Opinion ***Could Direct Democracy Work Today***

[wlu.29]

The ancient Greeks practiced a form of direct democracy.

Every citizen can have a direct say in how the country is run. The Greeks only made males available to vote, today we would allow male and female.

They had a council chosen randomly who would be responsible for setting the agenda for citizens to vote and actively participate in government. People who want to be officials to run certain can be voted on and or be put forth to be chosen at random.

We have technology (phones) now that makes it accessible and possible.

 

[Satsui Ryu]

Helllllllllll no. Representative democracy is barely functional because of too many morons and crazies.

 

[SurferH2O]

Sadly, no... people are retarded and selfish. The man on the street interviews have completely dissuaded me.

 

[lsa]

Switzerland does have a version of it.

 

[Nizam al-Mulk]

Switzerland does have a version of it.

That cannot be replicated in most of the world.

 

[wlu.29]

Helllllllllll no. Representative democracy is barely functional because of too many morons and crazies.

I believe there are more sane people than crazies

Today the morons are extra vocal and disproportionately affecting /infecting political dialogue (case in point sherdog)

Direct democracy can give the more sane but silent more voice

 

[HereticBD]

Good fuck, no. I think we'd be better off letting AI run things.

 

[panamaican]

Could it work? Sure. Would it be better? Not at all. The modern world is so complex and integrated that you need expertise advising people with good judgment on how to craft multi-year development plans. The majority of the country lacks the education, the expertise, the interest in acquiring the expertise and the reasoning ability to properly address these issues.

And that's not a slight to the population. Mathematically, 90% of your population is below the top 10% intelligence wise. Their lower quality decision making will always overwhelm the decisions of the smarter set and that's regardless of the expertise they bring.

 

[Sinister]

Helllllllllll no. Representative democracy is barely functional because of too many morons and crazies.

Yeah, the morons and crazies being the donor class who currently fund, and eventually wish to dismantle elections

 

[wlu.29]

Could it work? Sure. Would it be better? Not at all. The modern world is so complex and integrated that you need expertise advising people with good judgment on how to craft multi-year development plans. The majority of the country lacks the education, the expertise, the interest in acquiring the expertise and the reasoning ability to properly address these issues.

And that's not a slight to the population. Mathematically, 90% of your population is below the top 10% intelligence wise. Their lower quality decision making will always overwhelm the decisions of the smarter set and that's regardless of the expertise they bring.

Are we sure today's politicians are in the 10% intelligence wise

We hear all the time and resign to the fact that politicians on both side are corrupt. We hear about the influences of the lobby and rise of oligarchs.

The people can pick those officials with competencies to run services that require expertise.

 

[Sinister]

The main thing that would stop it from working is fascism perpetrated by wealthy elites.

The U.S. was much closer to direct democracy when it was colonies. It was still pretty gross with slavery, but elected Representatives did most of the legislative leg-work. Virginia and other such States sucked as their view of democracy was pretty negative. These Stated had undemocratic practices such as Assemblymen choosing the Governor. Elites in the Northeast also wouldn't join the Union without assurances of protection FROM democracy. They were assured the Constitution, and the creation of the Senate, as well as the electoral college system. All of these undemocratic, and paired with who could only legally vote.

Every time the US has become closer to an actual democracy (and a multi-racial one) the system steps in and whittles away at past laws, or gives Amendment "interpretations" that scale it back, and complicit media helps propagandize people against it, which is why we currently have dipsh*ts saying things like "this is a Republic, not a democracy"...with little understanding of each of those terms. Or saying sh*t like "that could only work on a small scale" because that's the barrier people who want to retain the National levers of power want you to not think past.

The anti-democratic sentiment in the US serves only ONE purpose. Keeping working class people voting against their own interests and for someone else's. Like the MLM President saying you're doing a great job making the Company money, but you cant afford rent because you have no say in what happens to that money.

 

[SurferH2O]

Also, the Leftists would rig the election and take everyone's private property and impose authoritarian rule.

 

[wlu.29]

Also, the Leftists would rig the election and take everyone's private property and impose authoritarian rule.

I dont think you understand what direct democracy is. There wouldn't be elections. There wouldn't be left and right.

Your president trump is the one that is trampling all over rule of law.

 

[Anewt]

Nope. Unless you are part of a extremly homogeneous group and even then . Wealth and greed can dominate the decisions.

Would anyone want a democratic world? Personally as a australian fuck no. So realistically democracy is inherently flawed Despite it being the best solution availabile generally imo.

 

[Stoic1]

You do not want direct democracy.

Think about how stupid the average person is. Now realize that half of them are dumber than that.

 

[Richmma80]

Even back then they knew letting women vote was a terrible idea

 

[wlu.29]

Even back then they knew letting women vote was a terrible idea

 

[aerius]

Could it work? Yes. If you have a relatively small nation with a population which has a lot of shared values & ideology. Something like Iceland, Andorra, the Baltics and possibly the Nordics. For a large nation such as China, the US, France, or even Canada, not a chance in hell. There's too many conflicting interests to deal with and the system will likely deadlock and end up being run by a bunch of special interest groups & power brokers using behind the scenes favours.

 

[tastaylvr]

Literally every person thinks the world is full of crazies and that they are smarter than average

Such a funny thing to see and to add to that why would intelligence be a pre requisite for democracy when it’s meant to benefit the majority who might be stupid in this case. Honestly if you think the opposite then you actually support a dictatorship where the dictator is the smartest person.

 

[WuDi]

Could it work in the sense of being implementable? Yes. With intelligent identity checking systems and availability of high speed internet a reliable system could be implemented.

Would it work well? No. Most people are too stupid to understand complex issues. Hell, they actively vote against their own interest because of what they hear on the TV.

Now, if we created a system that would require:
1. IQ testing.
2. Increased the age requirement for voters to 25/30.
3. Familiarising yourself with the act being voted on, evidenced by a quiz.

Then it would work and allow us to create the best country in the world.