Maybe three or four coalitions at best. What the public can do is to choose one over the other.
That suggest that democracy is just about voting at election day. That’s just not true. Public debate matters for policy changes.
Granted what the New York Times writes is more important than what happens at Reddit, but we don’t live in a world where the parliaments are separated from the rest.
ACTA didn’t go through because we live in a democracy where the internet allows people to politically organize in a way we couldn’t 15 years ago.
Look at things like the proposed EU Constitution and later the replacement, the Treaty of Lisbon. Pretty much about elites deciding what they want and pushing it on the people until they give in and ratify it. First they push the EU Constitution, the people of UK, France, Netherlands reject it via referendum. Fine, they rewrite it is as a Treaty of Lisbon, now the UK government is smarter and doesn’t even hold a referendum, just ratifies in the Parliament. Ireland holds a referendum as it constitutionally must, and the people say no. No problem however, the elites launch a massive advertising campaign and hold another referendum. They’ll just keep asking the question until they get a yes. No other country outside Ireland holds a referendum about it, which suggests a lot about whether the people would have accepted it or not. The message is very clear, the elites want it, and basically push it until they can make it happen.
Pretty much about elites deciding what they want and pushing it on the people until they give in and ratify it. First they push the EU Constitution, the people of UK, France, Netherlands reject it via referendum.
And now the pressure in the UK is strong enough that they get a referendum about leaving the EU.
But more importantly democracy is not only about voting but about public debate. The European idea has a deep intellectual foundation. A lot of those people of the 5% that can understand a reasoned argument are pro-European.
It’s interesting how you use the term “elites” as if it would mean something very different than “intellectuals”. In practice journalists are intellectuals who do form part of the societal elite that influences public policy.
Think Tanks have influence because they can afford to pay intellectuals to do nothing but think about a specific issue.
That suggest that democracy is just about voting at election day. That’s just not true. Public debate matters for policy changes.
Granted what the New York Times writes is more important than what happens at Reddit, but we don’t live in a world where the parliaments are separated from the rest.
ACTA didn’t go through because we live in a democracy where the internet allows people to politically organize in a way we couldn’t 15 years ago.
Look at things like the proposed EU Constitution and later the replacement, the Treaty of Lisbon. Pretty much about elites deciding what they want and pushing it on the people until they give in and ratify it. First they push the EU Constitution, the people of UK, France, Netherlands reject it via referendum. Fine, they rewrite it is as a Treaty of Lisbon, now the UK government is smarter and doesn’t even hold a referendum, just ratifies in the Parliament. Ireland holds a referendum as it constitutionally must, and the people say no. No problem however, the elites launch a massive advertising campaign and hold another referendum. They’ll just keep asking the question until they get a yes. No other country outside Ireland holds a referendum about it, which suggests a lot about whether the people would have accepted it or not. The message is very clear, the elites want it, and basically push it until they can make it happen.
And now the pressure in the UK is strong enough that they get a referendum about leaving the EU. But more importantly democracy is not only about voting but about public debate. The European idea has a deep intellectual foundation. A lot of those people of the 5% that can understand a reasoned argument are pro-European.
It’s interesting how you use the term “elites” as if it would mean something very different than “intellectuals”. In practice journalists are intellectuals who do form part of the societal elite that influences public policy. Think Tanks have influence because they can afford to pay intellectuals to do nothing but think about a specific issue.
EU is a bit different, it’s widely accepted that it’s not democratic.
As to “can make it happen”, so, how is Greece doing?