>
>
>
> Ibrahim Underwood wrote:
>
> > Iranian democracy is a bit of farce really, as absolute power lies in the
> > hands of the Iranian clergy, as a result of some of the more unique
> > features of Ithni Imami Shiah theology. It would certainly not compare to
> > the US, Australia or Indonesia for example.
> >
> > Ibrahim Underwood
> >
>
> By that same token, can't US democracy also be called a farce? With the
> influence of and brainwashing done by the 2 major political parties, no
> independant candidate stands any chance of winning the office of president,
> no matter how good that candidate is, and how bad the candidates for the
> major parties are. Additionally, the last presidential election, where the
> candidate who lost had won the popular vote, is proof that the US system is
> not democratic. The US has never been a democracy. It is, as it has always
> been, a representative republic, not a democracy.
>
Well there are extreme right wingers who would make the US into a
theocracy (for a nice fictonal nightmre, read Margaret Attwood's The
Handmaid's Tale) but you raise an interesting point: IS T he USA
democratic? You see, it is really about money. Only major corporations and
very rich individuals can afford to finance a politician's campaign in any
way that matters so elections just amount to legalized bribery. And I wish
all the lobbyists could get shown the door. Three big cellphone carriers
recently succeeded in getting a California bill to limit use of wireless
phones in cars (it would have required hands free kits) killed in
committee. (actually not quite sure how recent thsi is because i saw it in
some trade pub i didn't have the date of.) Anwya. Our country is
plutocracy. the poor do not really participate in the democratic process
except nominally. What i think should be done is reverse the 19th century
coutr precedents that gave corporations the rights but not
responsibilities of individual citizens.
That Bush guy. I wish I could leave the country so I could disavow being
his "constituent." He's the Texas president,the Big Oil president, the
Fundamentalist president, whatever. he absolutely does not speak for
me. NOT NOT NOT! Didn't John Steinbeck in _Travels with Charley_
(1960?) half jokingly propose "Americans for the Secession of Texas?" it's
in their state constitution they have the right to secede. Gee, maybe you
guys could join OPEC! (um, no offense Julia. Maybe Austin should secede
form Texas. It's not much like Houston afaik.)
altho blaming bush for the death of the Kyoto treaty really isn't fair
because t he senate had voted *unanimously* against ratifying it -
bipartisan. Well the treaty might have been flawed but Bush was such an
asshole about it, as if he was out to piss off the rest of the world.
One more thing. I hate to say this because it is really going to sound
uncharitable. but am having a rather hard time feeling sorry for people in
Houston after the "freak" hurricane. Global warming could result in these
things happening more often. You reap what you sow dammit. How many
hurricanes till gou guys admit global warming is real?
Thanks for coming back Dolphin. This list had gone too right, all the
major posters seemed to be conservative.
****
Kristin
I HATE SUVs!
****
