Turkey - three democratic deficits

1. Changing the Constitution should only be possible after stringent tests
2. Term limits have to be set
3. Power of a single individual must be constrained

Only Direct Democracy can reduce fraud and waste

A mandatory or facultative referendum on individual spending decisions would allow the majority to neutralise vociferous lobbies and special interests. Politicians would no longer be able - or have an incentive - to cater to every minority and special interest group that is trying the feather its nest at the expense of the broader public.

Sincere but not benign - influence of Money and Individuals

Neither rich individuals nor strong personalities should have too much influence in a properly functioning democracy. The key benefit of Direct Democracy is that power is diffuse and decisions are only made after a thorough debate. Of course, the Rich and influential individuals will make a major contribution but their actions are subject to much better scrutiny than now.

Citizens dismissed by haughty officials

Every now and then an incident where the voices of ordinary people are by officialdom catches my eye. And let us not forget, given the difficulty and costs connected with organizing resistance to the edicts and regulations issued by the different levels of government, from the EU down to the village/city/ward, only a very small number of worthwhile causes ever make it to receive proper backing by the citizens that are affected. Introduction of mandatory Direct Democracy on all levels of Government would put power back where it belongs - to the citizens!
Rayleigh Action Group

Trust is good, Control is better

May a commentator bemoans the fact that now it is more and more difficult for the citizens to trust politicians. I would say that this is a good thing. Politics should not be based on what 'trusted' politicians decide on the citizen's behalf. Politics should just implement the will of the majority - subject to the constraints inscribed in a constitution.

Parties own seats in Parliament

A particularly nasty and unpleasant aspect of party rule in several European 'democracies' is the fact that the party establishment can replace any MP that resigns (or dies) with another party member of its choice. The citizens of the constituency the previous MP represented have no say in this. This is in addition to the problem caused by the fact that any prospective candidate for election to the parliament has to be approved by the party bureaucracy as no country holds mandatory primaries and very few parties give the ultimate say on candidate selections to their rank-and-file members.

European Elections - plus ça change

Anyone expecting a major change as a result of this weekend's elections to the European Parliament will be sorely disappointed. As the governance of the EU institutions remains untouched the change of personnel will do little to allow the citizens of the EU to assert more control over decisions taken on their behalf by an entrenched bureaucracy and party system.

US blackmails banks - EU useless

The US 'authorities' (if you can name them as such as the country becomes more and more ruled by out-of-control lobbies and zealots) prepare another drive-by shooting aimed at a foreign bank. This time it is the turn of French BNP-Paribas. The 'crime' was that the bank supposedly conducted business with a peaceful country as that is the only way one can describe Iran. Or can anyone point to an occasion where the country has been the aggressor and not the victim (do I need to mention BP, or Mossadegh?). So it is with growing anger that one watches the spectacle of a useless Eurocracy that drowns Europe in more and more intrusive and expensive regulation but is afraid (incapable? lazy?) to put a serious warning shot in the direction of the United States demanding that the extra-territorial reach of its 'laws' be stopped immediately. Europe - or at least its citizens - have no quarrel with Iran and do no longer want to support unaccountable lobbies and the policies they have imposed on the US government.

Defective Constitutions support Oligarchies

A recent study from Princeton and Northwestern concluded that the United States is an “oligarchy” ruled by a small group of wealthy elites and interest groups. Is one of the 'fathers' of the US Constitution to blame for this? (Mises Institute).

Politicians care little about voter's real concerns

When a US Senator gets involved in the current dispute between Russia and the Ukraine it just delivers another example about the disconnect between the political class and the ordinary citizens. The majority of Americans seem to have little idea where Ukraine is located on a map, and in all likelihood they could not care less what happens in this country. They will have little or no understanding of the intricate history of this region of the world - nor should they. So one has to wonder why a Senator with hardly any real life experience - most of his time so far was spent on the public payroll - who is supposed to represent the citizens of Connecticut - is warmongering in Kiev. Putting US troops right in front of the nose of Russia is akin to Russia trying to install missiles in Cuba in 1962. We all know what that led too. But I am sure the good Senator will get some cheap headlines from the fawning and compliant media back home.