Dirdem

At least partial public financing of parties and elections is inescapable

2012-01-23T20:31:00.000Z

States Martin Wolf (FT). We beg to disagree. While the purchasing of political power as currently demonstrated in the US is certainly objectionable we think that the introduction of direct democracy would put a major spanner into the works of lobbies. In conjunction with other reforms (term limits, less reliance on individual politicians such as Presidents, Chancellors to name just a few) power would be based on persuading the public rather than just bribing voters to tick a box once every so often to give nearly unlimited discretionary powers to certain parties.

The Rich are electing the next US President

2012-01-19T08:30:00.001Z

The decision to allow give more freedom to corporations and similar entities to donate money to advocacy groups in a relatively unrestrained way is does not only illustrate that excessive reliance on a handful of judges in a Supreme Court does not necessarily result in good legislation. The 2012 Presidential Campaign is more than ever going to be decided by the spending power of the respective candidates and the contributions of the 1 per cent will in all likelihood be a decisive factor.

Super Rich control Washington

2011-12-19T09:24:00.000Z

Says Paul Farrell

65 % believe politicians can be bought

2011-11-27T11:05:00.001Z

Says an opinion survey in Austria. That does not necessarily mean that this view can be found in all other countries (though in some the percentage may be even higher) but we would venture a guess that the results would not be more flattering in most countries. The regulation of party and campaign financing as well as the end to state subsidies and hidden financing (such as advertising in party-controlled media outlets) is essential to restore faith in elected representatives. The lack of direct democracy is responsible for the fact that the electorate seems to be resigned to this lamentable state of affairs. Only direct control of political decision making would make it possible to enforce adherence to stricter moral standards in political life.

How to control the influence of money in politics

2011-11-25T12:24:00.000Z

Reports that property developers have been major donors to the Conservative Party in the UK highlight the role that money plays in politics. Some rich individuals blatantly spend their wealth on getting elected to public office (Schwarzenegger, Bloom berg, Corzine in the USA come to mind) while at the other end of the spectrum the hapless citizen-taxpayer is powerless to stop the gravy-train of public subsidy to the establishment parties in countries like Germany and Austria. Dirdem would at least give the voter a say in the regulation of party finances. In addition the requirement (or mere threat) to hold a referendum on any issue will make the outcome of any political decision subject to the approval of the electorate thus providing a safety-valve against behind-the-scenes manoeuvring.

Carbon Trade - Bureaucrats create paradise for scamsters

2011-11-07T13:34:00.003Z

Apart from the fact that the carbon trade scheme has been decreed without any democratic participation by the citizens we have always argued that the only people to be enriched will be traders, speculators and - above all - the fraudsters. Much - if not most - of the crime in the world is caused by ill-conceived legislation (prostitution, drugs, excessive taxes on alcohol and tobacco to name the most obvious cases) and the agriculture sector so far has been the most high-profile sector involving fraudulent activity in the 'legal' business sector. Before long this will be surpassed by trading in carbon 'credits'. Who is going to monitor, measure and account for the activity in something as ephemeral as air and gas? Certainly not sleepy bureaucrats and their minions in the - already overstretched - police and judiciary. But the political class as always operates according to the well-proven rule of the bureaucrat: why make it simple if it can be complicated (and expensive)? The obvious way to reduce consumption of fossil fuel is cheap and effective: let the rising demand cause price to rise and if necessary increase taxes on fossil fuels. Another observation: the Media are also complicit in the backroom dealing that gives Lobbies that profit from the Carbon Trade as the industry representatives are giving excessive space to propagate their self-serving mantras.

London Riots - blame feral politicians?

2011-09-06T11:13:00.001+01:00

When an establishment politician denounces the rioters as part of a 'feral underclass' he may well have a point, but should he not also denounce feral politicians that hike the fees students have to pay by absurd amounts?

Jacques Chirac, Wolfgang Schuessel - no real-world experience

2011-09-06T11:10:00.001+01:00

Both politicians were part of the political establishment for many decades, both had zero experience in the real world where citizens have to make their living without leeching off the taxes raised by unaccountable governments.

