[LINK] Democracy and bit rates ...

[Brendan]

On 08/14/2013 12:03 PM, Frank O'Connor wrote:
> On 14/08/2013, at 11:49 AM, Kerry Webb <kwebb at grapevine.com.au>
> wrote:
>
>> On 14/08/13 10:02 AM, Jan Whitaker wrote:
>>> At 07:17 AM 14/08/2013, Frank O'Connor wrote:
>>>
>>>> In Australia the figures are probably about 15 million voters
>>>> and the politician count is up because we have a Parliamentary
>>>> rather than a Republican system of government ... but
>>>> conversely we have less Separation of Powers so the risks are
>>>> higher for what, in the US, would amount to our Congressional
>>>> elections.
>>>
>>> There are more factors involved, procedural and cultural.
>>>
>>> 1. As a population, we don't have any option to influence at the
>>> 'candidate selection' level in Australia. Parties rule -- either
>>> local branches or power brokers in head office. We get what we're
>>> given.
>>>
>>
>> A little bit of hyperbole there:  Join a political party and
>> you'll (probably) be able to influence candidate selection for that
>> party.  Hey - if you're keen join all the parties and influence the
>> selection of all candidates.
>>
>
> Yeah ... all that kerfuffle about 'branch stacking' and the fights
> between the factions mean that an individual's gonna have a real
[]


Democracies are set up in order to diffuse the exercise of power and to make orderly transitions between those who hold power.  Unfortunately my perception is that the diffusion of power has been undermined (by lobbying money on one side and apparatchiks on the other).  It would be nice to believe that direct action (eg voting and party participation) can wrest back that power, but I am dubious.  I am not sure what other solutions are available though.

In order to preserve the diffusion of power those to whom it is diffused (ie citizenry) need to assert it.  However, by and large, we are more interested in watching whatever is on TV or buying whatever the latest thing is.  It bothers me that we increasingly lead lives which are disconnected from reality.