[EM] RE: Let's found an organization to oppose IRV

[DEMOREP1 at aol.com]

Mr. Layton wrote in part--

 It might

be argued that two of your preferred options (list PR and indirect voting)

were responsible for Hitler and Stalin (respectively) comming to power in

the first place.
---
D- Hitler lost the 1932 plurality election for President of Germany.

Hitler was appointed Chancellor in Jan. 1933 by President Hindenberg only due 
to the very defective structure of the 1919 Germany (Weimar) Constitution 
(and the machinations of various *smart* (sic) folks who thought that they 
could control Hitler and his gang-- a fatal personal error for many of such 
folks).  See Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William Shirer (who devotes 
about half of a 800 page book to such 1932-1933 machinations).

There never was a popular vote for Stalin (or any other of the chief de facto 
executive officer of the 1918-1991 U.S.S.R.).

I have mentioned a form of list PR only because of the low intelligence level 
of many voters (thanks to very rotten public schools in the U.S.A.).

There are a *few* constitutional structures to reduce extremism chances---

required *democratic* elections (regular- as in U.S.A. or irregular (fixed 
maximum term) as in parliamentary governments) so that ANY majority can 
change its mind --- how many contested elections in Germany in 1934-1945  or 
in the U.S.S.R. in 1919-1991 ???

separation of legislative, executive and judicial powers (as noted by 
Montesquieu in his Spirit of the Laws in the 1700's) (sadly lacking in 
parliamentary regimes- especially the U.K.) and separate elections for all 
legislators, some executive officers and all judicial officers.

a modern addition is direct voter petitions for constitutional amendments, 
laws , referendums on legislative body laws and recall elections

Not exactly rocket science after 5,000 years of all sorts of rotten 
monarchies and oligarchies.