How to make Football more democratic

2011-09-04T10:13:00.000+01:00

Democratic reform is not limited to the realm of government but has also to include the vast area of business and voluntary activity. A good example is Football where a small clique of officials in Zurich's FIFA headquarters runs the show without any input from the ultimate stakeholders, the members of individual football clubs and the supporters or spectators. When a prominent club manager demands reforms and calls for the inclusion of clubs, player, leagues and referees in the decision process it is remarkable that he makes no mention of the most important stakeholders at all. Associations such as FIFA - and the Olympic Movement would be another one - today are also vast businesses and to a certain extent monopolies and this should be another reason why the wider public should have a commanding say in the governance of their activities. The existing constitution of FIFA may appear to be democratic - there are elections to its various boards etc - but the tiered structure of the organisation means that the existing members are to a large extend shielded from any proper supervision and elect their successors and supervisors.

Almunia claims EU citizens want more integration

2011-09-03T11:51:00.002+01:00

One has to wonder where Joaquin Almunia gets this insight from. As he is part of the Politocracy that rules in the EU and most European States we have little optimism that he has consulted the subject-citizens. No surprise that he seems never to have held a job outsided the charmed circle of party, government or think tanks.

EU: taxpayer cash sent to Palestine

2011-09-01T12:50:00.001+01:00

It is amazing that EU taxpayers make the largest contribution to subsidise Palestinians that live in territories that are occupied by Israel since 1967. At the same time French President Sarkozy concedes that the USA have the undeniable right to have pole position with respect to influencing political developments in the area. Both points illustrate the glaring lack of democratic decision-making in the European Union of bureaucrats and second-rate politicians.

Film Star Gerard Depardieu urinates in plane

2011-08-17T16:02:00.000+01:00

A somewhat shocking headline but does this have anything to do with democracy? We think yes as the celebrity cult has also reached politics. While not too many 'celebrities' in show business or business in general are active politicians there is a tendency in today's culture to give the views of celebrities (Bono, Sting come to mind) too much attention. The media are the main culprits behind the celebrity cult as their shenanigans help to cover countless pages in newsprint and help fill the relentless need to fill a 24-hour schedule in radio and tv. But this incident shows that they are mere mortals and that their claim to fame is usually based on a very narrow skill-set that offers little to make them superior judges of political issues.

Euro Crisis: desperate measures lack democratic legitimacy

2011-08-17T13:18:00.000+01:00

One may be a supporter of the Euro or a fervent critic but one aspect that is mostly overlooked in the present debate about the future of the Euro is the fact that no consideration is given to the wishes of the citizens in the countries that are affected by the turmoil in the financial markets. The politicians in most member states of the Euro-zone (and the technocrats that do their bidding) have introduced the Euro without bothering to ask for the agreement of their electorates. Now they are reaping the results of their authoritarian measure and try to get out of the problem by forcing even more authoritarian measures on their citizens.

Initiative calls for lowering 5 per cent hurdle in Zurich town council

2011-08-03T14:00:00.001+01:00

Many countries have a minimum hurdle that parties have to exceed before they are allocated seats in the national or local parliaments. Now there is a new initiative in the City of Zurich that calls for the lowering of the threshold to 2 per cent making it easier for smaller parties to gain a seat in the town council. Without taking a view on the merits of this initiative we are convinced that all constitutional changes should be subject to a vote in a referendum and that it should not be left to the established political parties and politicians to decide what changes are adopted.

Politician 3 : Democracy 0

2011-05-13T18:45:00.002+01:00

A poor week for democracy draws to an end: The EU plays a leading role in preventing the Serbs in Bosnia to hold a referendum about the legal institutions, Finnish parties unite to prevent the 'True Finn' party from blocking more subsidies directed at bailing out Greece, Austria's socialist party withdraws from offering to hold a referendum about the abolition of mandatory military service.

Direct Democracy reduces power of dominating party blocs

2011-05-11T08:53:00.002+01:00

The political scene in most countries is basically dominated by an explicit or implicit two-party system, most commonly described as 'left' and 'right'.

