[Election-Methods] Partisan Politics

[Juho]

On Mar 31, 2008, at 20:33 , Fred Gohlke wrote:

> re: "... one needs to adapt to a situation where the main decisions  
> and
> most powerful streams and even highest respect in the society will  
> occur
> at a suboptimal level."
>
> I agree we must adapt to such a situation, for we have little choice,
> but I don't think we should accept it.  The essence of progress is
> considering possibilities and alternatives, often to things thought
> immutable.

Ok, I didn't really mean "accept" in the sense of giving up any hope  
of change. I used "accept" in the meaning that while trying to  
improve the system we should take into account that this is how the  
system typically works.

> In the final analysis, I think those of us who feel compelled to  
> "find a
> better way" must do our utmost to be reasonable, seek the guidance of
> those with expertise, and carefully consider the thoughtful  
> opinions of
> others.

Yes, makes sense. That is not always the most painless path. But  
trying to find better solutions (not just push one's own solutions  
that one might consider to be the best) and thereby improve the world  
that we live in is a good and essential feature in us humans.

> One thing I learned was that it is well-nigh
> impossible to defeat the persistent access professional lobbyists have
> to our elected representatives, an access that fosters subornation.

Yes. I think where there is honey there are also flies and wasps  
flying around. The decisions that politicians make do involve large  
sums of money, and there are nice job opportunities and also  
publicity etc. In these circumstances it may be difficult to get  
through the buzzing crowd and meet the original intention of  
politics, to improve the system.

> It seems to me our elected representatives are in service, just like
> members of the armed services.  Like members of our armed forces, I
> think elected officials should be kept at a government installation  
> and
> access to them should be restricted.

I think Montesquieu was right when proposing the separation of  
powers. I'd actually take few steps forward and add few more  
separations in the list. In politics the dependences to various  
directions may easily get too strong. (Money is often involved, as in  
the discussion on how to make the financial situation of the  
representatives safe enough, in political campaigning etc.)

Juho







	
	
		
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