, the initial cost of setting up servers that large would be quite a bit, but in the long run, the amount we pay our senators and representatives would very likely be much much more. I also understand that some people do not have access to the internet. This dilemma could be remedied fairly easily by having permanent kiosks in town halls and other similar buildings that that allow these very people to vote if they so choose. Hopefully people will read this post and please, by all means amend this proposition however much you feel is necessary, and if you agree with the idea, please share it! I really would like nothing more than for this thread to be discussed, argued, and fixed by the very people who should be making the decisions in this country, the citizens of the United States of America.

Is congress really necessary? Well. That depends on what the definition of 'congress' is. Or is it 'is'? Oh well. Whatever. Look up the meanings of congress.

 

[konradv]

media and money chooses the representatives for our republic ... How do you not know this?

Support Public Financing of Elections.

Wouldn't that just give the media MORE power to shape the debate and carry out their agenda for one side or another by choosing who to investigate and which facts to report and which facts to ignore. That gives an even smaller portion of the electorate even more power.

Why wouldn't candidates be able to get their message out? What about public financing would lead to more media influence? Even handedness would have to be written into the law, Since media would be getting money for buys from all sides, there'd be no reason to favor one over the other.

 

[FA_Q2]

I don't know if this topic has come up on this forum before, but in case it has not, I believe it it worth stating. At the start of this country, the founding fathers needed some sort of democracy to keep the people of the United States "in the loop." Congress was the best option at the time. Up until very recently, it was the best option. But as we enter the information age, this may no longer be true. I propose that we start using the internet as a alternative to congress. Yes, the initial cost of setting up servers that large would be quite a bit, but in the long run, the amount we pay our senators and representatives would very likely be much much more. I also understand that some people do not have access to the internet. This dilemma could be remedied fairly easily by having permanent kiosks in town halls and other similar buildings that that allow these very people to vote if they so choose. Hopefully people will read this post and please, by all means amend this proposition however much you feel is necessary, and if you agree with the idea, please share it! I really would like nothing more than for this thread to be discussed, argued, and fixed by the very people who should be making the decisions in this country, the citizens of the United States of America.

I'm not entirely on board with a pure democracy in a nation this large, but I defintely do think we can do much to put the DEMO back into the loop.

Now thanks to advances in technology we could have more universal voting on some issues.

Going to war, might be one to consider, for example.

Absolutely NOT. That is a terrible idea. Have you not noticed how fickle the public gets concerning war. People, in general, are quick to jump into war. Just as bad, they tire of it quickly as well. Neither of these truths help war whatsoever. Iraq is actually the perfect example. We flew into war with that nation far too quick and without taking serious and critical examination of the circumstances that we should have. At the time, that war was also quite popular. Soon after, people got tired of war and wanted to pull out. No matter what people wanted at the end of Bush/beginning of Obama, pulling out of a war prematurely is almost as bad as getting into one prematurely. You MUST finish what you started. Handing the lives of millions over to the whims of an American public that never sees the gruesome reality of war and never experiences the horrors that come with it is downright CRAZY.


To the OP - asking that question leads me to believe that you have no idea why the country was set up the way it is. Read history, the balance of powers and the structure of the republic has nothing to do with technology and everything to do with human nature. Human nature has not changed.

 

[editec]

PURE democracy means everybody votes directly on the issue in question.

Obviously that is not the system we have.

Much as I believe in democracy, even I don't advocate such a system for this nation.

Not only is it too unweildy, but the issues that face society DO NEED people who actually understand the issues facing them.

Few people have the luxury to study complex social issues well enough to find solutions to the problems.

If you doubt that, just read the ignorance blather that some of us post here, daily.

 

[FA_Q2]

PURE democracy means everybody votes directly on the issue in question.

Obviously that is not the system we have.

Much as I believe in democracy, even I don't advocate such a system for this nation.

Not only is it too unweildy, but the issues that face society DO NEED people who actually understand the issues facing them.

Few people have the luxury to study complex social issues well enough to find solutions to the problems.

If you doubt that, just read the ignorance blather that some of us post here, daily.

And most of us are the better informed ones as we care enough to post on a political board

 

[editec]

PURE democracy means everybody votes directly on the issue in question.

Obviously that is not the system we have.