Even countries with a multitude of political parties represented in the legislative body ultimately are governed by either a coalition of left-or rightwing parties. The exact composition of the coalitions may change from time to time but the general drift of the political intent of its components does not alter much over time.

So it is no wonder that from time to time there are calls for a 'third party' to give voters a real alternative to the policies supported by the dominant parties. In their fight to grab tiny percentages from the other side the party strategists tend to hug a 'middle-of-the-road' ideology which makes the policies virtually indistinguishable for the citizen. As the two political side from time form 'grand coalitions' voters in these periods are left with no political alternative at all and have to submit to a quasi-dictatorial regime.

A constitutional system of direct democracy offers a viable solution to this problem as voters would be able to exert direct influence on all legislation thus circumventing the oligopoly power of the existing party system.

Voters may get the right to sack their MP

2011-03-02T09:38:00.003Z

Liberal-Democrat leader Nick Clegg says that 'voters will be given the right to sack errant MPs if they are found guilty of serious wrongdoing.' (Daily Mail). We would go a step further and insist that voters should have the right to recall their representatives at any time. Of course, this should be subject to strict restraints and a sufficiently large quorum would have to back any more to instigate a recall procedure. Also keep in mind that in a system of Direct Democracy the Parliament and Government will be anticipating any such moves and avoid pushing for measures that could be expected to face opposition from the majority of citizens.

President forces new referendum on Iceland's debt repayment

2011-02-22T11:06:00.000Z

Iceland's president has called a referendum on the latest plan to repay the UK and Netherlands the 4bn euros (£3.36bn) they lost when the Icesave bank collapsed. (BBC). However welcome this may be, it has to be noted that Iceland's constitution did not require a mandatory referendum on an issue of such importance. Not many politicians would show so much backbone and interest in giving citizens a say in major decisions such as the planned requirement to repay debts incurred when the British and Dutch subsidiaries of Icelandic banks collapsed.

How to control Public Sector Pay?

2011-02-16T15:31:00.001Z

Pay in the Public Sector and for civil servants in general seems to be difficult to control. The reasons are that the people who set pay are often in the same boat as those on the receiving end of pay awards. Therefore the news that Councillors in English Local Government Authorities will be given the veto over the salaries of top civil servants promises not much of an improvement. Only when citizens have a direct say in setting local taxes and spending priorities as well as the setting of pay will the inexorable rise in the number and costs of bureaucrats be checked.

UK Councils vote down public question-and-answer sessions

2011-02-16T15:27:00.001Z

The furious resistance that established politicians and entrenched bureaucracies will put up against the introduction of proper Democracy can be guessed from the decision of some English councils after they voted against introducing public questions at meetings. Tha even this very tame and timid effort to bring more accountability into local politics has been blocked shows how frightened local politicians are about the threat of having more light shone on their activities.

British MPs defend their perks

2011-02-16T15:21:00.001Z

It is absurd that Members of Parliament in most countries are able to set the rules that guide their conduct and expenses. Just now the British MPs threaten to rewrite Commons rules on expenses unless their demands for changes to the regulations are met.

Unholy Alliance against Electoral Change

2011-02-16T12:55:00.004Z

When the leader of the Taxpayer's alliance takes the lead role in the campaign against the introduction of the alternative vote in England one has to wonder when the public discourse in the country will ever be free from short-sighted considerations. The referendum may well cost money - but to object against this (tiny and insufficient) reform of a dysfunctional electoral and democratic system on the basis of what it would cost completely neglects to consider the negative fallout from a continuation of the present arrangements. At a time when the present government tries to win approval for the hollow slogan of a 'Big Society' it would certainly be the best to start giving the citizens a proper say in the running of the government at national, regional and local level. Only the introduction of a comprehensive form of Direct Democracy will move the county in the right direction. One also has to wonder why the No Campaign would not want to disclose the names of their donors? Maybe one would find the names of the same hedge fund oligarchs that pull the strings behind the Conservative Party?

How much would AV referendum in UK cost?

