Date:         Fri, 5 Dec 2003 11:52:06 -0800
Reply-To:     Steven Dodson - Epoch Product Design <steven@EPOCHDESIGN.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Steven Dodson - Epoch Product Design <steven@EPOCHDESIGN.COM>
Subject:      WAS:dumbest auto company NOW: Representatives (NVC)
In-Reply-To:  <200312051402.1asldg1Rw3Nl5tI0@vespasian.mspring.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

No kidding. The problem is, our "Representative Republic" system is
fundamentally flawed, from top to bottom. It may have made sense 100+ years
ago but it doesn't work now. The people don't get to vote on the issues that
really effect them long term. Elected or appointed representatives vote or
make decisions on the vast majority of issues that affect us the most. This
is not democracy but a vague, facsimile or illusion of democracy, an
Oligarchy. The best science and experience in the world can't overcome the
corporate pressure and payoffs in the system we use. In a democracy, the
representatives oversee the people creating legislation, make suggestions as
to possible solutions and the people get to vote on the issues directly.
However, you need to have intelligent and interested people for democracy to
work effectively. In a true democracy, the people do make a difference
because it is the people making the decisions, not the bureaucrats. Though
it is sometimes slow and tedious, democracy does exist in the world today
and works very well. The question is, can we get it here? I'm not holding my
breath...

-Steven Dodson
Kneeland, CA
"Inga" the 87 Syncro


Date:    Fri, 5 Dec 2003 10:03:09 -0800
From:    "John D. Foster" <jidd@JIDDWARE.COM>
Subject: Re: WAS:dumbest auto company NOW: Representatives (NVC)

Ahhh, thanks for the lesson.  I was looking at it purely from a state
level, not down at the district level.  It makes sense that a rep from a
district in my state other than the one in which I live could care less
how I feel about an issue.

Cheers,
JD Foster