How can we define democracy

[Bakunin]

I think this is an interesting question, how can we define and apply democracy.

Its easy to say canada is a democracy but is it really a democracy ?

Western ppl may vote for the conservative with a strong majority their whole life and their is a strong possibility that they will never or almost never change anything to the election result. More often than anything, the election result will contrast with their decision.

Is this democracy ? do we want a government that get elected by the majority wherever it is or a government that represent well each region of canada ?

If a region vote massively against a government year after year after year, does it mean that this region lost its democracy ?

Is it the party's faults or is it the political structure itself ?

[I Miss Trudeau]

Western ppl may vote for the conservative with a strong majority their whole life and their is a strong possibility that they will never or almost never change anything to the election result. More often than anything, the election result will contrast with their decision.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This is also true of people living within the West. This is the first federal election in which I live in a riding that has any chance at all of electing a non-Conservative MP. Perhaps I should lobby to have IMT alienation thrust into the election campaign.

Is this democracy ? do we want a government that get elected by the majority wherever it is or a government that represent well each region of canada ?

The differences between regions are not nearly as drastic as you imply. Its not as if everyone in Ontario is a Liberal and everyone in Alberta is a Conservative. Quite the opposite, actually.

If a region vote massively against a government year after year after year, does it mean that this region lost its democracy ?

In our system, the people that don't vote for the winner generally receive no representation at all, whether they be a region or individuals within a single riding.

Is it the party's faults or is it the political structure itself ?

I think party politics is part of the problem, though our FPTP system is the main culprit. I'd like to see a more robust view of democracy in the form of participatory democracy, or at the very least PR.

[Leafless]

I don't think Canada's a democracy.

We are a parliamentry democracy but don't receive any MP representation instead the party creates the issue's and MP's fall in line with party policy.

This is a form of totalitarian government powered by a charter that has created issue's away from normal politics again with no direct Canadian participation.

Phoney telephone polls are a way for government to establish political issue's that might not be of national interest but of party interest.

In fact I would say we are at complete mercy of full government control and this is why it is so important to obtain a change of government especially a Conservative government to try to break this Liberal government anti-democratic hold on the nation.

[canuckcat]

I think this is an interesting question, how can we define and apply democracy.

Its easy to say canada is a democracy but is it really a democracy ?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It is often said that democracy is about accountability... of the government to the people...

I think we do quite well in this on a provincial level...

Federally, times are quite troubling, especially with Quebec again showing its spots...

And this next election probably will not change anything...

Oddly enough, the federal government's best opposition is the provinces...

and maybe the media...

Go figure...

[canuckcat]

Mouseland

As told by Tommy Douglas in 1944

It's the story of a place called Mouseland. Mouseland was a place where all the little mice lived and played, were born and died. And they lived much the same as you and I do.

They even had a Parliament. And every four years they had an election. Used to walk to the polls and cast their ballots. Some of them even got a ride to the polls. And got a ride for the next four years afterwards too. Just like you and me. And every time on election day all the little mice used to go to the ballot box and they used to elect a government. A government made up of big, fat, black cats.

Now if you think it strange that mice should elect a government made up of cats, you just look at the history of Canada for last 90 years and maybe you'll see that they weren't any stupider than we are.

Now I'm not saying anything against the cats. They were nice fellows. They conducted their government with dignity. They passed good laws--that is, laws that were good for cats. But the laws that were good for cats weren't very good for mice. One of the laws said that mouseholes had to be big enough so a cat could get his paw in. Another law said that mice could only travel at certain speeds--so that a cat could get his breakfast without too much effort.

All the laws were good laws. For cats. But, oh, they were hard on the mice. And life was getting harder and harder. And when the mice couldn't put up with it any more, they decided something had to be done about it. So they went en masse to the polls. They voted the black cats out. They put in the white cats.

Now the white cats had put up a terrific campaign. They said: "All that Mouseland needs is more vision." They said:"The trouble with Mouseland is those round mouseholes we got. If you put us in we'll establish square mouseholes." And they did. And the square mouseholes were twice as big as the round mouseholes, and now the cat could get both his paws in. And life was tougher than ever.

And when they couldn't take that anymore, they voted the white cats out and put the black ones in again. Then they went back to the white cats. Then to the black cats. They even tried half black cats and half white cats. And they called that coalition. They even got one government made up of cats with spots on them: they were cats that tried to make a noise like a mouse but ate like a cat.

You see, my friends, the trouble wasn't with the colour of the cat. The trouble was that they were cats. And because they were cats, they naturally looked after cats instead of mice.

Presently there came along one little mouse who had an idea. My friends, watch out for the little fellow with an idea. And he said to the other mice, "Look fellows, why do we keep on electing a government made up of cats? Why don't we elect a government made up of mice?" "Oh," they said, "he's a Bolshevik. Lock him up!" So they put him in jail.

But I want to remind you: that you can lock up a mouse or a man but you can't lock up an idea.

[Chronic]

As I hope you all know a Federal Election is coming up on Jan 23.

There is one more Leaders Debate scheduled on Monday.

There is a petition collecting signatures to stop the TV executives from being the ones who decide who is allowed in the debates. Right now for a party to be recognized as an official federal party, they must get at least 2% of the popular vote. Once this happens they recieve funding from taxes and are regarded as an offical party.

At this point in time they should be being included in all Federal Political Events. That isnt the way it works though when it comes to the televised debates. Regardless of the criteria already set out for federal parties, the television executives arbritarily decide who can be invloved. Which means that they are subverting the federal election process if they follow any guidelines except the established governmental regulations.

For a brief refresher (or maybe new knowledge) there are 308 ridings across canada. In the last election only four parties ran a candidate in every riding. To me this is important, because if you wish to be a federal party that represents the whole country, shouldn't you have represenatives across the whole country? The four parties were; the Liberals, Conservatives, N.D.P. and The Green Party.

The following link is to a petetion at the Green Parties website. This has nothing to do with any poll or survey, and it is not about supporting the Green Party. It is about allowing the democratic principles that our country is about to work as they were meant to.

Nowhere does it say that televion executives should have the power to decide who has access to the leaders debates.

By monday's scheduled debate, we need to collect another 10,000 canadian signatures.

Just ask yourself this, wouldnt you at least like to see the leader of the Green Party have a chance to say his peace, especially considering a couple of million tax dollars went to them since the last election?

Here's the link

http://www.info-greenparty.ca/petition/

Let's let the democratic process work without hinderance from the television executives.

Tom Adshead