Kahn is on record (from a debate v Lisa Disch at the UofM a few months back) against the existence of third parties.
She argued that politics is too complex for most people. So they should make a one-time effort early in life to pick one of the two major parties, and then stick with it till death do them part. Politicians know a lot more than most citizens, know better than most citizens what those citizens need. So the citizens should just let their experts alone (till death do them part) and pull the lever for good old X decade after decade. Citizen input is a charming dog and pony show - looks good, but is worth little because what do most people know? Not nearly as much as the legislator. Legislators are a sort of elite, the citizens a sort of rude non-elite. It is the duty of the elite to manage affairs for the rude less capable non-elite (viz you and me). Third parties are bad because they come and go, are new-fangled or changing, are less well-known -- how is the way-too-busy citizen to research out one of these temporary bodies? Is it not just ignorance looking for an accident to happen? So, best to leave governing to the governors, and the happy long-proven TWO parties, almost god-given in their wisdom and practicality. All this talk of democracy for the people - new and big decisions for them several times in their lives - is let us admit it - just too much! Best in fact if you just vote for the party of your parents, and their parents, et al, thus needing only *one* big decision, long long ago. (Hospitals could keep track of new births by party - so many Democrat babies, so many Republican babies.) Now I go beyond anything Kahn said, but which might follow from it - and has in past centuries in many countries... Perhaps, even, legislators could be legislators for life. Why inconvenience the legislator in a strong party district? They could be writing law or having potholes filled, rather than wasting time running when they win by 65% every time. After say two big margin races, why not just declare them Legislators for Life? And since once a family (Humphrey, Freeman, etc) makes it big, the descendents are an electoral aristocracy, so why not grant a family seat in the MN House or Senate for smaller fry, or US House or Senate for the really big fry? It would end a bunch of dumb and pointless elections and let the people bask in tabloid news of them, as is the case in Merrie Olde Englande. A really elite legislator will have gone to Harvard or Yale, have learned how to conduct themselves among the gentry and movers and shakers, be so far above us that we will humbly submit to their wisdom, and laud them to the skies for their noblesse oblige. --David Shove PS is is always open to Rep Kahn to post her version of her argument here. Then we won't need my words (and inferences), we can deal directly with hers. On Thu, 30 Sep 2004, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > People in this forum are missing the point. By lifting the opponent's campaign > literature Phyllis Kahn obstructed democracy. That's a big deal, though I can see > it wouldn't be to many of the democrats who use the courts to obstruct > democracy---locally in trying to overturn the 2001 city council elections, and > nationally in their efforts to keep Ralph Nader's name off the Presidential ballot. > > By lifting the opposing party's literature and calling for early city council > elections to get the greens out (BTW, I'm not a member of the Green party), > "Representative" Kahn is telling us that we should only have a one-party system. > That, in my book, shows a serious ethical deficet. > > -----------Peter Schmitz, Downtown Saint Paul > > ________________________________________________________________ > Get your name as your email address. > Includes spam protection, 1GB storage, no ads and more > Only $1.99/ month - visit http://www.mysite.com/name today! > REMINDERS: > 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL > PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. > 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. > > For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html > For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract > ________________________________ > > Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy > Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls > REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
