brewer@decwrl (04/24/86)
Your message in regards to the libyian situation is strange! Libya=the democracy of the Middle East??????? Get real! Too bad we missed his tent. -John The views expressed are my own.... mabye...
david@ztivax.UUCP (05/15/86)
My posting is strange only because what you get in the US news about libya is distorted. Libya is the only country I have heard of which proports to be Democratic! Is USA a democracy? Of course not! "...and to the REPUBLIC for which it stands..." A republic is a government whereby elected officials represent the people. In democracy, there are no elected officials: Instead, the _people_ debate, bring up issues to be voted upon, and vote upon those issues. In Libya, they do this every week, all over the entire nation. In every little town, they have town halls (usually large open tents) which are all connected using closed circuit TV. If anyone in any tent in the nation decides to make a point, he gets the floor, makes it, then EVERYONE votes on it. I think it _sounds_ like a good idea. The problem is that Qaddaffi has veto power, and he has some rather strange perceptions of reality... In most issues though, the will of the people does seem to be implemented. In others (like old "No IQ" Qaddaffi's concept of "exporting revolution") the people object, but "No IQ" goes ahead anyway. So, it aint perfect. Neither is the USA republic perfect. I mean, would YOU design the US tax system? And who votes with his right foot to support the 55mph speed limit? David Smyth seismo!unido!ztivax!david Disclaimer: The ideas above are a figments of my own perception of the news, as published in several countries, and so published with several different kinds of distortions...