Gnu - It didn't work well in the USSR because the USSR was dominated by a friggin' POLITICAL PARTY!!!!!   The one thing worse than either 2 or several poltical parties is just ONE damn political party controlling everything...the Nazis in Germany (after 1933) and the Fascists in Italy being other examples of that nasty procedure in action.

Remember: a political party is an organization, and like all organizations it exists mainly to enlarge and sustain itself...at the cost of what?

No, what I am recommending is a bit more like what they had in ancient Greece in the city of Athens...an assembly of equals who are tied to NO organization, debating issues and deciding them by vote. Like Athens, only...no slaves, and the women get to vote too. (just thought I'd better mention that before some smart guy jumped on it...people love to chew on the details)

You ARE part of the "mob", Gnu. Remember that also. ;-) Don't you trust yourself?