[net.general] Response to \"ztivax!david\"

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...