Presidents

[Shadow]

I think most systems go a little too far in the other direction though. The US system has so many checks built in that things don't get done very well. Canada goes the other way, in that a majority government is quite literally a 4-year dictatorship. I think having the masses vote on particular issues is not a bad idea, as long as the issues to be voted on are defined carefully so as to not be overwhelming.

Making the government too central causes its own problems.

[Neobaron]

To be fair, i'd rather have a 4 year dictatorship that actually does a thing than 4 year lame duck stints that can't do anything because a majority is not enough in american politics.

[Shadow]

People doing a thing is what caused this mess.

Chuang Tzu Story - The Turtle

Chuang Tzu with his bamboo pole
was fishing in the Pu river

The prince of Chu sent two vice-chancellors
with a formal document:
We hereby appoint you prime minister

Chuang Tzu held his bamboo pole still.
Watching the Pu river, he said:
"I am told there is a sacred tortoise offered
and canonized three thousand years ago,
venerated by the prince, wrapped in silk,
in a precious shrine on an altar
in the temple.
What do you think?
Is it better to give up one's life
and leave a sacred shell
as an object of cult
in a cloud of incense
for three thousand years,
or to live as a plain turtle
dragging its tail in the mud?"

"For the turtle", said the vice-chancellor,
"better to live and drag its tail in the mud!"

"Go home!", said Chuang Tzu.
"Leave me here
to drag my tail in the mud."

[Neobaron]

wat

[Shadow]

The story means that doing a thing is the problem, not the opposite.

[Neobaron]

I read it as a general 'wise men stay out of politics' thing.

It could also be interpreted as 'live life for the present' or something to do with rewards after death being meaningless.

---

You should post an academic paper outlining why doing a thing is bad, interpreting poetry gets us nowhere. :3

[Shadow]

You should post an academic paper outlining why doing a thing is bad, interpreting poetry gets us nowhere. :3

I thought you might like that.

[Firetooth]

A democracy where everyone has a direct say in everything is unproductive  (at least when dealing with a large amount of people). That is why it is disgusting.

I'd rather have an unproductive system then a system like China. plus I generally believe people should have a say in who runs their country, but the democracy you talk about doesn't even exist in 'Merika. All people can do is elect their candidates, and they often go back on promises. (British example, Nick Clegg)

To be fair, i'd rather have a 4 year dictatorship that actually does a thing than 4 year lame duck stints that can't do anything because a majority is not enough in american politics.

In theory, I might go for a dictatorship that "does a thing," but in practice it never works out very well. Then again, I guess England isn't as bad off as America is in terms of majorities in several houses. (that is the reason Obama can't do anything iirc, he lost a house to the republicans?)

[abartell]

wow you guys really know your stuff about politics *some more than others* ;)