On Mon, Oct 28, 2002, Dr. M J Macpherson wrote:
> 5. For the peoples of Europe the little known idea of having
> a binding referendum on important public issues was placed in
> the limelight. It should be glaringly obvious that, in those
> countries where the people have NO RIGHT (or no effective
> right) to referendum on vital matters of state - most EU
> countries and candidate countries are in this category - there
> is a serious deficit of democracy.
It may be glaringly obvious to you, but not to everybody else
(for example to me). There are other models of the democracy and
many very good reasons why the direct democracy is not the best
idea (``Federalist Papers'' and Tocqueville comes to mind first).
I am not saying, that you are automatically wrong, that's not the
point here (and I do not want to waste my time on flamewar about
that), but I really do not like using arguments like ``glaringly
obvious'' in the discussion list which is supposed to be
populated by scholars.
Matej
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Matej Cepl, [log in to unmask], PGP ID# D96484AC
138 Highland Ave. #10, Somerville, Ma 02143, (617) 623-1488
Give your heartache to him. (1Pt 5,7; Mt 11:28-30)
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