Comments on: We give them a job to do

By: Ari

Ari — Sun, 13 Nov 2005 08:44:04 +0000

Frankly, it’d probably take a revolutionary effort to overhaul the US government. But let’s not go there.

That snippet about the Green Party’s policy on referenda was very enlightening, Frog, and I have to say I agree- it is not for the lynch mob to decide whether someone is entitled to their rights. It is indeed undemocratic to allow someone to vote on something that pretty much does not affect them.

Of course, I doubt the Right would see it that way

By: katie

katie — Sat, 12 Nov 2005 20:01:16 +0000

well said both:
and much more vested interest in the status quo in the US voting system.
thankfully, their outcomes are resistable within our framework!

By: eredwen

eredwen — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 22:15:53 +0000

Well said Clara!

I believe the World would be a safer place if the “impossible” happened and the US overhauled its voting systems …

However it’s difficult to change a system if (probably the majority of?) the people don’t realise that theirs is one “system” of many alternatives, and that it can be changed.

We can thank the foresight and effort of Rod Donald for our MMP system.
The USA would be a much harder series of very thick shelled nuts to crack!

By: clara

clara — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 13:31:48 +0000

As a US citizen with strong desires to be part of the democratic process the only reason I had to vote on these stupid motions was that I would be struck off the “usual” voting register for overseas voters if I didn’t. I am so pleased my mother chose to move to NZ, MMP despitee its flaws allows me the confidence to vote for the people that I believe will vote for the beliefs I support