New Book of Rules
in [Design]
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From: bill.sloman on 10 Aug 2006 11:14 John Woodgate wrote: > In message <1155203528.662197.76040(a)75g2000cwc.googlegroups.com>, dated > Thu, 10 Aug 2006, bill.sloman(a)ieee.org writes <snip> > Democracy doesn't work very well, but it's probably the best we > have; benign dictatorship works better (and much more efficiently - see > Mussolini's trains) while it remains benign, but it doesn't remain > benign. Mussolini wasn't benign, and his claim to have made the trains run on time was a lie - their time-keeping got a bit worse after he'd come to power. He was just playing to the usual managerial delusion, that telling people what you want and threatening them with unpleasant consequences if you don't get it is all that is required to achieve the desired change. I've been known to say something like - now you know what the boss wants, but now can we confine ourselves to discussing what we might be able to give him. -- Bill Sloman, Nijmegen
From: Jim Yanik on 10 Aug 2006 11:40 John Larkin <jjlarkin(a)highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> wrote in news:rhimd2pir8dcscd57m2oum9764lib0ki4t(a)4ax.com: > On 10 Aug 2006 02:52:08 -0700, bill.sloman(a)ieee.org wrote: > > >>Your current situation is one where people with the money to finance >>extended advertising campaigns - not to mention judicial campaigns >>extending to the Supreme Court - exercise a disproportionate amount of >>power over the election process and the people who get elected. This is >>inequitable and undemocratic. > > That aspect of money isn't a serious problem. A candidate for public > office will be financed if he's truly viable. In that sense, the > advertising budget knocks out the un-electable loonies and spoilers. > > A more serious money-related problem is regionalism driven by pork. > > But overall, the system works very well, so you can't complain too > much about the details. > > John > > IMO,a most serious problem for US democracy is career politicians;our representatives should only serve a couple of terms and then go back to real life. -- Jim Yanik jyanik at kua.net
From: Frank Bemelman on 10 Aug 2006 12:09 "Jim Yanik" <jyanik(a)abuse.gov> schreef in bericht news:Xns981B76ADA8C23jyanikkuanet(a)129.250.170.84... > IMO,a most serious problem for US democracy is career politicians;our > representatives should only serve a couple of terms and then go back to > real life. And while you are at it, take your own advice and get back to a real life. -- Thanks, Frank. (remove 'q' and '.invalid' when replying by email)
From: John Woodgate on 10 Aug 2006 12:13 In message <rhimd2pir8dcscd57m2oum9764lib0ki4t(a)4ax.com>, dated Thu, 10 Aug 2006, John Larkin <jjlarkin(a)highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> writes >In that sense, the advertising budget knocks out the un-electable >loonies and spoilers. But it doesn't knock out electable loonies and spoilers. Warren Harding, for example. > >A more serious money-related problem is regionalism driven by pork. Indeed. We've had a bit of flak about that in UK, due to the Deputy Prime Minister favouring the northern counties. Allegedly. > >But overall, the system works very well, so you can't complain too much >about the details. Who can't? In a democratic society, it is a citizen's duty to complain.(;-) -- OOO - Own Opinions Only. Try www.jmwa.demon.co.uk and www.isce.org.uk 2006 is YMMVI- Your mileage may vary immensely. John Woodgate, J M Woodgate and Associates, Rayleigh, Essex UK
From: John Woodgate on 10 Aug 2006 12:04
In message <1155222860.197119.127760(a)m73g2000cwd.googlegroups.com>, dated Thu, 10 Aug 2006, bill.sloman(a)ieee.org writes >Mussolini wasn't benign, and his claim to have made the trains run on >time was a lie - their time-keeping got a bit worse after he'd come to >power. True, but the Italians thought he was, to begin with. That's my point. Lenin got a lot more good things done than the Tsar did, too, but it soon went wrong. -- OOO - Own Opinions Only. Try www.jmwa.demon.co.uk and www.isce.org.uk 2006 is YMMVI- Your mileage may vary immensely. John Woodgate, J M Woodgate and Associates, Rayleigh, Essex UK |