2011-02-16T10:26:00.001Z

John Redwood ruminates in his blog about the costs of the planned referendum about the introduction of the AV voting system in England. But Dirdem argues that AV alone will not change much. Also irrelevant to ask how much the AV campaign may cost, it is pittance in comparison to total budget. One has to ask what are the costs of a dysfunctional democracy where voters are reduced to box tickers at the discretion of the sitting government or once every five years. The remoteness of government (and it is not much better in most ‘Western’ Democracies) due to this pseudo-democracy can only be ended by a system of Direct Democracy

An End to the monolithic 'Nation' State

2011-02-15T11:23:00.001Z

History shows that states are not eternal entities. Borders have changed continuosly and there is no reason to assume that they will not do so in the future. The main movers may no longer be tribe, race, religion, class or language. Maybe the new dynamics that will influence shifting 'borders' will be ideological - but in the positive sense of the word. China's special economic zones or the City States in medieval Europe point us in the new direction. There are also indications of new thinking behind Free-Market Cities in Honduras. The ruling political class will fight these ideas tooth and nail as it would mean that their power-base - a centralised nation state - would be eroded by competing political entities that would give the citizens a true alternative - by quitting a political unit that they do not wish to support any longer.

Civil Resistance less needed in Direct Democracy

2011-02-15T09:08:00.001Z

The current debate in Austria about ending the national service required by all men has led one leading national newspaper to give the impression that it might have made a call to evade the call to service. In a week when the events on Cairo's Tahrir Square are fresh in our minds this raises the interesting question: is civil disobedience a proper tool to promote one's political aims? We would tend to argue yes as the current democratic systems are at best a pseudo-democratic regime where the will of the people as a whole is regularly subordinated to the wishes of the political class and their acolytes in the lobbies of special interest groups. On the other hand, direct democracy would allow to settle controversial issues quickly as all minds are focused on the particular question and not diluted by the usual political infighting between parties and personalities. Of course, the problem of military (or national) service for men only raises the question why this sort of discrimination should be allowed in the first place. This brings us to the question of where the limits to the will of the people are and what precautions are taken to make sure that basic rights are not subjugated to a dictat of the masses.

Middle Class: the milk cow of dysfunctional democracies

2011-02-12T19:38:00.002Z

In typically insensitive fashion a British politician has warned the Middle Classes in the UK that they "do not know what is about to hit them." Ken Clarke, the Justice Secretary made it clear that the 'Poor' and the 'Rich' are not willing and or able to make a proportional contribution to put the country's finances in order. It is particularly galling the the Super-rich paymasters of the Conservative Party - many of whom make little or no contribution to the common good as they are adept at evading taxes - are treated so leniently while the rest of the population has to tighten the belt. Ironically the financial games where these donors played a significant role are to a large extent the reason for the precarious state of Britain's finances.

EU - did anyone ask you for your opinion about these issues?

2011-02-11T08:47:00.002Z

Duplication of Parliament seats costs Euro 180 Million per year
MEPs not required to disclose details on their allowance of £91,000 a year tax-free expenses
EU watchdogs find errors in 90% of Brussels budget
Hungarian company paid more than £3200,000 by EU to build new facilities for dogs
Tyrolian farmers paid £14,000 to "increase their emotional connection with the landscapes they cultivate"
France and Germany spend Euro 400 million a year on Arte TV despite declining viewer numbers
Structural Funds spend Euro 50 billion a year
Gipsies entitled to share of Euro 17.5 billion of structural funds destined for 'vulnerable' groups
MEPs to get 736 more 'researchers' at a cost of £16,600 each to deal with External Affairs questions
£163 million for schooling children of Eurocrats
EU wants to spend 6 per cent more next year
24 Million Euro subsidy for Hotel construction in Lanzarote
European Council members must put interest of the Union above those of their own countries (Lisbon Treaty, Article 9)
EU prepares expanded sanctions against Iran
MEP wants tax on carbon-intensive products
EU wants introduction of body scanners on Airports
US to get access to customer bank accounts
'Only' 300 new diplomats for EU Embassies
EU plans green taxes to cut debt
104 lobby firms go in and out of EU ParliamentGreece gifted Euro 6.3 billion in 2008
8000 bureaucrats for 130 EU embassies
EU wants proceeds of financial transaction tax for itself
EU permits planting of genetically modified potato
EU wants to attract more refugees
EU Parliament costs Euro 1.5 Billion annually
EU wants to attract more refugees
EU Parliament costs Euro 1.5 Billion annually
Monster Trucks up to 60 tons may be allowed
One in three MEPs employs a family member
Spendthrift countries bailed out by taxpayers in thrifty countries
Airlines compelled to use renewable energy
Unrestrained immigration into Italy
Excise taxes on Tobacco to rise again
EU wants to store airline passenger data
500 Million Euro for Kosovo
Non-Eu troops stationed in Europe
Ireland to vote again on Lisbon Treaty
'Green' plans could put £300 on prices of new cars
Tobacco-style health warnings on all car advertisements
New passports must include fingerprints from 2009
Air passenger information exchange with USA
EU control of climate strategy of member states
Free speech outlawed by EU bureaucrats
Fundamental Human Rights Agency opens in Vienna
Model History textbook planned
EU Officials vote to cut emissions
Euro-constitution is sneaking in by the back door

