I ya gotta be a loon....

[pecunium]

I am glad I happen to be this one:


Which Historical Lunatic Are You?
From the fecund loins of Rum and Monkey.


On the other hand... this loon Scalia on orgies and the 17th amendment (no, I'm not kidding)

Comments

[allucquere.livejournal.com]

"This court is not interested in States' rights, it is interested in removing a large number of the social programs which have been ushered in since the progressive movement got the direct election of senators."

Yes, exactly. These arguments are just a way of halting federal freedom guarantees. How many regular joes really have the same state vs. federal concerns prevalent 200 years ago?

I occasionally have mixed feelings on the direct/indirect democracy issue, but only right after some yahoo tells me that yes, he lost his job and his kid is in Iraq, but he's voting for Bush because because he seems like a "good guy."

Indirect never worked as well as it should because career politicians can't afford to vote their heart and mind...not if they want to protect their constiuents in the seniority-based, pork-laden system that presides at the state and federal levels.

Aside: I'd like to add your journal, OK?

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

Sure, add away.

I'm of mixed opinions on the issues of direct vs. indirect democracy. Historical models imply that anything larger than about 5,000 people fall apart if the democratic function is direct (note that neither Britain, nor the States, which have the longest histories of democratic institutions; of present nations, saving Iceland, which is anomalous, in so many ways, do not have directly democratic systems. They elect people to represent them).

So the question becomes, at what level does one place the removal. The problem with professional lawmakers isn't that they are professional, it's that to get/stay on office anymore requires large amounts of capital. Which restricts access to office to those who are either well off, or can pander to those who are.

If that can be fixed, a lot of the problems would be fixed, and this question could be shelved.

TK