[fvc-wat-disc] letter to editor
Matt Foster
world at golden.net
Thu Feb 2 15:30:01 EST 2012
Hi All,
I think that I look at this problem of Plurality/Majority as more of a
crisis than most. I also look at it as a world wide problem as about one
half of the world lives under some form of P/M and the other half
suffers from our policies. Any policy that comes out of P/M elected
administrations always shows a lack of concern for both people and
environment. That is simply because the people for the most part are
excluded from representation. (To our peril)
You all know what I am talking about so you don't need examples.
At the Liberal convention, I saw hundreds of students who joined the
party and came to Ottawa because they saw injustice. One - they thought
that Canada should not have a foreign queen and two they thought that
marijuana possession should not be criminalized. The youth are quick to
fight for justice but they have to be educated and motivated to get rid
of this antiquated Model "T" electoral system we have.
As students are important to change, I have a letter writing campaign to
write to all student newspapers around the world. I work at this about 1
hour per day and have pretty much finished every paper outside of the
Americas, NZ and Australia. This is an education process and I look at
it planting seeds that will take a while to germinate. (One professor
from Vienna passed on several contacts in the US and distributed my
email to others in Europe)
Letters to the editor are vitally important but maybe we should look
further.
One - try to get Free Speech TV into Canada where we can have 24 hours
of people like Noam Chomsky, Amy Goodman, Thom Hartman, Greg Palest etc.
Two - try to get Avaaz to start a petition is support of Free Speech TV.
(against the Cable companies who only think of the corporate interests
and never about the people interests)
Three - write a letter to every MP, MMP, Senator, expressing our concern
for fair representation and justice. (We cannot assume that they know
anything about PR. These are the only people who can change legislation)
Four - write to every columnist in every Canadian newspaper - They are
the ones who in turn have influence if the editor allows them freedom.
Five - financially support the Quebec court case where they are trying
to show that FPTP is unconstitutional.
Six - try to bring notable international columnists on side - like
George Monbiote, Chis Hedges etc.
Seven - find someone to make up a TVO big Ideas presentation (That might
be duplicated for FSTV)
This is an important issue. We need to think big.
Cheers
Matt Foster 519 621 9908
On 02/02/2012 12:12 PM, Anita wrote:
> A politician's idea of "democracy" is defined as: anyone who can come
> up with the registration fee can run, and anyone can vote. It matters
> not to them how many of us vote or how many who do vote end
> up represented (have any say). So long as the contest is what they
> deem a "fair" boxing match all is well, and those who didn't win are
> whiners and should just suck it up. To quote Justin Trudeau speaking
> against PR: "At some point you have to accept that there is a winner
> and a loser, and losers don't get blue ribbons for their effort".
> The point missed with this cave man mentality is that it is not about
> giving Karen Redman, Byron Williston and Peter Thurley blue ribbons
> for effort even though they are "losers". The losers are not the
> politicians, but the/voters/.
> Anita
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> *From:* Sean OS <mailto:fifthprovince at gmail.com>
> *To:* FVC Waterloo Region Discussion
> <mailto:fvc-wat-disc at listserv.thinkers.org>
> *Sent:* Thursday, February 02, 2012 11:56 AM
> *Subject:* Re: [fvc-wat-disc] letter to editor
>
> Rick,
>
> Your astute and succinct observation is bang on. You have
> described my own exasperation to a T - even though (in my case) I
> thought I would have gotten over it in old age .
>
> Seán
> _ _ _ _ _
>
> On Thu, Feb 2, 2012 at 10:41 AM, Richard Fairman
> <richard.fairman at hotmail.com <mailto:richard.fairman at hotmail.com>>
> wrote:
>
> Thanks for the comments and advice Anita and Les. I just have
> such a problem with the
> let's-pretend-that-what-we-have-here-is-democracy posturing of
> the defenders of the status quo that when truth blazes down
> upon the ignorance, I naively expect a consensus to develop
> and a take-to-the-streets movement such as the
> counter-culture/occupy to ensue. But wow, it somehow still
> amazes me that true democracy is not what the powers-that-be
> want, though they like to use it as a buzz-word. I suspect
> that the system is already too democratic for their tastes,
> many coming from the dictatorial infrastructure of big
> business and all.
> Rick
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> From: leskadar at rogers.com <mailto:leskadar at rogers.com>
> To: fvc-wat-disc at listserv.thinkers.org
> <mailto:fvc-wat-disc at listserv.thinkers.org>
> Date: Thu, 2 Feb 2012 08:27:15 -0500
> Subject: Re: [fvc-wat-disc] letter to editor
>
>
> Nice letter.
> Unfortunately those in office who received the fictitious
> right to make the changes needed as described, are clearly not
> so eager to do so.
> Even more unfortunate, those that vote are even less eager to
> insist such changes be made by staying home and not voting.
> les.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> *From:* Richard Fairman <mailto:richard.fairman at hotmail.com>
> *To:* Fair Vote Canada Wat Disc Group
> <mailto:fvc-wat-disc at listserv.thinkers.org>
> *Sent:* Wednesday, February 01, 2012 8:01 PM
> *Subject:* [fvc-wat-disc] letter to editor
>
> Hello Everyone
> I sent this letter-to-the-editor at The Record, to which
> they responded saying that they would publish it. It was
> not published in print but to my knowledge only in their
> on-line version of Jan. 30 and then, at that, only hidden
> under "view more articles" that must be clicked in order
> to be viewed. Why did they even bother? Clearly, The
> Record disagrees with the sentiments.
> Democracy means /the people rule/. Representative
> democracy means /the people rule through their elected
> representatives/.
> Therefore, if representative democracy is to be truly
> rendered, the will of the people must be accurately
> represented.
> The Canadian electoral method fails democracy by typically
> awarding false, 60 percent majorities to parties with as
> little as 35 percent of the electorate's actual support.
> Thus, the will of the people is typically deceived,
> defrauded and deposed, and consequently, the resultant
> government illegitimate.
> Only an accurately proportionate voting system mirrors,
> honours and serves the supreme will of the people; hence,
> only proportional representation can be true to the first
> principles of democracy.
> Let's repudiate our charade of an electoral system, a
> system that usurps precedence over democracy itself, a
> system that's been in place since women were deprived of
> the right to vote and is as morally repugnant. Let's get
> it right Canada! It's called /progress/. Proportional
> representation /is/ democracy. Let's insist on it.
> Peace
> Rick Fairman
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
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--
Matt Foster - stop stop stop "Society Thrives On Participation" see -
http://stopstopstop.org
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