Re: MD Dutch referendum on European constitution

From: ian glendinning (psybertron@gmail.com)
Date: Thu Jun 02 2005 - 10:21:26 BST

  • Next message: Platt Holden: "Re: MD Dutch referendum on European constitution"

    Of course Wim, there are many flavours of democracy, of varying quality.

    Clearly, a simple majority popular vote referendum on a complex
    "technical" issue is doomed from the start, particularly when the
    whole complex issue gets wrapped conveniently in the C-word
    (constitution). For similar reasons the F-word (federalism) and the
    S-word (subsidiarity) are equally doomed if open to simple majority
    popular voting. The language chosen is so important.

    Saw and linked to a Neil Kinnock quote about the language used to
    "explain" issues like these.

    Ian

    On 6/2/05, Wim Nusselder <wim.nusselder@antenna.nl> wrote:
    > For Platt & others interested:
    >
    > Final figures for turnout and 'no'-percentage: 62,8% and 61,6%.
    > What this has to do with Quality and MoQ? Well, wasn't democracy supposed to
    > be a high-quality social pattern of value?
    > Great, isn't it, that such a clear majority of a population can poke its
    > nose at the excellent arguments of an overwhelming majority of Dutch
    > politicians in favour of a treaty that summarizes and makes workable
    > previous treaties, but that is mistakenly named 'constitution'?! (-:
    > Where a constitution would have to be framed as "We, the people...", this
    > 'constitution' was essentially framed as "We, the politicians, know best.
    > Support our project." That's apparently not what the Dutch feel democracy
    > should be...
    >
    > By the way, I voted 'yes'.
    >
    > With friendly greetings,
    >
    > Wim
    >
    >
    >
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