The Last Post Game!!!!

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

It is my (perhaps misguided impression) that some Europeans (the Dutch, the Swiss, the Scandinavians and perhaps the Germans) have something closer to democracy but your description is likely applicable to every democracy in the planet. As long as power is sought out, it will be very difficult to have decent governments.

^Last I was thinking on a system in which every able person makes a political statement and that is used for local, provincial/state and central government elections. No campaigns other than people that heard of this or that person (word of mouth). The moment this person passes a local election his life is open to the public. _Post

[Swatopluk]

The end of Weimar was essentially a choice between the non-democratic systems to replace it. The clear majority did not want democracy anymore but there were essentially three alternatives competing for the (non-violent, if possible) takeover.
1. Old conservatives => back to the monarchy
2. communists
3. nazis
the 4th 'alternative' (German fascism bordering on a military dictatorship) got steamrolled by the more radical nazis and the proponents became the second group of victims in the Night of the Long Knives (the first being Hitler's intra-party rivals in the left wing of the NSDAP and the SA).

The consititution of post-war (until 1990 only West) Germany includes a special article that forbids a democratic end to democracy, i.e. the parts that make the constitution a democratic one cannot be legally changed even with a majority that allows other changes to it.

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[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

I guess the question then is if the Weimar Republic was a functional democracy and in the middle of such mess I seriously doubt it.

Last ^{more than the will of the people sounds like the will of the extremists} Post

[Swatopluk]

On paper it was a good deal more democratic than the current one and it took great efforts to have every vote count.
The problem was that in a crisis an overwhelming majority was willing to sacrifice their right to vote* for job security/a living wage.

Last _{those who (are willing to) sacrifice liberty for security...} Post


*votes that meant anything. There were/are formally elections in both fascist and communist states. But those are simply a charade.
In both Nazi and post-war East Germany there was a joke that the election would have to be postponed because burglars stole the results from the desk of the responsible minister/secretary.

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

Hunger and unemployment don't work well with democracy although their existence tends to be a proxy indicator for an undemocratic state.

Last _{a hungry majority rarely likes a very rich minority} Post

[Swatopluk]

The trick is to keep a balance. People must be hungry enough but not outright starving. Rebellion start when either there is no food (=nothing to lose) or the food supply is secure enough to have time to think about other things than where the next meal will come from.

Btw, That was (is?) literally the strategy aplied by Israel to Gaza: Keep them hungry but not starving (aka the diet plan).

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[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

Sounds very much like part of the general strategy of many Latin American regimes during the last century. The other part was suppression, torture and "disappearance" of their perceived enemies.

Last _{allegedly proposed and supported by Washington} Post

[Swatopluk]

Just wait until the labor protests are declared domestic terrorism...

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[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

The corporate tool governor of Wisconsin wanted the National Guard to hunt the missing senators so we're not that far.

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[Swatopluk]

Out of state they cannot do so legally. And Obama unlike Bush will not authorize FBI und Stasi DOHS to do it for them (as in the Texas redistricting case).

And that deputy Attorney General (in another state) openly pleading for the use of life ammo on protesters* got fired.

Last _{at least some (halfway) decent people around} Post

*no possibility of misunderstanding. When he was asked he confirmed that he was for 'lethal force'.

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

This isn't Italy/Germany in the 1930s... yet.

Last _{but if you watch the news it's starting to look like it} Post

[Griffin NoName]

Why are you all subverting the

Last _{non-serious discussions} Post

[Aggie]

LAST POST!!

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

Last

nana, nana, boo, boo 

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[Swatopluk]

Last  warte, warte nur ein Weilchen Post