I'm beginning to think that FW List and other similar unmoderated discussion groups on the Net are about the only democratic activities left in modern developed society. Any subscriber, whether thoughtful individuals who express themselves carefully and try to back up their arguments with facts, or vindictive personalities who can only attack others in nasty ways, are all allowed their say in truly democratic fashion.
This is to be compared with the "democracy" of the mass electorate in Elections in developed countries. Gradually, in the course of most of the last century, voting figures have declined as the public is realising that politicians (of whatever complexion) have been aiming their policies preferentially towards the middle and upper middle class -- presumably because these are the only articulate ones left in modern society who can complain effectively and thread their way through all the various bureaucracies when they need to. Although the underclass and the lower end of what used to be called the working class take as much benefit as possible from the welfare state (and who can blame them?), it is still the case that, in more subtle and indirect ways, the middle and upper middle class benefit a great deal more. Confining myself to English whites only, so long as the underclass don't start too many race riots (as in five English towns in northern England during the summer), or don't produce too many attempted shoe-bombers, then it's all containable. Election turn-outs will inevitably become smaller and smaller and even more middle class in the coming decades. To say the least, it's a fascinating situation. Keith Hudson __________________________________________________________ �Writers used to write because they had something to say; now they write in order to discover if they have something to say.� John D. Barrow _________________________________________________ Keith Hudson, Bath, England; e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] _________________________________________________
