Eliminating Elections Key To True Representational Democracy

I salute you OP. I too thought we will have an interesting discussion here, but nope. It seems to me people are too embroidered in the current system. Having their minds set on a particular agenda they seem unable to even consider something so removed from the current state of affairs. I hope one day we will dismantle our corrupt governments and implement a system in which each intelligent being votes on each passing law/legislation. I don't appreciate voting on some corrupt, sociopathic lier so he can vote on my behalf. Current "democracy" isn't democratic at all, it makes rich richer and poor poorer. Thank you for your post OP, though the overall feedback you received got me rather depressed

a reply to: ERISunveiled

Great OP. I certainly don't agree with all of the details, but do in principle and it's pleasing to see someone at least capable of breaking through the brainwashing that keeps us in a neo feudal system/oligarchy under the guise of "democracy". This system is a more evolved and desirable form of slavery, but hardly freedom, it's more one where people have been taught to love their chains.

Some of the critique claiming sortition is somehow synonymous with totalitarianism and fascism is quite bizarre and I feel your pain but anyway, each to their own. Western govts are largely fascist at the moment unfortunately and the last few years has offered us a glimpse of just how easily they could become completely totalitarian.

The Athenians/Greeks included sortition in their form of govt around 6th century BCE. They realised that choosing public administrators via ballot led to corruption and was the defining principle of an oligarchy (where power is concentrated into a small group of wealthy people). Filling public office via sortition was considered the way to achieve democracy.

Voting also leads to factions/parties. Where representatives are bound by party policy regardless of the interests of their constituents. This is now a hugely corrupt system because of the influence of large donors who effectively get to either veto or approve candidacy for important office (by threatening to remove funding) or simply use such influence to buy whatever legislation they require (via lobbying).

Sortition won't ever stop that completely (would still need tightened anti corruption legislation) but it would end party politics and limit the potential and scope for corruption massively.

A parliament/govt dominated by two parties that in essence aren't really different anyway (and funded by the same wealthy oligarchs to the same ends) reduces diversity and causes a type of homogeneity. Corruption is rife and we end up with "career politicians" which is another name for "corrupt and self interested professional liar". A system that rewards and selects for psychopaths unfortunately.

The idea that voting can really make a difference is also mostly mythical. Whatever conflicts with the interests of wealthy oligarchs might get lots of lip service and campaign promises but in reality has little chance of being approved. Sortition would certainly end the campaign circus and the corruption resulting from campaign funding. The only real way to make change now is via lobbying, which is what Washington runs on. If that isn't obvious by now it never will be.

I also think the US "founding fathers" hugely over rated. Despite flowery words it is obvious that all " rights" are conditional and only extended at the whim of the state. I also think they were oligarchs themselves who were both terrified by and hated democracy. The system they introduced makes that obvious. The real history shows they were expansionists who wanted to push west at the expense of the local inhabitants (resulting in displacement and genocide) and so needed to break away from the British to do so.

The ideas of people that also thought nothing of keeping fellow humans as chattel might still be worth considering (and improving on) but treating them with a religious reverence seems strange. Then again, I think that patriotism itself is a psychosis, a form of mental illness brought about by brainwashing from an early age.

One of the worst aspects of such systems (including faux democracies-oligarchis) is that when power is concentrated in the few it seem to lead to Empire building (yes the US is an empire and was largely used as the model for the third Reich). Which leads to wars. No other pursuit typifies the human tendency to sociopathy or more clearly demonstrates how easy is to brainwash the masses, than convincing them it is in their interests to slaughter each other en masse.

I think we also need a new economic system because I don't think we have ever really had capitalism either. We have more of a Darwinian system where the weak are exploited by the strong. Bombing countries and overthrowing govts to get them to play ball economically doesn't seem to be what Adam Smith had in mind.

Shame I missed out on discussion with you, but would like to compliment you, your ideas sound quite interesting if you do happen to read the thread again.

a reply to: ERISunveiled

you mean YOU? You understand the point is YOU could be a representative or someone who monitors them to check for corruption?

That's brilliant....

It's always worked in the past...