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By Steve
#1852
In times where the US are trying to spread their home-made type of democracy all over the world, it's time to think about new forms of government. I'll call my invention "Automatocracy" - the idea is that elections should be abolished, instead the results should be created by a random generator.

The most important achievement of democracy (as opposed to monarchy or dictatorship) is the regular rotation of government. Automatocracy would definitely have this advantage - plus a couple of other really great benefits. Just think about it: no more expensive election campaigns, no more stupid election rhetorics, less lobbying, less propaganda, no more manipulation through the media. People could finally start having their own opinions instead of getting brainwashed. Politicians would finally be able to reach unpopular decisions as well, hey, they could even concentrate on their governing duties - chances are that they'll not be part of the next government anyway!

Of course this invention still needs a little bit of fine-tuning: the randomized elections need to follow a certain algorithm, perhaps in some statistical relation to real elections. Possibly there needs to be a set of simple rules against government crimes (corruption, embezzlement) - things that are usually punished automatically in elections. Have a test run in some far-away country where it's not so important (Iraq, US, wherever) and we're set! ;-)
User avatar
By test
#1863
yo. Steve

I think that has been invented already. It's called Anarchy. I think Noam Chomsky invented it.

Thrilling post though. well done. :-)
By zyx Rationalist
#1874
See whats going to unite this world and rewrite history.
History wont be repeated.

Search for "Majocracy" in web major search engines.
User avatar
By CycoMage
#2546
I have thought about this idea, in various forms, for the past several years. Every time I bring it up I get laughter and scornful jibes, but who cares. I think at least the Pres. + V.P. should be chosen in a jury-duty type way. The selected would, of course, follow the current Constitutional laws (age min., citizenship, etc.) but would be run off the census list and be mandatory for the recipient. I selected the top 2 offices as they have little actual power, but the "bully-pulpit" influence. This would not only bring the administration closer to the people, it would be the people, involuntarily if neccesary. At least it wouldn't always be the same set of millionaire politicians. ;-D
By tulrain
#3995
I wanted to show everybody the downside to having an "Automatocracy," and why this world would be condemned to utter destruction.
After a government institutes such a electoral base, what then happens is a person called a [u]dictator[/u] can by default be elected into office. Even better, what if the only choice was a corrupt individual? Hitler, Castro, Stalin, Mao, etc. would have been quite astonished and amused at the ease of starting a dictatorship with this plan of thinking. Instead of trying to overthrow the government.... why do that when they could just keep campaigning for office, and eventually through this process they could be elected.
Maybe with enough people thinking this way, we can all experience a corrupt dictoral rule and wish we had taken the time to vote and look into who may someday lead our country.
User avatar
By Michael D. Grissom
#4006
I'm US and since my first vote in 1964 until now the only choice I've ever had was to vote for the lesser of two incompetent evils. I'll send you my smallest jewelers screwdriver Steve -- START TWEAKING!
;-D
User avatar
By Steve
#4015
tulrain wrote:After a government institutes such a electoral base, what then happens is a person called a dictator can by default be elected into office. Even better, what if the only choice was a corrupt individual? Hitler, Castro, Stalin, Mao, etc. would have been quite astonished and amused at the ease of starting a dictatorship with this plan of thinking. Instead of trying to overthrow the government.... why do that when they could just keep campaigning for office, and eventually through this process they could be elected.
Tulrain, you are describing the way many democracies work these days. Not sure though what this has to do with the alternative I suggested. :-?
By Deceptive Geko
#5483
If the results are random, what is there to stop a reincarnated form of hitler from taking controll? Certainly you don't support hitler!

(...???)
User avatar
By Steve
#5484
I don't get your point. 8-o Hitler came to power in a democratic system. He overthrew the system AFTER he was made chancellor. Unlike modern democracies where demagogues have a field day, the chances that a similar thing could happen with random governments are negligible. ;-)
By obithree
#6097
umm, do you not understand that democracy is not so much about the end choice, but more about the process?! If presidential candidates didn't have to worry about their party getting elected again, what's to stop them from just accepting bribes? The whole point is that there's an opposition party to keep them on their toes and watch their actions closely...! If everything was just random, who would bother watching what the heck the president was doing? You'd just wait for your turn to be lucky.
User avatar
By Steve
#6098
Obithree, you are exactly hitting the nail on the head. Democracy is obsessed with the process, no matter if it results in fascism, the third world war or simple desinterest, whereas I say I don't care about the process, as long as it results in good government. Corruption and government by the way coexist in *any* system, be it dictatorship or democracy. As you correctly pointed out, it can be curbed by checks and balances, but if you read my idea then you will realize that we agree on that and I have addressed it in the final paragraph. (And without wanting to be polemic, yesterday has shown that in a modern democracy, nepotism and corruption - or at least the suspicion thereof - are no obstacles to getting reelected. ;-) Ok, chances are you may disagree with my example, but history has shown that democracy is by no means immune to the type of injustice you are talking about.)
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