Comments on: Election Fiesta-Part II http://www.mideastyouth.com/2007/11/19/election-fiesta-part-ii/ Thinking Ahead Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:46:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Tor (Norway) http://www.mideastyouth.com/2007/11/19/election-fiesta-part-ii/#comment-15291 Tor (Norway) Wed, 21 Nov 2007 22:58:11 +0000 http://www.mideastyouth.com/2007/11/19/election-fiesta-part-ii/#comment-15291 If Jordan has only one discernible party, that might indeed be a defect. At least it is if the impression I'm getting, that these "unaffiliated" candidates fail to differentiate themselves, is correct. People should be able to predict with some certainty how the people they vote for are going to deal with various issues, that is a prerequisite for a functioning democracy, which is about people controlling policy, not just the makeup of parliament. If Jordan has only one discernible party, that might indeed be a defect. At least it is if the impression I’m getting, that these “unaffiliated” candidates fail to differentiate themselves, is correct. People should be able to predict with some certainty how the people they vote for are going to deal with various issues, that is a prerequisite for a functioning democracy, which is about people controlling policy, not just the makeup of parliament.

]]> By: Simon Columbus http://www.mideastyouth.com/2007/11/19/election-fiesta-part-ii/#comment-15290 Simon Columbus Mon, 19 Nov 2007 23:36:30 +0000 http://www.mideastyouth.com/2007/11/19/election-fiesta-part-ii/#comment-15290 I would strongly contradict your definition of "functioning democracy"! The more or less two party system we see in Germany or GB, or even worse the one in the USA, is no functioning democracy. In Germany, we speak of "people's parties" (Christian Democrats, Social Democrats) and "civil rights" or "interest" parties (Greens, Liberals...). The problem is, that with just two strong parties the people do not have any real chance to vote for change, because it will always win one of those two parties which have very close positions - mostly the conservatives, as in Germany and the USA. Democracy to me means, that people can decide who shall be leading the country. With just two strong parties - or, as in the US, not even a real chance for any other party - people don't. They just vote those in power or their one, not real different, opponents. That is not democracy! I would strongly contradict your definition of “functioning democracy”! The more or less two party system we see in Germany or GB, or even worse the one in the USA, is no functioning democracy.
In Germany, we speak of “people’s parties” (Christian Democrats, Social Democrats) and “civil rights” or “interest” parties (Greens, Liberals…). The problem is, that with just two strong parties the people do not have any real chance to vote for change, because it will always win one of those two parties which have very close positions – mostly the conservatives, as in Germany and the USA.

Democracy to me means, that people can decide who shall be leading the country. With just two strong parties – or, as in the US, not even a real chance for any other party – people don’t. They just vote those in power or their one, not real different, opponents. That is not democracy!

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