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Democracy

" Everyone that is govered by the rules should have a say in the rules It's called a democracy".

Yes it is called a "democracy".

However, selected members of Neopoet seem to think that all members should have direct involvement in all aspects of our government.

They should not. That's called "mob rule".

No "democratic" country on Earth currently allows direct democratic rule. Some do have referendums on various things, where citizens are allowed to vote yea or nay on selected issues, but rank-and-file citizenry do not have a direct say in the laws which are put in place to control them and their society.

Long and bitter experience clearly shows that when direct democracy is attempted, or rank-and-file citizens take direct control of the legislative and judicial processes, bloodshed, anarchy and chaos are what ensue. I cite as an example the U.S.S.R., begun with just such a "direct democracy" concept in mind, one that lasted almost exactly 7 months, the time it took for the bolsheviks to exterminate their rivals, and take control.

Instead, representatives - congresspeople, senators, members of parliment, council members, etc. - are elected, and it is THESE ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES that make the rules. Usually, a second set of officials, sometimes elected, sometimes not, ensure that the elected representatives do not overstep their bounds. Again, ordinary citizens are usually excluded from this part of the process as well, and for the same reasons.
Then, at set periods of time, the representatives come up for re-election, and if citizens do not like the rules the current representatives have put in place, those citizens vote for the person or persons whom they feel will change those rules to better fit the citizen who is voting.

During their tenure, however, representatives are not deaf to their constituents, if they are any good as representatives: they meet with, debate and listen to those they represent, in an on-going attempt to ensure that the laws and rules that they promulgate conform as much as is possible to what the general citizenry desire.

This is the essence of "democracy".

Comments

I hope your reference to "some" doesn't include Anna and myself. We do not believe in open democratic running of Neo by the membership. Read what I said

" Everyone that is governed by the rules should have a say in the rules It's called a democracy"

I get a little tired of going over these details that should be understood. Yes neo should be technically called a republic with a representative form of governance. Ok can we move on?
Jim, I am talking about a debate period on the merits of a more comprehensive set of community guidlines, and a completely transparent set of AEC guidelines that those members must follow. Of course the AEC would have the right to execute their own judgement within the parameters of those guidelines as judges do in world governments outside of Neo. This would in fact make everybody's life on the AEC, and in the membership easier. The trusties: the new AEC, and the membership, must get together on all these issues to restore truth, transparency, and credibility to the AEC

Work with me on these democratic principles, and For the most part the spirit of the seven articles of transparency, and I will support you for AEC.

B

I am not responsible for your interpretation of my blog. If you think that this is about you and Anna, there is little that I can do about it. As I have said before elsewhere to others, and re-iterate here, if I am refering to a specific person in any comment, forum or blog, I will name that person, as I do not believe in hiding behind vague words and phrasing.

The purpose of this blog is to make my position on the issue of "democracy" clear to everyone, so that they can make an informed choice as to whether or not I am a good candidate for the AEC.

I think that we have debated the issue of transparency long enough, and our stands on that issue are clear to everyone, so I see no need for continued debate.
The issue will be decided during the election, when we get to see who wins and who does not.

Barry, I do not politic, I do not curry favor, and I do not respond to threats of support or non-support, temptations, bribes or anything else designed to elicit a desire to seek support on my part . Either you will support me, or you will not. I am running because I see a need to ensure that Neopoet re-launches successfully. If you believe I can help do this, vote for me, if not, please vote for someone else.

Thank you.

Respectfully, Race

"Laws and Rules don't kill freedom: narrow-minded intolerance does" - Race-9togo

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/Race_9togo

author comment

Really like what you have to say here and I still got that little red button that has your name on it and it says RACE TO GO...lol Hope you get my twist on that.

I like your thinking as I read you not just in here but throughout my time in here and I have never seen you disrepect or branch out to discredit not a one person in this joint. It is for people like you who can keep your cool and still maintain your intelligency so I bid you well here, in spite of all the other issues of tit for tat in here I think you will do great in the AEC along with the others who are elected.

Oh I forgot wake me back up when it is over so I can blow the horns outside. LMAO

Be well and best of wishes to you friends

Love,Mona

GO RACE GO RACE:)

Oh no, I most certainly HAVE lost my cool, insulted and shown disrepect for someone on Neopoet. The old Neopoet. It pissed me off, that I allowed the person involved to elicit that emotional reaction, because it meant that they were victorious in their attempt to anger me.
Insults, accusations, lies and scorn are all long-established ways of winning arguments in the virtual world. If you make your opponent angry enough to lash out, then he will slip up somewhere, and you can then pounce on any softening of his opinion or crack in the logic of his argument. And of course you can then pretend to take the high ground of moral superiority, or the hurt tones of a victim of his vitriol, and thus gain sympathy for yourself.
It's also a rather infantile way of winning a debate, since it calls only for emotional negativity and name-calling, instead of a calm, dispassionate presentation of facts, and persuasion.
Of course, its also A LOT easier to do, and I am sometimes guilty of it myself, but I usually watch how I react emotionally, and usually am able to adjust my responses accordingly.
Usually.
heehee.

