Find me a form of government with no problems and back it up and I think everybody in the world will be interested.

__________________
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Why should I do that? Did I post somewhere that there was such a form of government?

__________________
If a neocon whines about big government wealth redistribution, just ask him what he thinks about the portion of that big government that sends aid to Israel.

No. Just pointing out that you have nothing better to offer.

__________________
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

What problems do you refer to?

__________________

So we should not point out flaws in our systems and just agree with everything?

__________________
If a neocon whines about big government wealth redistribution, just ask him what he thinks about the portion of that big government that sends aid to Israel.

Stupid voters would be one problem. For instance, those who elected Bush because he was "like them," or appeared to be like them, anyway. Another example would be the reactionary idiots who supported the Patriot Act and other acts restricting rights simply because of one event (9/11, for instance). The problem with these people is that they get caught up with one event that is fresh in their minds and ignore the bigger picture. With the Patriot Act, they focused on 9/11 because it was fresh in their minds (despite being one large event in a number of years) and reacted by supporting the Patriot Act, which would restrict rights everyday for years. It's like buying a cow because of a one-time, rare occurence that the store was out of milk, having milk for that one day, but losing a lot of money and time caring and paying for the cow everyday for years to come.

__________________
If a neocon whines about big government wealth redistribution, just ask him what he thinks about the portion of that big government that sends aid to Israel.

No, we don't. But on the other hand, we are the only country to have elected GW Bush as president. Nothing to compare to, except maybe the Brits. I have a suspicion many of them are asking "Is Blair an idiot" about now.

In simple words, we live in a free society where you can vote for an individual or law based on whatever you like and that can casue problems.

Well, I'd love to see a Utopia created by a society where individuals were forced to vote based on the government's (or any other group's) list of litmus tests.

And I'd like to know exactly how it could be enforced.

Sign on the wall says:

"It is illegal to vote for anyone unless you are voting for them because of:
a.
b.
c.

or

d.

Voting for them for any other reason will result in punishment under the law"

/'chuckle

In a Republic or a Democracy the voting system is based on freedom.

It isn't perfect because it is based on freedom. Thankfully, society has chosen to make the best of it and remain free with their choice as opposed to enforcing some unenforceable conscience-qualifier associated with "Why" you vote for someone.

No system is perfect, and we are nto experiencing any problems that are different from any other free society.

And it may be your opinion that the Patriot Act is for idiots, but that would be subjective and has no relevance. I think it is idiotic NOT to keep it.

/shrug

__________________

Hey, just pointing out the problems with US Democracy. But are you denying that the US is a reactionary society, as in my example?

__________________
If a neocon whines about big government wealth redistribution, just ask him what he thinks about the portion of that big government that sends aid to Israel.

Who said I denied reactionary as a basis? I think that I encompassed it when I explained to you that we are free to vote based on any reason we choose. A normal person would consider "reactionary votes" to be in the "any reason we choose" category.

But again, it is merely your opinion that the Patriot act was "reactionary" and that you have to be an "idiot" to agree with it.

I think that thinking that way is idiocy.

/shrug

When you get that Utopia plan together with its set of enforceable rules as to what reason an individual must or must not use for casting a vote....you let us know.

__________________

Or a coward. Or both.I didn't say I was getting one together, but I do think there should be some restrictions on Democracy, such that keep the majority incapable of taking away the rights of the minority. Drug laws are a good idea. Let's say 49% want to use drugs freely and 51% think it should be banned for everyone. Are the 51% really harmed if drug use is allowed? This is not a law FORCING anyone to use drugs. Just a law allowing the 49% who want to use them to use it. And that wouldn't harm the 51% who don't want to use the drugs. In fact, the war on drugs actually wastes much of the money of BOTH of the groups. Now, I'm not saying we need to set "why" restrictions on voting like you said, I'm just saying that this is an example of a major problem with Democracy.

__________________
If a neocon whines about big government wealth redistribution, just ask him what he thinks about the portion of that big government that sends aid to Israel.

I doubt that the US has any more or less idiots than any other country. Personally, I think that the reason we're losing ground intellectually is that our attentions as a group are dedicated to more and more superficial things. Humans are social animals, which gives us a strong desire to fit in. Over the course of time, popular culture in America has given us People Magazine, Paris Hilton, and Survivor. Americans embrace being vapid because that is what is required to "keep up with the Jonses". I don't view this as a failure of intellect, but rather a failure of taste and culture.

__________________
"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases."

-Thomas Jefferson

Isn't there a saying that People get leaders they deserve? Rough translation, but I think appropriate.
Good thing that our Queen is never regarded as a moron, but more like a mother of our nation. Her compassion with strickt rule is much better than that we'd choose a man which would be regarded around the world as `that village idiot´.

I have no problem with that. I am just wondering what system you are comparing democracy with that makes it look so bad.

__________________
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

The poor man seems to be a victim of the Peter Principle. Due to his family background the man was 'promoted' from Texas governor, which according to the talking head he did well, to a position he clearly doesn't have the capabilities for.
But what does it matter. Politics is reduced to a popularity poll based on the perception on TV created by professional image builders. The content of the skull has become irrelevant. Berlusconi, Chavez and especially most of the crowned heads of Europe fall in the same category. Some of the latter are even worse, much worse than GWB (UK, Belgium).

__________________
"Say not, 'When I have free time I shall study'; for you may perhaps never have any free time"
Hillel the Elder