Participatory Democracy

 The current Representational Democracy system with its flaws has allowed maverick
world politicians at their local and national level to survive in continued existence, to do
at times whatever the hell they want. That’s putting it bluntly. They knowing that because
of the very flaws in the representational system, do what they want, when they want and
know they might be (if their forced apology, excuses or PR spin fails) only accountable in
a number of years – if the public is lucky – if in the intervening years they and their party’s
PR machine has not done also a whitewash job (backed by friends in media) or PR spun
their antics as ironically actually good for the people!

The current Representational Democracy system as it exists in legal detail allows
management in a political party to dictate downwards to lower members and they have
(let’s be honest here) little or no chance of kicking out such dictator style management
that are demanding their own notions be followed. Like the Italian/American Mafia, once
you’re in, you are in deep. You follow requests (orders) from up high or else (a) your
whipped into submission, (b) told where the party exit is or (c) take the exit door oneself.

                                                             Now we can totally expect members of
                                                             previous mentioned parties to espouse
                                                             that there is democracy in their
                                                             organisation – and there absolutely is –
                                                             but it is currently few and far between in
                                                             daily or even weekly operation for the
                                                             general public to access or even take part
                                                             in and have a successful effect. The
                                                             consultation process with the public,
                                                             seeking their updated mandate, their
                                                             permission vote upon matters and then
sticking to that mandate within the party and/or government happens very rarely indeed.

The only times the public get to vote is at (a) local elections (b) general elections and (c)
at times of very are referendums – and as Ireland has seen, if a bullying top brass doesn’t
get its way, it eventually under the Representative Democratic system, get the public to
vote again and again in referendums till it gets the answer those select at the top heads
actually wants!

When it comes to policy initiatives and what the public really wants on a regular
weekly/monthly basis and gaining their authorisation/permission, this only happens
very rarely, happens with the local members of a political organisation deciding to adopt
an idea maybe one individual (with own agenda and has pulled in a few mates to back it)
wishes to pursue.

Present parties will of course say that anyone can join their party at local level and that
way have a democratic ability to influence future policies. This also would be true in
general too – but in day to day reality right now, if you have an issue with an ongoing
concern, the ability to effect change on that particular matter today, tomorrow or next
month is very limited indeed given actual party allowed ability, in going through more

             PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY - UNITEDPEOPLE - AUTHOR: JEFF RUDD - PAGE 1