The Right of Democracy

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Certain behaviors can and should be curtailed in the interest of societal safety.

In a Democracy, the existence of a political party -- provided they are not actively breaking the law or calling on/encouraging others to do so -- should never be curtailed. Freedom of political expression must be extended to the loons and idiots so as to preserve the full range of freedom of expression.

However, the public is free to (and should be free to) consider members of such parties to be idiots, poltroons, perverts etc.

Freedom to express your views is matched by my freedom to reject and belittle them.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

In a Democracy, the existence of a political party -- provided they are not actively breaking the law or calling on/encouraging others to do so -- should never be curtailed. Freedom of political expression must be extended to the loons and idiots so as to preserve the full range of freedom of expression.

Why are parties who believe in a more authoritarian - or even just a different - manner of governance necessarily idiots or loons?

[PBI]

I voted "no". I agree with Kush; the authority of the voters is not limitless, and they certainly do not (or at least should not) have the right to disenfranchise future generations and force them to accept their choice of party in perpetuity. A party which promises to abolish democracy should be barred from standing, and the power to suspend elections should be defined as being outside the authority of the elected government.

Quite aside from that fact I would utterly distrust the motives of any party which promises to abolish democracy as soon as they are in power. But it is not unprecedented for a wave of populist sentiment to be ridden to get a party elected against the best interests of the voters, and it is necessary that the voters must always have the power to correct that mistake at the next election rather than being lumbered with a bad choice forever.

[JR-]

In a Democracy, the existence of a political party -- provided they are not actively breaking the law or calling on/encouraging others to do so -- should never be curtailed. Freedom of political expression must be extended to the loons and idiots so as to preserve the full range of freedom of expression.

agreed.

[Rhyfelwyr]

As much as I would rather the British monarchy did not get any more powers (Charles and Camilla ain't tellin' me what to do!), I think if we are being honest democracy in the UK is a farce. We have a parliament of career politicians, all major parties are so similar we may as well be a one party state, and the working-class in particular is so disillusioned with politics it is turning to fascists such as the BNP or nationalists in Scotland and Wales, or just not voting at all.

This is not the fault of the electorate. Scare-tactics are the order of the day, and in the recent Scottish Parliament elections I'm glad to say these backfired on Labour.