French Prime Minister accepts free gifts

2011-02-09T08:48:00.003Z

When Francois Fillon admits that he accepted free holiday accomodation and transport it is a poor advertisment for the role that the political elites play in our semi-democratic politcal systems. Career politicians with no or very little experience of working outside government or government-controlled sectors such as education, civil service or the justice departments are dominating the levers of government and pursue an agenda that is less and less reflective of the wishes of the population at large.

Charter Cities - good idea but not so new

2011-02-06T15:37:00.001Z

Paul Romer's concept of 'Charter Cities' that operate outside the dysfunctional tangle of a country's existing rules is an idea whose time has come and fits in very well with Dirdem's vision of Direct Democracy. But one must remember that the concept is not that new: the city states in Ancient Greece and the independent City-States in Italy and Germany during the Middle Ages were to all intents and purposes precursors of the Charter City that Romer postulates.

2011-02-03T10:17:00.004Z

Local tax must be backed by local democracy

Othmar Karas MEP - another disconnected Politician

2011-01-27T14:33:00.002Z

Yesterday I attended a book presentation where one of the speakers praised Othmar Karas, an Austrian MEP, who was also among the audience. The speaker mentioned that Karas was among the few (Austrian) politicians he knew that were aware of the real challenges facing Austria but also the EU. As my curiosity was piqued I looked up the MEP's curriculum vitae. To my horror I found that the man had spent his whole adult life in the pay of his party or of associated organisations. Not a shred of real-life experience could be found and it is just another exhibit for the sad march towards total domination of public life by a narrow class of professional politicians who serve their own interests while pretending to serve the public that pays their (excessive) salaries and other benefits of office.

WEF Davos - neither economy nor development

2011-01-25T09:25:00.000Z

Neither the economy nor development is the main subject of the Annual Davos Circus. Apart from the fact that 4,000 Swiss soldiers are protecting the 'Forum' (at a cost of Sfr 1.5 million) the only reason for the media circus seems to be the self-promotion of the various participants. While some of them may have their participation paid for by the forum the majority is there courtesy of the taxpayer or shareholder of their country or company and is happy to freeload at other people's expense. Quite what the purpose of all this hot air should be becomes more and more unclear and the significance of this PR stunt declines as the number of gawking media representatives rises.

IMF agrees $ 30 Billion loan for Poland

2011-01-22T12:26:00.001Z

How much longer can international organisations distribute helicopter money to countries that are perfectly capable to keep their own financial affairs in order? And where is this supposedly 'free' money coming from? How are the citizens of the states that guarantee this largess able to supervise this spending?

Regions

2011-01-22T12:17:00.001Z

Local politicians in the Bavarian city of Passau are unhappy with their government in Munich and have threatened to attach the town to neighbouring Austria. (21/01/2011)

Fraud

2011-01-22T12:10:00.001Z

Recent reports about fraudulent activity related to the trading of carbon emission permits demonstrates that politicians have opened up another lucrative field for fraudulent activity.

