A Naive Question About Democracy

1. 69

   wandererhposted 12 years ago

   Let's say that there is a democratic country in crisis.  In an upcoming election, there are 2 candidates.  The first candidate proposes severe spending cuts and tax increases, which will resolve the crisis.  The second candidate goes for the more popular alternative of no spending cuts and tax increases, effectively allowing the crisis to worsen in the years to come.
   
   I think people will vote more for their own personal interest rather than collective interest.  I think the second candidate will probably win the election.  What does this say for democracy?
   
   I'm just putting this up for discussion and not advocating one form of government over another.  I'm quite interested in the viewpoints regarding this.

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   1. 70

      Don Fairchildposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Sadly, the way Democracy was designed to operate so many centuries ago and more recently a few hundred years ago, has had a subtle change in the structure of the citizens.
      
      As early as only sixty or so years ago before WWII, the average American citizen would work hard at making his "Democracy" work.  A huge majority of it's citizens would make decisions relevant to the country based on what was good for the country as a whole.  Liberals and conservatives would agree to a revolutionary social program like Social Security, because it was good for all Americans.  (As long as the money isn't stolen by future politicians)
      
      Now back to the present,  the citizen base has changed dramatically.  The thought of having a piece to the American dream pie has drawn the wrong kind of people.  In the past, people would want to contribute to the success of the country for all to enjoy.  Not any more, a large percentage of people just want to steal our prosperity for their own good.   They are only looking to drain the system so that they can prosper, they don't really care if their neighbor survives.  In fact they would hope that they would go away because they might inhibit their process of stealing their way through life.
      
      In summary, more and more pseudo Americans are entering the voting booths these days and are voting for the corrupt politicians that promise unearned freebees to greedy individuals.   Democracy is being sold out for material gain.

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      1. 77

         wildernessposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Unfortunately, that is very true.  Americans have discovered that they can vote themselves nearly anything they want, while forcing someone else to cover the cost of it.  The US treasury is viewed as bottomless, and without need to be refilled except by the "rich".  The good of the country is no long important, just the good of the individual, and there is no need or desire to sacrifice anything for the country itself.

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2. 53

   Dame Scribeposted 12 years ago

   I think whoever gets into gov't says a lot of the people themselves. It's unfortunate that gov't can't think of using different tactics to help their nation. They should be looking to 'care' about the people and home rather than just themselves or further their personal benefits at expense of the peoples.

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