BS: I had a good idea!

Subject: BS: I had a good idea!
From: Blissfully Ignorant
Date: 06 Mar 05 - 07:12 AM

I reckon we should hold elections more frequently. Then governments would behave better.

Subject: RE: BS: I had a good idea!
From: Bunnahabhain
Date: 06 Mar 05 - 07:29 AM

Look at the US house of representatives- (That's Congress, rather than the Senate, for anybody who's not a West Wing addict, etc)
Elections every two years, and so it's an almost permenant campaign.

The Senate, with six year terms spends more time governing, and less trying to get re-elected.

Does this make Congress any better behaved, efficient, representative or cheaper the the Senate? I would say the opposite.

The UK. The Commons Vs the Lords. I know which I think is better behaved, efficient and representative. And it's not the on I voted for.

Of course, when all the decisions are really made by an old man who lives in a hut, and talks to his cat alot, then we'll be fine, Unless one of the seven people who know where he is is a lawyer.....

Subject: RE: BS: I had a good idea!
From: alanabit
Date: 06 Mar 05 - 07:40 AM

I am not sure this is a new idea. The idea of annual parliaments was one of the original demands of the Chartists. Of course, regular elections are preferable to no elections. However, I am not yet persuaded that frequent elections necessarily benefit a country. Italy has been changing governments with greater frequency than most other countries since the war. Its record on crime and economic policy in particular, is not one which I would want my country to emulate.
Modern elections tend to be more about the style of presentation rather than a serious debate of policies. It is always tempting to say, "It couldn't possibly be worse." I fear that is always a dangerous assumption.

Subject: RE: BS: I had a good idea!
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 06 Mar 05 - 11:01 AM

Smile they said, things could be worse. So I did... and it was.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: I had a good idea!
From: Blissfully Ignorant
Date: 06 Mar 05 - 11:06 AM

Well seems to me that people have fried their brains by watching Big Brother on TV...so when the real Big Brother starts screwing them over, they forget about it until it's coming up for an election and they see nice Mr Blair on TV promising nice things, and they vote for him. How else can it be explained?

Subject: RE: BS: I had a good idea!
From: Little Hawk
Date: 06 Mar 05 - 11:15 AM

The more they campaign, the more they posture and propagandize and lie in order to get votes, and the less they actually get done in a useful manner...

Obviously, the solution is to appoint a king (or queen). Every 10 years, review the situation. If things are not satisfactory, lop up that monarch's head and start over with another one. :-)

Subject: RE: BS: I had a good idea!
From: Blissfully Ignorant
Date: 06 Mar 05 - 11:18 AM

They don't do anything useful anyway, really. Just satisfy their own needs and shout empty rhetoric at each other...

Subject: RE: BS: I had a good idea!
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 06 Mar 05 - 11:21 AM

Little Hawk... it didn't work in 1643... I don't think it's going to work now!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: I had a good idea!
From: Little Hawk
Date: 06 Mar 05 - 11:24 AM

Well, it sort of worked...about half the time...

I think that's not too bad. :-)

Subject: RE: BS: I had a good idea!
From: Bill D
Date: 06 Mar 05 - 11:25 AM

"…lop up that monarch's head and start over with another one. :-)"

That presumes they USE their heads in their job, and evidence of that is hard to find.

I almost like the Athenian idea of requiring citizens te serve a term...like juries...but then I look around me...

Subject: RE: BS: I had a good idea!
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 07 Mar 05 - 07:21 AM

is that it, just more elections....?

more beer, more holidays, ....

let's extend the idea....more of everything that we actually like.

then you wouldn't need more elections