Democratic delusion
“Politics has become so expensive that it takes a lot of money even to be defeated.” Even with contribution limits, generous as they are, government remains biased toward serving interests…
democracy
Is it all about the $$$?
Regular readers, all two or three of you, will know that I have had little to say here at Democracy Under Fire during the recent election period, the manure being…
Behind Chile’s political crisis
More than one million people marched in Santiago on October 26 to protest the Government’s security response to Chile’s current political crisis and to demand structural economic reforms to reduce…
Canadians: Go Vote!
vote! People in Hong Kong are currently in the streets fighting for a small amount of democracy, and similar struggles exist around the world. In too many places the concept…
The Best Way To Effect Change
H/t Michael De Adder Should you need further encouragement, read the columns by Martin Regg Cohn and Susan Delacourt. Says Cohn: Decide for yourself who to vote for but whatever…
Minority Coalition Parliaments
As one of the ‘leaders’ trying to become our next prime minister shows his true colours by spouting lies and false information I urge those of you who have yet…
No change in the weather? No change in we. #nlpoli
The problem we have is not a lack of options and opportunities to sort out the government finances ourselves. The problem facing Newfoundland and Labrador is that the leading people…
Is Universal Suffrage Logical? Is it Moral?
Not everyone is a fan of democracy. Other than those who outright prefer dictatorship of one kind or another, some critics simply don’t trust all citizens having equal power over…
On Inequality, Democracy and Taxing the Rich – A Modest Proposal
No doubt many raised in our capitalist society, where inequality rules and excessive incomes and wealth are seen as a right (and where even the NDP only proposes a measly…
What’s Going On?
Half of the kitty cats just walked by to sniff my hand only to keep walking as I started to pet them, so they wouldn’t be mistaken as being too…
Democracy in danger?
Given the title of this blog I must ask the question is our very democracy in danger from the proliferation of discourse on social media, whether true or not, about…
Please, No Excuses for Maduro
In the early days after the Russian revolution, leftists would visit the country in order to view this experiment in collectivist society. They would be welcomed, given the grand tour…
Democracy Needs Gatekeepers
When the Internet arrived and then computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee unleashed the world wide web, a paradise of communication loomed. Now everyone could have access to all the world’s knowledge.…
My review of Eric Weissman’s book on intentional homeless communities
I’ve just reviewed Eric Weissman’s book on intentional homeless communities. Points made in the review include the following: -Intentional communities in general are communities built around specific goals. But in…
Is Democracy Unnatural?
Today is an exceptional time for democracy—the first time in history that most nations in the world may be called democratic (assuming we are generous with our definition). Democracy has,…
I Am a Democrat … and an Elitist
There is much talk about populism these days. The term has a variety of definitions, but the general idea is that society is separated into two groups at odds with…
A Collection of Loyal Quotes: Part Five
“A king is a king, not because he is richand powerful, not because he is asuccessful politician, not because hebelongs to a particular creed or to anational group. He is…
Democracy Speaks and Turkey’s Strongman Takes a Hit
A list of strongmen leaders running pseudo-democracies to justify their autocratic rule usually includes Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He has expanded the power of his presidency and increasingly curbed…
The Spirit of Democracy Shines in Hong Kong
The condition of democracy is much in debate these days as fascist-tinged populism manifests itself from the United States to South America to Eastern Europe. It is, therefor, encouraging to…
The ABC Dilemma ….again
As ‘be counted’ day approaches each of us of voting age must decide which ‘party’ to vote for, yes I know we do not vote for the party but for…