DIRDEM     July 2010

 

Home

Mission

Join us

 




Home

Civil Liberty
Climate and Population
Coalitions
Constitution
Courts and Judicial System
Electoral Reform

Election Promises
Engaging the Citizen
Europe
Experts
Government
Impeachment
International Politics
Legislation
Lobbies and Special Interests
Media
Narrow Election Results
Parliament
Party Funding
Petition
Political Parties
Politicians
Politician's Pay
Recall Politicians
Referendum
Separation of Powers
Swiss Model
Taxation
Trust in Government



 

 





 




 

 


 

 

Politicians


 

Legislation should not be the expression of the will or preference of an individual person (or narrow clique at the top of political parties) who just happens to be responsible for the management of government functions at a particular point in time but the expression of a consensus established after broad debate among all concerned citizens. This consensus should be validated by a referendum (or at least be subject to a facultative referendum in less important legislation).
Today's politicians being in effect a new ruling class. Our proposal for the introduction of comprehensive forms of direct democracy is the only way we can conceive that would be able to help bridge this gap.
 

People cannot stand politicians
It is no that people cannot stand politicians in most countries surprise as the political process in most  democracies is subject only to the slightest of democratic control. All a citizen can do every few years is tick a box and support one of a handful of established - and discredited - political parties that are fronted by a narrow clique of professional politicians.

Politicians are the new Establishment
Politicians have replaced the old governing classes during the past 100 years and direct democracy is a necessary counterweight to the New Class that rules without being subject to proper oversight given that there is hardly any separation between Legislative, Executive and Judicial Powers.


Visionaries can be bad for you

The politicians should not be allowed too much freedom. They are not elected to 'impose' their vision on their subjects like some monarch or dictator.
They are elected to look after the administration of the laws and regulations set by the legislative assemblies and ultimately sanctioned by the consent of the people (who will always have the last say due to the right of to start a referendum).
Separation of powers means that the legislature is solely in charge of introducing laws and the government is primarily focused on keeping house and making sure that the machinery of government functions smoothly on a day-by-day basis.
The unhealthy practice that of so-called parliamentary democracies, where legislative and executive power are linked together, makes it all too easy for parties and governments to combine against the interests of the citizens.
Direct democracy would involve citizens directly in the introduction of laws and severely hamper the ambitions of individual politicians.
Some try to explain the dominance of families in the political process of various countries (Kennedy, Bush, Clinton in the USA, Ghandi in India etc) with the fact that the average voter does not have the ability to judge persons on the basis of objective facts alone.

We think that this is more likely to be the consequence of an electoral process that puts to much emphasis on the selection of one leading politician and therefore puts the discussion specific policies into the background when election day comes. Votes are swayed by promises that often are broken anyway when the election has been decided.
 




Decisions you would be able to influence:

By giving the reader examples of recent policy decisions we highlight the dramatic impact the introduction of Direct Democracy would have on the political life of all countries.

All the following decisions where taken without the participation of the affected citizens. Some - if not most - were highly controversial and have a negative effect for at least some major parts of the country's population.

The present system of government not only leaves the citizens powerless in the face of a never-ending tide of legislation, it also inevitably leads to inefficient use of taxpayer's money and a steady erosion of civil liberties.

Full list of decisions the citizens could influence


GENERAL


Nuclear Powers impose further sanctions on Iran

Should former politicians be allowed to cash in from books and lecture tours?

Unequal regional distribution of tax burden

Forum demands that climate tax be redistributed on global basis




CLIMATE CHANGE AND POPULATION

Cap-and-Trade of Carbon Permits and ideal vehicle for fraud

Green Energy plan may cost 17 times more than its benefits



EUROPE

European Council members must put interest of the Union above those of their own countries (Lisbon Treaty, Article 9)

EU prepares expanded sanctions against Iran

MEP wants tax on carbon-intensive products

EU wants introduction of body scanners on Airports



UNITED KINGDOM

Minister states: British forces will be among the last to come home from Afghanistan

Wind farms will increasingly dominate most picturesque landscapes

7.6 billion car trip entries stored by police



DEUTSCHLAND

Solar Subventionen erreichen 85 Mrd. Euro

Neue Steuer auf USB Medien

Hartz IV Empfaenger zahlen nicht fuer Strom, Gas


OESTERREICH

Transparenzkonto: Parteifinanzen ausgenommen

Feinstaubkompetenz fuer Laender und Gemeinden

Mehrwertsteuergrenze manipuliert



 

 

 Disclaimer l Home
Copyright Dirdem 2010 All rights reserved