True democracy the electronic way
}Is ok. I suspect that we are narrowing on a similar position. Would like }to see a time when net communications make "representatives of the people" }obsolete" since majority voting on any issue can be "anytime,anywhere". }Doubt that it will happen soon. <rm> I too would like to see a purely democratic process rather than a representative one. And I also agree that it won't happen soon. The question is, what do we keep of govt? How would the group propose electronic voting on legislation should proceed? What sort of technical solution could be arrived at to allow everyone in the country to vote on specific legislation and how would they get access to that legislation? I think _this_ is a cypherpunk topic for sure. }Take CDA (please) - obviously draconian and unconstitutional. Think how }much more difficult it would be to overturn if worded more reasonably. }Then ask if that was intentional 8*). I have to believe that Exon truly meant to castrate the net, but in his own zealous wording, made it easier to turn the law over. I think it is reasonable to hope that that will be the effect. Our doing our part to make enough noise about it will only help our cause. lunaslide "Prohibition... goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes... A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded." - -- Abraham Lincoln On the meridian of time there is no injustice, only the poetry of motion creating the illusion of truth and drama. Henry Miller ________________________________________________________________ -----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----- Version: 2.6.2 mQCPAzEX3QEAAAEEAOGQjhnqGH29pO1WDaXs5GFOVPhCBWyYEk9XEwRmscjveWzH AhA6DeOA480zWNqQURyqE2yPmR8WzT+OXYqmeiQiycKyFA41Vs/Ruf+gXXxe7uXS L5BK3K8oKbfoH0D5/TAkMT4r6BprXFQz4pFc3gY2SSaSPElpMjKHaKBsRsyRABEB AAG0HUplZmYgQ29ubiA8bHVuYXNsaWRlQGxvb3AuY29tiQCVAwUQMRffHzKHaKBs RsyRAQGNhwP9E9xEZ9/LCKnhgtnrqgD7pDoXG2pCy8FoyfFjoImGkG+jF1wELXmB Z0mf8F8CgYkys0mif1XeGDMelr1gzlZAm6LgQt4kcvztMW/aRLn18QP+iwltVT/L p8D37mitOjvuk46sWgAChIaPPPIeg/EaYQjQkmlpWKsEYIoTRy+E8mU= =4Gku -----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----
I too would like to see a purely democratic process rather than a representative one. And I also agree that it won't happen soon. The question is, what do we keep of govt?
How would the group propose electronic voting on legislation should proceed? What sort of technical solution could be arrived at to allow everyone in the country to vote on specific legislation and how would they get access to that legislation? I think _this_ is a cypherpunk topic for sure.
two quick comments: 1. this is an extremely interesting problem in my opinion. the ideal form of government has not been achieved in many millenia. could it be solved given the full power of the information age, i.e. an apex in intellect and technology? personally I think a very efficient form of government can be created. its a problem with very little true "research" behind it in one sense (I mean, how much thought goes into the creation of the average government? perhaps a lot of thought, but how much of it is backed by good understanding of consequences of various choices?). on the other hand, it is a problem in which research has been ongoing for centuries. if anyone knows of a mailing list to discuss this concept of trying to apply technology to government, I would be most interested. the closest I can see right now is groupware software, which I have repeatedly predicted here is going to go ballistic as far as development some near date in the future (esp. with high speed networks). 2. the mouth-foaming libertarians here hate discussions about democracy. TCM repeatedly advocates total withdrawal as the "solution". the basic belief is that government shouldn't matter. "if it doesn't matter, we're right, if it does matter, then there's nothing we can do about it" I saw paraphrased here once. the nihilism associated with the attitude that people always move toward the evil side of the morality spectrum, such that the majority is always a tyrannical cabal, is strong here. so if you want to get some serious discussion on this matter, maybe you can find another mailing list where the mere basic premises are not going to elicit dirty looks.
participants (2)
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lunaslide@loop.com -
Vladimir Z. Nuri