Yeah, I got your twist on the little red button thing, sneaky Florida Woman! LOL

and hey, not elected yet!

Thanks Mona

Respectfully, Race

"Laws and Rules don't kill freedom: narrow-minded intolerance does" - Race-9togo

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/Race_9togo

author comment

I like your stand on things and I like how your mind works. Through your writing I can feel it and it speaks in your words on here also. Yes everyone gets their grrrrrr on every now and then but to have it for long times is a little over the edge I think. For the most part with you I find your are complacent and you are not to be pushed and you take a good stand for the site and to me that beats all the other rhetoric that has been spewed in here recently.

Stick to your principles and your stand and I think and believe you would be a great asset to the team here. I believe it!!

Love to you guy good luck too!
Mona

ps still under the weather much will be back soon/ Write me and tell me when it is time for recess so I can take a walk in the park........playground maybe sounds more like it LMAO...

Peace friend
xoxo

"Complacent"? OMG I hope not.

heehee

Thanks Mona, see you soon.

Respectfully, Race

"Laws and Rules don't kill freedom: narrow-minded intolerance does" - Race-9togo

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/Race_9togo

author comment

Well done on this informative and insightful write.

Consider the box next to your name ticked in the upcoming election.

Good luck!!

Diana

Thank you Diana.

Respectfully, Race

"Laws and Rules don't kill freedom: narrow-minded intolerance does" - Race-9togo

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/Race_9togo

author comment

I'm surprised people are still reading it!
I do not believe that the USA is a democracy. Oh, it is on a local level where votes hardly matter, but on a regional and national level, it is money, not votes that determines who holds power. And on the administrative level? The appointment of a leader by 270 electors that goes against a clear majority of votes for a rival is hardly democratic. Not that I'm complaining...democracy can be terrorizing, as any downtrodden minority person can tell you.
As for the founding fathers...they put the electoral college in place to ensure their own continuing grip on the reins of power, at the expense of the poor and landless, women and slaves.

Respectfully, Race

"Laws and Rules don't kill freedom: narrow-minded intolerance does" - Race-9togo

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/Race_9togo

author comment

I hear you, brother. We went for change in our country.
Problem is, our gov is set up in such a way that real change is a slow-moving process. So, perhaps our current administration will make things so much more worse that we'll get up off of our rear ends and actually vote people in who are REALLY committed to change.
It is about the money, though. Look at repealing Obamacare; didn't happen, because doing so would force insurers to compete, and make less money. They in turn would turn off the spigot plugged into campaign funds, and the pigs slopping out at both sides of the trough would have less dinero to squirrel away in off-shore accounts.
I see the same change thing happening here now, at Neopoet. We are on the path of changing things, but it will take time. One of the reasons that I was gone from the site for so long was because Neopoet had turned into what amounted to a virtual ego-stroke, with members piling on empty praise with no real criticism or attempt to make bad poets better. Paul, however, has convinced me to return, and help with the re-vitalization.
I know exactly what you mean about other countries. I live here in the USA by choice, because I've experienced a lot of the repression and downright tyranny that occurs in other nations. We may not completely be a democracy, but we sure as heck are the one with the most freedoms, hands down.
LOL. Perhaps we should make voting mandatory!

Respectfully, Race

"Laws and Rules don't kill freedom: narrow-minded intolerance does" - Race-9togo

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/Race_9togo

author comment

no matter how speckled the record
hire all
under sixty five
we can use the direction
in all countries

loved screwball the tank driver
and the pilot from '1941'
show me your guns
a great scene!
everyone complains
and no one does

ha

thankx

I do not know how or why I got an email from Neopoet the other day. Maybe it was a sign from the heavens lol but I thought what the heck happened and wondered how many of you all were still here. So I had to redo my password because I could not even remember my user name it has been so long. So many things have happened along the way. It is good to see some familiar names. I was wondering about Jane and Judy and want to say his name is Stormy? I can't remember and when I close this it will come to me I suppose. He was from the USA too. I have not written in a long while. Actually after my father passed I put my pen down. Wrote a few poems but nothing to write home about.

Nice to see some familiar names and faces still here.

Peace - World Peace - Lord knows we need it

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