tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413130168723738166.post5635048964630529600..comments2024-02-26T00:59:26.907-08:00Comments on Ana the Imp: Rotten AlternativeAnastasia F-Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01284602529524462457noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413130168723738166.post-12965271723591885322011-04-04T15:29:10.950-07:002011-04-04T15:29:10.950-07:00Hi, Phil, and welcome. I'm not sure how this ...Hi, Phil, and welcome. I'm not sure how this works in Switzerland, if there is a high level of participation or not, but here I think that people would get exhausted quite quickly if there was voter participation over a whole range of issues. But as I said on Blog Catalogue, I have no objection to referenda on the big constitutional issues, Europe above all. I like the idea of running the UK like a business. :-)Anastasia F-Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01284602529524462457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413130168723738166.post-76720782852280755812011-04-04T13:08:20.453-07:002011-04-04T13:08:20.453-07:00Hi Anastasia what do you think of the right to dem...Hi Anastasia what do you think of the right to democracy party in Switzerland?<br />Have been using this system for over 100 years you have far more say in running your country and you can actually get laws passed or revoked if you get enough votes from the general public.<br />I vote once every 5 years really does not do it for me. Even more radical make the Uk a plc run as a business a top Uk business man was recently on TV suggesting that every thing currently public sector should be privatised he was suggesting you could save 1 Trillion Ponds a year on your current spending.Phillip Jacksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08905662176175322598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413130168723738166.post-44534619591581818742011-03-13T16:23:04.731-07:002011-03-13T16:23:04.731-07:00There are always bad apples!There are always bad apples!Anastasia F-Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01284602529524462457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413130168723738166.post-10482690119447469842011-03-11T19:49:32.835-08:002011-03-11T19:49:32.835-08:00"...the politics of Australia?" No, with..."...the politics of Australia?" No, without compulsory balloting and an elected house of review, you won't be so lucky! More likely the politics of Israel or Italy. <br /><br />Now really, didn't the <i>current</i> system produce the governments of Wilson, Callaghan and Blair? What does that say for it?Retariushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09165689727557860449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413130168723738166.post-19291763278801347522011-03-07T14:58:30.324-08:002011-03-07T14:58:30.324-08:00I see. :-)I see. :-)Anastasia F-Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01284602529524462457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413130168723738166.post-69344974081569117682011-03-07T08:10:19.577-08:002011-03-07T08:10:19.577-08:00On a paper with the candidates, for president and ...On a paper with the candidates, for president and congressmen. In a secret chamber. The representation is varied with many political parties , more o less proportional but have small political parties too in the congress, many points of view by groups.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413130168723738166.post-86549576461437889082011-03-06T23:50:44.906-08:002011-03-06T23:50:44.906-08:00Thanks, Mario. But how do you vote? Do you have ...Thanks, Mario. But how do you vote? Do you have the same system as here or do you have proportional representation?Anastasia F-Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01284602529524462457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413130168723738166.post-81349900677310538902011-03-06T17:07:22.188-08:002011-03-06T17:07:22.188-08:00For majority in favor of a political party have a ...For majority in favor of a political party have a number of congressmen but directly by the number of a congressman too (more votes of course), we have only one house of representatives with 120 congressmen, we have democratic vote. A hug. Mario.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413130168723738166.post-49670716373775334722011-03-06T15:12:36.763-08:002011-03-06T15:12:36.763-08:00Glen, I quite agree with your general assessment. ...Glen, I quite agree with your general assessment. People are fed up with so much of mainstream politics, a continuing hangover from the previous Parliament, the most corrupt and venal in our history.Anastasia F-Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01284602529524462457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413130168723738166.post-76323098809396997092011-03-06T15:08:25.823-08:002011-03-06T15:08:25.823-08:00Bill, disagree away!
My view here is essentially...Bill, disagree away! <br /><br />My view here is essentially the same as Sucio’s: that first past the post is the least worst system. I remember hearing the expression ‘broken politics’ in the aftermath of the last election, though I was never quite sure exactly what was broken. Yes, first past the post can produce some ‘broken’ administrations; but it has also produced some great ones. It has also produced some great politicians, people who have not been afraid to speak their minds. AV is the politics of the flabby middle, of the lowest common denominator. I’m convinced it will produce more timid politicians, more Cleggs than Churchills, people anxious not to chase away the second or third preference votes.<br /> <br />The examples you have given, that of 51 and 74, are interesting, though the exception rather than the rule. What do you think would have happened if there had been AV? Why, surely the same thing I’ve touched on in the above, the same thing that happened last May – prolonged negotiations and back-room deals, some policies adopted, others discarded, a flabby synthesis of programmes. Is that really what people want? <br /> <br />There is another question that I haven’t touched on here, another dimension. It’s Cicero’s Cui Bono? – Who Benefits? Here I think it’s sensible to follow the money. The AV system will be hugely expensive to implement and administer. Guess what? The AV campaign is being promoted by the Electoral Reform Society, though they had previously rejected this in favour of proportional representation. Why? Because it’s being bankrolled by a company called Electronic Reform Services Limited, the leading ballot-services business, which stands to gain substantially from a positive vote. Anyone interested in the details here would do well to read <i>The alternate story</i>, an article by Ed Howker in <i>The Spectator</i> (26, February).Anastasia F-Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01284602529524462457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413130168723738166.post-50930192163006528962011-03-06T15:06:32.819-08:002011-03-06T15:06:32.819-08:00Jeremy, Cleggianism! Yes, there is far too much o...Jeremy, Cleggianism! Yes, there is far too much of that. :-)Anastasia F-Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01284602529524462457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413130168723738166.post-19262761923280406392011-03-06T15:05:32.236-08:002011-03-06T15:05:32.236-08:00Suciô, well put.Suciô, well put.Anastasia