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bOtH SiDeZ!! (lemmy.world)
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[-] nexguy@lemmy.world 10 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

How could someone improve democracy and who would it be?

Edit: weird that I would be down voted for asking who and how to improve democracy.

[-] Leate_Wonceslace@lemmy.dbzer0.com 16 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Okay, while I think the other person's complaints are unreasonable and dishonest, I really need to answer this sincerely, because it's genuinely important that people understand.

Ways that American democracy can be improved:

  1. Eliminating lobbyists

  2. Capping how much money can be spent on political campaigns

  3. Capping individual donation sizes

  4. Capping donation frequency

  5. Implementing a cardinal or ordinal voting system (such as approval or single transferable vote)

  6. Making voting more accessible

  7. Removing the possibility of gerrymandering

  8. Outlawing political parties

  9. Making voting mandatory

  10. Several other things who's scope mean they probably don't count (like better education, which would help citizens perform democracy better, but also clearly falls outside the scope of the list) or that I am otherwise forgetting.

Edit:formatting.

Edit2: I never intended to answer "who" because that question doesn't have a single answer; the president can't do those things, and it's silly to expect them to.

[-] nexguy@lemmy.world 4 points 6 months ago

You didn't answer who. Who is so much better than Biden that they would be able to do all of this.

[-] explodicle@sh.itjust.works 7 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Despite his age, Bernie Sanders is still the most qualified person to be president. He would get more done and made election reform a focus of his campaigns.

[-] nexguy@lemmy.world 1 points 6 months ago

I love Sanders but he couldn't do all of that. He also supports Ukraine but is willing to sacrifice Ukrainians and Ukraine territory in a squabble over money to support Ukraine. This weakens democracy and strengthens Putin's resolve to continue plowing through Ukraine.

[-] ptz@dubvee.org 2 points 6 months ago

Not only did they not answer the question of "who", they instead listed off a wish list of things no president is able to do unilaterally. Like, those are all good things, but blaming the current incumbent / candidate for not doing those is a completely ignorant take (if not intentionally moving the goalposts).

We need better civics lessons both in K-12 and maybe some kind of adult education classes.

[-] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 4 points 6 months ago

Too many people's expectations of our government are way too high. We can't even feed hungry children in school, how are we going to outlaw lobbying?

[-] explodicle@sh.itjust.works 1 points 6 months ago

Because they need to be in the opposite order. If we can't outlaw lobbying, then lobbyists will simply pay to undo the school lunches.

This is usually met with appeals to emotion - "how dare you sacrifice children, my child will starve to death tomorrow if you don't trade everyone's representation".

[-] explodicle@sh.itjust.works 2 points 6 months ago

The only unilateral goal in the meme was destroying "democracy" because Trump instigated January 6th. Everything else was a goal that required bipartisan support.

[-] Leate_Wonceslace@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 6 months ago

Remember how I said the other commentor's complaints didn't make sense?

[-] nexguy@lemmy.world 1 points 6 months ago

So are you saying there isn't someone who could do all of that?

[-] Leate_Wonceslace@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 6 months ago

Yes; of course there isn't. It requires a movement, not a person. Every election season I am baffled by how everyone is willing to blame or credit the president for literally everything. You asked how, and I answered. That was the entire scope of my comment.

[-] nexguy@lemmy.world 1 points 6 months ago

Does that translate into not voting in this upcoming election?

[-] Leate_Wonceslace@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 6 months ago
[-] nexguy@lemmy.world 1 points 6 months ago
[-] Leate_Wonceslace@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 6 months ago

Biden, because that gives us the least damaging distribution of future world-states.

[-] AA5B@lemmy.world 2 points 6 months ago

Unfortunately, I don’t see how any president can do any of those. The best he can do is appoint competent justices and try to persuade Congress

[-] explodicle@sh.itjust.works 4 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

So in this case, expand the Supreme Court? And at least mention these issues at all?

[-] Leate_Wonceslace@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 6 months ago

Correct; the president can't do those things, hence why the other commentor's complaints didn't make sense. I was answering the question of how.

[-] Duamerthrax@lemmy.world 1 points 6 months ago

Then why is Biden being credited with SAVING DEMOCRACY?

[-] Leate_Wonceslace@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 6 months ago

Personally, I don't credit him with "saving democracy" however, putting Trump in the White House would endanger democracy as an institution because his faction would have enough control to implement their will without being checked.

[-] Duamerthrax@lemmy.world 3 points 6 months ago
[-] nexguy@lemmy.world 3 points 6 months ago

Great, a usual list of improvements but you didn't answer who. Who will be so much better than Biden and would accomplish this?

[-] Duamerthrax@lemmy.world 3 points 6 months ago

Lawrence Lessig...

The problem isn't that we don't have solutions. The problem is that, collectively, we don't have the will to implement them. It's like effective Climate Change policy or Covid policies. At best, we're getting half measures because people rather have their popcorn and circuses than saving their children. Biden doesn't represent a solution, he represents a theater of a solution.

[-] nexguy@lemmy.world 1 points 6 months ago

He isn't running.

this post was submitted on 18 Apr 2024
1176 points (100.0% liked)

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