Re: Canadians Losing Faith In Their Democracy

[Gary Oak]

The next election may be a scary thing. Enemy of Canada and Canadians Trudeau and Welfare Mulcair being the front runners. I hope the Conservatives find someone good to replace Harper and I Hope Harper doesn't screw Canada substantially with his Nexen and chinese miners deals

[Anonymous]

I would think that similar sentiments would be felt throughout much of the Western world. Liberal Western democracy is not the best system to respond to the many challenges the West now faces.

Canadians are significantly less happy with the way their democracy works now than eight years ago, and partisan MPs are largely to blame, a survey has found.



Charitable organization Samara conducted the same poll in 2004 and 2012, gauging Canadians' feelings about the parliamentary system, and found a 20-point drop in satisfaction in less than a decade.



While 55% said they are satisfied with how our democracy works, that's down from 75% eight years ago.



And Canadians aren't pleased with the people they elected to represent them.



Most respondents gave their local MP a failing grade.

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/2012/12/03/20402551.html?cid=rssnewscanada">http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/20 ... newscanada">http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/2012/12/03/20402551.html?cid=rssnewscanada

While most Canadians believe our democracy enables freedoms and equality, they're fed up with MPs who toe the party line at the expense of their constituents' needs and wishes.  

   



For example, 46% said their MP represents the views of his or her constituents, while 61% said they represent their party's views.



Samara also interviewed 65 former MPs anonymously, and found that most went to Parliament with their constituents in mind, but found their hands tied by party demands.



"Certainly, part of an MP's role is to explain the positions of one's political party, but to what extent should it come at the expense of the ability to represent constituents' views to the party and Parliament?" Samara's report reads.



"What does it suggest about Canadian political parties if both MPs and citizens see those parties as being at odds with MPs' abilities to represent their constituents?"



Samara, whose goal is to improve political and civic engagement, polled 2,287 Canadians in 10 provinces. The poll has a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/2012/12/03/20402551.html?cid=rssnewscanada">http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/20 ... newscanada">http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/2012/12/03/20402551.html?cid=rssnewscanada

I a weak global recovery people need someone to blame. Politicians make great targets.

[Gary Oak]

Go back to your ESL school for more lessons Seoulfag

[Anonymous]

Go back to your ESL school for more lessons Seoulfag

OK, but my $40 an hour rate is not negotiable. I do guarantee results though and within no time at all I will have your English up to that of an elementary school graduate.

[Gary Oak]

Then you should be able to edit your previous post. 40$ an hour is quite steep a price for someone whose English needs alot of work

[Anonymous]

Then you should be able to edit your previous post. 40$ an hour is quite steep a price for someone whose English needs alot of work

That's an important first step you just made. Your English does require a lot of work, but your investment will be well worth it.

[Romero]

I would think that similar sentiments would be felt throughout much of the Western world. Liberal Western democracy is not the best system to respond to the many challenges the West now faces.

Really? What's better than democracy?

[Leopardsocks]

I would think that similar sentiments would be felt throughout much of the Western world. Liberal Western democracy is not the best system to respond to the many challenges the West now faces.

Really? What's better than democracy?

Ah, the party boy answers a question with a question.



Actually, nothing is better than a democracy. I look forward, like many Canadians, Americans, English and other people, to living in a democratic nation.



Not a nation controlled by one, or two political parties.



Of course, socialism demands a central, party controlled government, doesn't it, Trotsky.

[Romero]

Who shouldn't be allowed to vote? Disallowing people to vote isn't democracy.

[Romero]

We're a democracy. This "western liberal democracy" is an invented term of yours.



I still can't imagine what you think would be better. Totalitarianism? Authoritarianism?



Who shouldn't be allowed to vote? It should be a right for every adult.

[Romero]

That's funny. Singapore is a western liberal democracy. And it's a city state. Being prime minister of Singapore is like being the mayor of Oslo. Two successful western democratic cities.



People unemployed for long periods of time. You mean people like Obvious Li? Welfare recipients. Individual or corporate?



Criminals, crazies and junkies I understand. We all do. But you're crazy if you think we should all just start restricting rights to people who we personally deem undesirable. Citizens who are "unemployed for too long"? A single parent who went on welfare for a couple of weeks before they got a good job? And how do we decide who's a crazy or junkie?  



What you're thinking of isn't democracy. In a democracy, voting is a right.



Canadian women got the right to vote in 1919. Chinese Canadians got the right to vote in 1947. Now we all have the right to vote.

[Obvious Li]

That's funny. Singapore is a western liberal democracy. And it's a city state. Being prime minister of Singapore is like being the mayor of Oslo. Two successful western democratic cities.



People unemployed for long periods of time. You mean people like Obvious Li? Welfare recipients. Individual or corporate?



Criminals, crazies and junkies I understand. We all do. But you're crazy if you think we should all just start restricting rights to people who we personally deem undesirable. Citizens who are "unemployed for too long"? A single parent who went on welfare for a couple of weeks before they got a good job? And how do we decide who's a crazy or junkie?  



What you're thinking of isn't democracy. In a democracy, voting is a right.



Canadian women got the right to vote in 1919. Chinese Canadians got the right to vote in 1947. Now we all have the right to vote.

Homy..what she said is pretty straight forward..if you don't contribute to society in general then you do not have a say in how it is run.....period......once upon a time voting was restricted to a select group.....everything worked pretty well...then the more "progressive" politicians decided to make voting all inclusive...a noble goal...however, it has now evolved into a system controlled by special interest groups who neither care about or represent the average citizen.....they are merely interested in doing what is right for them..and not society as a whole

is suspect it will take violence and strife to reverse this mess ,  but reverse it we must

[EU]

That might be some of the most asinine things you've ever posted...you actually think Junkies line up to vote? Ya have to have a fckin address for starters and who will be employed to review the 1000's of people and make a decision of whether they are allowed to vote?...I thought you want less Government officials?...or maybe we can just throw away Doctor Patient confidentiality?





You want to break the law and eat shark fin but then take the right to vote away from people...what the fck are you on, crack?





Corporate welfare...you don't understand? Ya it's called bailouts, tax breaks...see there was this lil financial crisis (2008) maybe you heard about it and corporate welfare was being tossed around like a garden salad...

[Romero]

A person show's some f*cking proof they have skin in the game and you are given a ballot. Can't do that, too bad, next!

Everybody can easily show their tax returns, pay stubs, drug tests and psych evaluations. Election workers are more than capable of personally deciding who's worthy of voting.



It's so simple. What could go wrong?

[Obvious Li]

lol..listening to some of the more enlightened lefties today is an exercise in futility.......having never created anything, owned anything or produced anything they cannot grasp the concept that the GOVERNMENT DOES NOT CREATE WEALTH....that is done by Corporations and Individuals who put their capital at risk to do so.........the GOVERNMENT gets 100% of it's funds from these people or they borrow it.....so once again...the money belongs to individual citizens and the corporations ...the government takes it from them...they do not give them money they simply take less at certain times.....the fact they take my money and give it to slugs like EU and Homero is both tragic and insulting.....frankly i would be happier if they piled it in the street and burnt it....