[EM] Steve Bosworth, regarding democracy in Frome, U.K.

[Fred Gohlke]

Good Afternoon, Steve

You asked: "Please both explain what you see as the most
             democratic 'way' and try to give me your
             definition of 'democracy'."

I cannot improve on Lincoln's definition of democracy as "government of 
the people, by the people, for the people".

Democracy is not a team sport.  It is a bottom-up process where 
political power is vested in the people and rises, by their choice, to 
the officials they choose to represent them in their government.  There 
is no shortage of talented, principled individuals for them to choose 
because the vast majority of their peers are trustworthy and law-abiding 
people - they have to be, for society could not exist otherwise.

To choose their political leaders, the people must have a mechanism that 
lets them sift through the electorate to find those with the wisdom to 
accept the best parts of competing opinions, the ability to integrate 
them into productive proposals, and the persuasiveness to motivate 
others to adopt solutions that benefit the community.

The Town Council in Frome, U.K., which is committed to party-free 
govenment, is uniquely suited to give the people of Frome a way to seek 
out and elevate those individuals in the community who are the best 
advocates of the people's interests.  I seek others with the wit and 
wisdom to help devise the method.

Fred Gohlke