Time to rethink this whole democracy thing??

[Propforward]

It's not really working is it?
We have a system based on popularity and irresponsibility that has lost it's credibility and integrity.

Fianna Fail win elections by appeasing everybody - they give the people, the lobbies and themselves what they want and ignore the needs of Irish society.

Tax Breaks, Economic Growth, Benchmarking etc are the candy that the children of ireland love but where are we now after 2.5 terms of Bertie ahern government? We are in the midst of a Teenage Diabeties that sees us facing inflation, unbearable personal debt, unaffordable housing, disintegrated famiy structures and a fat unattractive prospect to foreign investment suitors.

What we need is a functioning health system that people can use with out dying between consultations.

What we need is a functioning road network that allows us to get around without roadworks at every entrance / exit to the city. where a 4 mile drive can take an hour and a half.

What we need is a managed stable economy that isn't so stimulated that it burns itself out with ferocious consequences.

What we need is a social welfare system that mandates the unemployed to find work and doesn't placate the "working" class by justifying their decision to lay about.

What we need is a justice and prison system that puts socially offenders off the streets until they are rehabilitated and ready to reenter society.

What we need is houses being built after education and utility services have been catered for.

What we need is professionals looking after things and not the amatuers that we have.

I am not a communist or a facist, or a monarchist or whatever you may think - i just think that none of it works anymore - The Nanny State doesn't care - we rely on popularity rather than competancy to run the country.

Any thoughts??

[antagoniser]

[18 Brumaire]

I agree

[FutureTaoiseach]

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Don't worry you'll soon have a change to get rid of it by voting for the EU Treaty and Barroso's "empire".

[A_man_about_a_dog]

Democracy isn't about FF, or any particular party, in any particular country. Democracy is about the people, the citizens, of any country making their own decisions with regard to who they want as their elected representatives. You do know that, right? Because your post would suggest otherwise.

Prisons, or most of the other things you mention in your post, are nothing to do with democracy, they are to do with the management of the system of relations. Prisons, hospitals, schools, universities, etc come under the heading of 'social exchanges'. Taxes, welfare payments, etc come under the heading of 'economic exchanges'. Activities like managing the police, army, navy, civil service, etc comes in under the heading of 'political exchanges'. The type of stuff you complain about has nothing to do with democracy, it is about the manner in which the 'system of relations' is managed. It is an old idea which was used by Foucault and Habermas when talking about modernity and post-modernity. You should read up on some of the stuff mentioned above, see if that it what you actually have the problem with and then come back and we'll see if you're still holding democracy to account.

If it is democracy itself that you still belive you have a problem with, I'd love to hear your alternative?

BTW, I think that for you to come on to p.ie and use your first post like you did and try to single FF out for the misplaced/untrue/inaccurate/non-existent 'failure of democracy' says one thing to me...... troll. Is it the fact that FF "win elections" that bugs you?

[locke]

The major advantage of democracy is that it provides a stable, peaceful way of changing a bad government.

[victorlazlo]

We are a big greedy bunch...our politicians spend more time focusing on immediate quick fix solutions without looking at the long term....why? because they won't be around when the muck hits the fan,let the next generation sort out there own problems.
How many times have we heard our so called leaders talk about the Economy as if it was the only thing people cared about....a revolution is whats needed and as brutal as it may sound the public are too stupid to see this!

[FakeViking]

The major advantage of democracy is that it provides a stable, peaceful way of changing a bad government.

Three examples to disprove your thesis: Ireland, the UK and the USA! Bad governments, reelected!

[Propforward]

A_man_about_a_dog

Thanks for the political science lesson but keeping it simple We have a democaratic system that elects a Government.

This Govenrment is responsible for administering the 'system of relations' - the 'political exchanges' , 'economic exchanges' and the 'Social exchanges'.

On three consectutive democratic elections - we have reelected a government that has failed on a social exchange level and believe it or not is failing spectacularily on an economic exchange level as the celtic tiger is fat and dying and the social welfare system is a joke.

Ergo - Democracy does not work for the irish people.

I am not singling out FF for any reason other than they are in control -

[TheGreaterGood]

OK first post so go easy.

Do we really live in a democracy? We vote every five years and we don't even get to pick the leader or the cabinet. Is that democracy?

Where is my right to vote on important issues of national interest?

And for that matter why should everyone have the right to vote when they come of age. Should there not be some sort of exam that goes beyond oh yeah..... Bertie yer man on Gift Grub?