Re: [pf] Representative Democracy?

David, we can add to the list of what US citizens believe - many of us have
always heard that Cuba is awful - I had a fellow (a Nader supporter - young,
20's) say to us Sunday night that he would support a war to overthrow
Castro.  We asked him why, and then the other three of us at the table told
him what we knew about Cuba, which was much in contrast to what he had
heard/known.  His grandfather _hates_ communism, and so perhaps that is
where he got his misinformation about Cuba.

One can go on and about what we in the US don't know (I include myself).

Why is it?  Arrogance?  Minds too filled with entertainment and commercials?
Two many pesticides and herbicides in our food so we can't think anymore?  I
don't know.  I am not proud of it.

Maybe it will comfort you to know that we (League of Women Voters) of
Kewaunee and Door Counties are going to have a meeting tonight to study
proportional representation and to try to change the electoral system.  We
have some partners - some of whom we can work with and some of whom we can
work parallel with but not together.  (Two small counties in a rural state)
But I am sure there are other groups elsewhere in the country that are also
working on this - Betsy Barnum is too, I believe - if so, Betsy, can you
tell us about your efforts?

Also, perhaps those of you in New Zealand can give us some pointers on how
to bring this about - or a good book to read about the history of PR in New
Zealand, and how you attained it?

I have to say that studying PR this past spring and working on the
Nader/LaDuke candidacy and with the Green Party have helped me to see how
much of a democracy we are not.  One reason I voted for Nader/LaDuke - we
don't get more of a democracy by continuing business as usual.

                    Jill

PS  I find myself demoralized and physically sick too - spent the morning in
bed.  Wish I were still there....  Also heard about how Gore picked the
first Jewish running mate in the US, when Nader had picked his first....
more of the same tunnel vision in the press......

----- Original Message -----
From: David MacClement <davd@ihug.co.nz>
To: Positive Futures list <positive-futures@igc.topica.com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 08, 2000 12:38 PM
Subject: [pf] Representative Democracy?


> · This results from the contrast between the implications of the bit in
> that article from the NZ Herald about Tariana Turia (she is one of many
> representatives of significant and able minorities), and the (I'll say it
> straight out) silly way that the USA has been electing its Presidents for
> over 200 years.
>
> · AFAIK, the Founding Fathers had no intention that the average American
on
> Main St, USA should have the power and ability to elect the Head of State
> for the whole Union of States.
>
> · I want to hear comment on this, but at present, I believe their aim was
> to keep the power in the hands of people like them - major
property-owners.
>
> · It's always puzzled me that citizens of the USA have been so brainwashed
> by 200 years of publicity that virtually all believe they live in the most
> democratic nation on earth.
>
> · How wrong am I?
>
> · And how /should/ the President be elected? For closer to true
> representative democracy, or whatever approximation can apply to the
> incumbent of a single position like a Presidency.
>
>
> David.
> (David MacClement) davd@ihug.co.nz
> http://www.geocities.com/davdd.geo/index.html#top
> *************************************************
>
> ___________________________________________________________
> T O P I C A  http://www.topica.com/t/17
> Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
>

___________________________________________________________
T O P I C A  http://www.topica.com/t/17
Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics