Direct Democracy Sucks
Do you have time to participate in direct democracy? For example, were you in the Occupy Wallstreet general assembly where they decided to spend 8 THOUSAND DOLLARS on the occupywallstreet.net domain name. Not on the web site, on the DOMAIN ! That insane decision was reached by "consensus". Their whole "democracy" point of view is that you have to be at the freaking meeting (no elected representatives). Worse, to appease the anarchist element of the group, if you don't like the decision, you don't have to be involved. Volunteer taxation anyone?
The System
The people have the power. You could argue they have more power in Quebec, where corporations are not allowed to give to election candidates or parties. A corporation's power to donate is severely restricted at the Canadian federal level (thanks to Jean Chretien's election act reform). The US is clearly an other matter, but Barack Obama, for example, was elected thanks mainly to donations from people, not corporations. Many people who have to ability to donate to political parties, don't. That, in my opinion, is the problem. Not "the system".
The 99% Cause Global Warming
Poor people have very little impact on global warming and the environment. They live in small homes, don't travel and tend to walk or use crowded buses. In Canada-USA, the poor are a small portion of the 99%. The folks we have to worry about are the ones living in suburban houses driving 20 km each day to go to work. Rich people with their private jets and way too big houses are annoying, but eliminate them and you still have all those suburban global warming causing dwellers...
My Hands Are Busy
I'm all for policy debate, but I take issue with folks "demanding" that I not be able to elect a representative, and therefor not be able to have a voice, because I'm at work trying to earn money to buy food, bus fare, and pay the rent.
Environment
Oh, and for those of you that do care about the environment, what is the first line in the "Declaration of the Occupation of New York City"?
They have taken our houses through an illegal foreclosure process, despite not having the original mortgage.
Well, if that is true, that clearly sucks. But what the hell were you doing with a house in New York City!? New Yorkers, even rich New Yorkers, have a far lower global warming impact than the average American (New Yorkers usually live in apartments and take the bus/subway). But New Yorkers that live in houses are an other matter.
Global warming and other pollution isn't the result of democracy and capitalism (there is plenty of pollution in communist, monarchist and dictatorship countries), but the result of people making bad decisions. Science and education can help, but the Occupy movement (1000$ to the NYC herbal remedy table, by "indirect consensus"!), can not. Sorry.
-I Do Not Support the Occupy Movement.
Update (2012-05-15): You can watch, but you can't vote (unless you are there).
Update (2012-05-15): You can watch, but you can't vote (unless you are there).
1 comment:
Your point of view would have a little more credence if you would just spell David Suzuki's name correctly.
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