Democracy or Autocracy?

**Seamus Fermanagh** · 08-22-2005, 17:39

Republic.

Votership should be fairly restricted however. I tend to agree with some of Heinlein's models.

1. Votership restricted to those who have served a term of federal service -- but current federal service employees may not vote.

2. A significant but not exhorbitant poll tax and quiz requiring the voter to display some basic knowledge of the sciences, current issues in that election, and/or their own form of government. If you pass, you get a full refund and the right to vote in that election. If you fail, they keep the poll tax and you don't vote.

Restrictions based upon wealth, age, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, height, weight, size of coupling appartus or whatnot can only be discriminatory in a perjorative sense.

I suspect none of these will ever come to fruition, so I favor the system of which I am a part over other republican forms -- its the best I can see.

Seamus

**PanzerJaeger** · 08-22-2005, 23:38

The ruling class should be the military, who cooperate with industrialists for the betterment of the nation.

**Lazul** · 08-23-2005, 11:44

Originally Posted by PanzerJager

The ruling class should be the military, who cooperate with industrialists for the betterment of the nation.

sieg heil?............. sorry couldnt resist saying that

Anyway man, you really are anti-intellectual arent you?

**Adrian II** · 08-23-2005, 13:58

Gah of course. The masses should not rule, they should be ruled by their elected representatives. All other options mentioned above have been tried and ended in failure. Democracy is the most peaceful, dynamic and creative form of rule.