Much as I believe in democracy, even I don't advocate such a system for this nation.

Not only is it too unweildy, but the issues that face society DO NEED people who actually understand the issues facing them.

Few people have the luxury to study complex social issues well enough to find solutions to the problems.

If you doubt that, just read the ignorance blather that some of us post here, daily.

And most of us are the better informed ones as we care enough to post on a political board

Well, I agree that people who post on baords like this care.

But judging from the quality of thinking and discourse found in places like this, I wouldn't go so far as to say that most of these people are really well informed.

 

[FA_Q2]

PURE democracy means everybody votes directly on the issue in question.

Obviously that is not the system we have.

Much as I believe in democracy, even I don't advocate such a system for this nation.

Not only is it too unweildy, but the issues that face society DO NEED people who actually understand the issues facing them.

Few people have the luxury to study complex social issues well enough to find solutions to the problems.

If you doubt that, just read the ignorance blather that some of us post here, daily.

And most of us are the better informed ones as we care enough to post on a political board

Well, I agree that people who post on baords like this care.

But judging from the quality of thinking and discourse found in places like this, I wouldn't go so far as to say that most of these people are really well informed.

Try talking to the general public. Most people I know cannot tell you how long a senator and representative serve. Many cant name the three branches of government. Almost all of them have no idea how a bill becomes law. EXTREMELY few can tell you what is in the first amendment let alone the bill of rights.

No, we are mostly better informed here even if our opinions differ greatly. Like the fact you and I almost never agree

Of course there are the trolls but I am not convinced all those people are really that bad. If they were, I don't know how they can figure out how to even turn their computer on.

 

[editec]

And most of us are the better informed ones as we care enough to post on a political board

Well, I agree that people who post on baords like this care.

But judging from the quality of thinking and discourse found in places like this, I wouldn't go so far as to say that most of these people are really well informed.

Try talking to the general public. Most people I know cannot tell you how long a senator and representative serve. Many cant name the three branches of government. Almost all of them have no idea how a bill becomes law. EXTREMELY few can tell you what is in the first amendment let alone the bill of rights.

No, we are mostly better informed here even if our opinions differ greatly. Like the fact you and I almost never agree

Of course there are the trolls but I am not convinced all those people are really that bad. If they were, I don't know how they can figure out how to even turn their computer on.

Okay I'll grant you the probability that people who do this kind of excercise that you are are are now doing are probably better informed (or more enthusiastically misinformed) than the "average" citizen.

On that I think we can agree.

 

[FA_Q2]

Well, I agree that people who post on baords like this care.

But judging from the quality of thinking and discourse found in places like this, I wouldn't go so far as to say that most of these people are really well informed.

Try talking to the general public. Most people I know cannot tell you how long a senator and representative serve. Many cant name the three branches of government. Almost all of them have no idea how a bill becomes law. EXTREMELY few can tell you what is in the first amendment let alone the bill of rights.

No, we are mostly better informed here even if our opinions differ greatly. Like the fact you and I almost never agree

Of course there are the trolls but I am not convinced all those people are really that bad. If they were, I don't know how they can figure out how to even turn their computer on.

Okay I'll grant you the probability that people who do this kind of excercise that you are are are now doing are probably better informed (or more enthusiastically misinformed) than the "average" citizen.

On that I think we can agree.

or more enthusiastically misinformed


For some reason that was overly hilarious to me

 

[konradv]

Try talking to the general public. Most people I know cannot tell you how long a senator and representative serve. Many cant name the three branches of government. Almost all of them have no idea how a bill becomes law. EXTREMELY few can tell you what is in the first amendment let alone the bill of rights.

No, we are mostly better informed here even if our opinions differ greatly. Like the fact you and I almost never agree

Of course there are the trolls but I am not convinced all those people are really that bad. If they were, I don't know how they can figure out how to even turn their computer on.

Okay I'll grant you the probability that people who do this kind of excercise that you are are are now doing are probably better informed (or more enthusiastically misinformed) than the "average" citizen.

On that I think we can agree.

or more enthusiastically misinformed

That pro-Newt crowd in SC, comes to mind.

 

[romalesen]

Its not matter of congress or any other party rather its matter of better policies to raise lifestyle of people.