F-Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01284602529524462457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413130168723738166.post-47164770746471229962011-03-06T15:04:32.988-08:002011-03-06T15:04:32.988-08:00Mario, they always have to be watched. What kind ...Mario, they always have to be watched. What kind of voting system do you have in Peru?Anastasia F-Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01284602529524462457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413130168723738166.post-6965153383587776012011-03-06T15:03:32.738-08:002011-03-06T15:03:32.738-08:00Michael, it would give them a commanding position ...Michael, it would give them a commanding position election after election, always able to determine the character of the government, no matter the popular mood.Anastasia F-Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01284602529524462457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413130168723738166.post-90717610341400129692011-03-06T15:01:35.500-08:002011-03-06T15:01:35.500-08:00CI, they have also taught us if at first you don&#...CI, they have also taught us if at first you don't succeed...to hell with voting. :-)Anastasia F-Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01284602529524462457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413130168723738166.post-2042995972418885342011-03-06T15:00:32.036-08:002011-03-06T15:00:32.036-08:00Falaise, that's my own view exactly.Falaise, that's my own view exactly.Anastasia F-Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01284602529524462457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413130168723738166.post-82546759357595844802011-03-05T09:14:58.026-08:002011-03-05T09:14:58.026-08:00I'm with you on this one Ana having lived in B...I'm with you on this one Ana having lived in Belgium where a myriad of political parties would spend months haggling over the formation of a new government only for the said governtment to last about five minutes before another election was called and the whole process started again.<br /><br />In Belgium things are more complicated because of the split between Flemish and French speaking parts of the country. It was quite comical when the Flemish Socialists and Wallonian Socilaists couldn't even agree with each other :-)<br /><br />I will be voting no. <br /><br />If the Lib Dems lose this AV referendum I can see that being the final nail in their coffin unless they make a break from the Tories. <br /><br />As some of the previous comments say the three main UK parties are frankly very similar in outlook at the moment and I sense that people are getting fed up with them.<br /><br />I would say that if an election was called today UKIP would get a major boost in the polls as a protest vote against the other three parties.<br /><br />GlenAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413130168723738166.post-33122383472586718322011-03-05T01:56:04.950-08:002011-03-05T01:56:04.950-08:00I disagree with you on this Ana. I dislike Clegg a...I disagree with you on this Ana. I dislike Clegg and the buffoons surrounding him as much as you do, but AV has to be better than the current system. <br /><br />I remember back in the early 70's the Heath Government called an election during a miners strike on the basis of "who runs the country". Heath lost though the Conservatives polled more votes than Labour. This also happened back in 1951 - but the other way round with the Conservatives winning more seats on a smaller share of the vote. <br /><br />So on two occasions we ended up with a ruling party with less votes than the main opposition party alone. <br /><br />Hardly fair when the governance of the country essentially hangs on a few swing seats and an absolute majority can be secured with much less than 50% of the vote. <br /><br />AV is not wonderful and is not a panacea for our political woes but it is a better than the broken system we currently have.BilloTheWisphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16221663524948086557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413130168723738166.post-89542177085797120632011-03-04T12:29:20.168-08:002011-03-04T12:29:20.168-08:00If anything I think the parliamentary system as yo...If anything I think the parliamentary system as you have it already has too much Cleggianism. I suppose the upside of it is you can have more parties then two, but you can always faction your two parties.Jeremy Jansonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03218395232783877050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413130168723738166.post-64291872811119461752011-03-04T10:44:18.610-08:002011-03-04T10:44:18.610-08:00First-past-the-post is the least-worst system I...First-past-the-post is the least-worst system I've encountered.Suciô Sanchezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12365362145664625757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413130168723738166.post-38669912884074950892011-03-04T10:08:53.670-08:002011-03-04T10:08:53.670-08:00politicians have their tricks, educated people and...politicians have their tricks, educated people and the journalism must watch them, The referendum will decide what people want. Hugs. Mario.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413130168723738166.post-66931471321600510622011-03-04T05:34:10.427-08:002011-03-04T05:34:10.427-08:00Presumably the LibDems think that AV will benefit ...Presumably the LibDems think that AV will benefit them. However, I am a devotee of the Law of Unintended Circumstances. All these estimates of what would happen under AV are just guesses.Michael J McCormickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15420031175369432868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413130168723738166.post-67783995343481412092011-03-04T03:29:12.052-08:002011-03-04T03:29:12.052-08:00The EU has taught us that a one-off referendum is ...The EU has taught us that a one-off referendum is passé. We should go for "best of three".<br />:-)Canary Islanderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12559374655320416333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413130168723738166.post-5541621538625431512011-03-04T02:10:04.103-08:002011-03-04T02:10:04.103-08:00For me, there are two key reasons why I shall be v...For me, there are two key reasons why I shall be voting "No".<br /><br />Firstly, the greater likelihood of coalition government that will result from AV (or any other brand of PR) means that party manifestos become even less useful than they currently are. As we saw after the last election, even key pledges will be dumped in order to placatre potential coalition partners.<br /><br />Secondly, a system that makes coalition government more likely risks handing disproportionate influence to minority coalition partners which may have more extreme views than the vast majority of the voting populace. Also, where there are three large parties, there is a risk of almost perpetual government by a coalition of two of them, effectively disenfranchising a significant proportion of voters. This would seem to be the complete opposite of what AV (and PR) is trying to achieve.Falaisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01296217731383114462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413130168723738166.post-82306509459302074362011-03-04T00:51:26.501-08:002011-03-04T00:51:26.501-08:00Calvin, if I had my way I would re-introduce the d...Calvin, if I had my way I would re-introduce the delightful practice of ostracism. :-)Anastasia F-Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01284602529524462457noreply@blogger.com