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Definition of "democracy"

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Ruslana  #537097  Sat, 05 Jul 08 06:05 PM
Hey guys,

Out of curiosity, I decided to check what the common definition of democracy is. Surprisingly, Wikipedia says that:

...there is no universally accepted definition of 'democracy'...
...There are several varieties of democracy, some of which provide better representation and more freedoms for their citizens than others...
...democracy describes ... a political philosophy...


For me it means that people haven't agreed on this term, and in each particular case the term can be interpretted differently (as one wants). So now... I'm imagining all those mass media debates (all over the world!) about so called "democracy" and wondering: what the heck are people talking about if there's no even a commonly used and accepted definition of this conception??

What do you think about this issue? Does it seem to you a big carefully planned political game aimed to powder people's mind (or anything like that), or do you consider it normal that such a frequently used term doesn't have any unambiguous definition?
  
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Avangi  #537176  Sun, 06 Jul 08 12:40 AM
Hi Ruslana,
I think democracy is best known by what it is not.  Hopefully, it means some fair kind of representative government.  Some think of the US and some think of ancient Athens.  Some think of simple majority rule, but that's stupid.  No student of government would advocate that.  (I think of the example of passing a law to take the property of all redheads and divide it among everyone else.)

When asked, "What kind of government have you given us, Mr. Franklin?" Benjamin replied, "A republic, if you can keep it."

Sometimes when new governments are formed giving citizens the right to choose their lawmakers, the first law they pass is to give that right away.

  - A.
  
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Cool Breeze  #537358  Sun, 06 Jul 08 11:48 AM
 Hi Ruslana

I agree with the defintions you have found for democracy and I'm not puzzled in the least. I have always thought in the same way myself. There are several kinds. To my mind, democracy works best in very small communities, like Ancient Greece, but any form of democracy is preferable to any form of dictatorship. Smile Only if it were possible to have an enlightened humane dictator as Voltaire envisaged one would I prefer dictatorship to democracy. And even then I might have some doubts...Thinking

Cheers, CB

  
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Gencebay90  #543489  Sat, 19 Jul 08 12:05 PM
Democracy? It is long years since democracy has been killed, ann to me there is no need to talk about the definition of a thing that is dead :)
  
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Dew 2007  #545550  Wed, 23 Jul 08 05:49 PM
Maybe iy is dead because of the reason. that each person defines democracy only in a way HE thinks suitable for himself?
  
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Goodman  #545621  Wed, 23 Jul 08 10:30 PM

Democracy – Many of us hear it, speak of it, but do we still have it and is it remaining true?  We are living today in a changing world. Democracy meant more a generation ago

Than what it means today. Today, many individuals with twisted views see democracy as

revoking traditions and rights to go against the majority because they believe it’s in their

liberty to do so. In the early democracy, judicial branch was never to interfere with legislature which is the law making process. But you wouldn’t know it if you are living in the liberal states of US. Judges are making their own laws against and abolishing the ones passed voting citizens.  If you don’t believe it, Google it “Gary Newsome on same sex marriage”.  In San Francisco, normal law abiding citizens have lost their democracy.  They didn’t vote for a major who has no problem harboring illegals in his City. They didn’t vote for these politicians who grant the reengages in the city to use the last Friday  

of every month to exercise their bike riding right, clogging all the entrance and exits to the freeway with their slow moving bike parade by the thousands. I hate this city which I used to live. I am glad I don’t have to deal with it anymore, except when I have to see my mother!

  
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Goodman  #545622  Wed, 23 Jul 08 10:42 PM
I shall correct myself. [The mayor's name is "Gavin Newsom]
  
Avangi  #545650  Thu, 24 Jul 08 01:40 AM
Why can't we all just get along?  If John McCain were to choose Gavin Newsom as Vice President, then we could have peace in the world.
  
Goodman  #545950  Thu, 24 Jul 08 05:03 PM
<<>>>If John McCain were to choose Gavin Newsom as Vice President, then we could have peace in the world.
If McCain is a true conservative, peace is not like something he will achieve with Newsom whom is someone I would call "Ultra-liberal". He defies and challenges the people who voted for him and the state constitution. The only reason he is the mayor of the City by the bay is becasue of the city's policy to cater to the gay, democrates and ultra liberals. The liberal judges of the high court made sure the city reamin that way. It's nothing new. What city in the world will spend the tax payers money to offer syringes to drug addicts and condoms to sex addicts. That's being said,  I am not sure if McCain is a true republican either. Would  I want to see Bama as president? Not if I can help it!  to me, he offered nothing solid, but just talks, no platform, no real solutions to the problem at hand. He has no substance, period. 
  
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