Media: Questionable public 'discussions'

2011-01-08T22:12:00.001Z

As the present system of pseudo-democracy in essence degrades the citizens to helpless spectators they are nevertheless desperate to make their voices heard. One outlet that gives them the illusion of having their opinions considered is provided by phone-in programs on radio or comment sections on websites maintained by newspapers and other media companies. But nearly always these events are carefully monitored (one could say censored) and all undesirable views are eliminated. Alternatively the public's contributions are selected in a biased fashion. A good example is often given by BBC News on the web were an even or very similar number of voices for or against a proposition is often published (all in the interests or 'impartiality') and no accurate reflection of the balance of opinion is presented. Venting their frustration may help lower the blood-pressure of angry citizens but does little to improve governance in countries that need a complete overhaul of the democratic institutions.

How to reign in government spending, control the burden of taxation

2011-01-08T18:55:00.002Z

An interactive budget-balancing tool (for example the one published by the New York Times) illustrates that with good will and common sense any state's budget problems could be solved quite easily and the tax burden reduced considerably. Usually spending is a one-way street were politicians buy votes with money that is ultimately raised from their constituents and we all love to spend other people's money. Letting citizens vote on each individual spending item will make it much more difficult for politicians to continue playing this game. Naturally, each group of citizens will still fight to gain as much from the government spending as possible but in each case there will be a larger group of citizens that does not participate in the benefits from this particular spending measure and will oppose it. The usual backroom deals between representatives of different interest groups will be impossible as they lack the final say on any spending.

EU Megalomania out of control

2010-12-31T16:35:00.001Z

An 7000-strong army of EU diplomats and costly building programs are the latest horror stories to hit the pockets of disenfranchised EU taxpayers.

Can we trust any politician?

2010-12-31T16:17:00.001Z

When a prominent British journalist claims that 'Britain still takes politics seriously' one does not know whether one should laugh or cry. The author somehow seems to think that election promises are more respected in the UK than in other countries and puts the blame for the politician's neglect of election promises on coalitions and consensus government (which are implicitly seen as a bad form of government).
Direct Democracy makes it much less relevant whether or not the citizens can trust politicians. Trust even could become completely irrelevant as all legislative and executive decisions will ultimately be subject to the vote of the electorate.

Britain's MEPs cost £26 million a year

2010-12-31T15:55:00.000Z

This means that each one of the 72 British MEPs costs approximately £330,000 a year. While this is by no means a negligible figure it raises a more important question: does it really matter that their activities are 'woefully under-scrutinised'? In a system of Direct Democracy any Parliament or Legislative Body in general is more like a consultative body. It is a forum where those citizens most interested in helping to formulate laws can congregate and exchange their views. But it is only a preparatory stage in the legislative process as the citizens themselves have the ultimate say on any decision. It does not really matter if Parliamentarians are lazy (how often does one see near-empty chambers on photos in the media!) or not paid enough or how they are elected in the first place (first-past-the-post or on proportional basis). They could even be elected by drawing lots among those interested in the position of a member of parliament.

EU: External Action Service to cost £8 billon

2010-12-30T17:24:00.002Z

And that is only the beginning of this vanity project as budgets - especially in the EU - have a natural tendency to grow. As in most of our half-democracies politicians are able to spend other people's money liberally as they are only subject to the slightest degree of democratic oversight and accountable to no one while in power. This applies also to the international institutions such as the EU, only more so as they executive is not even elected by anyone and therefore even less constrained in its urge to spend and regulate.
To give you a flavor of this 'project' a few numbers may suffice: there will be 137 EU embassies, 500 staff will be at headquarters in Brussels while 39 lucky Eurocrats will while away their time in a political hot-spot such as Mauritius. More than 100 officials will be better paid than the British Foreign Secretary who earns a paltry £134,000 (and is required to pay tax on it).
We leave it to the reader to decide whether this tremendous duplication of diplomatic services would ever have been given the go-ahead if the citizen-taxpayers would have had to give their agreement. Let us not forget, that in the age of the Internet and cheap communication embassies tend to be massively overstaffed in any case.

Wikileaks and the case for Open Government

2010-12-30T12:50:00.001Z

In the age of the internet there is no reason why not all government communication should be published - ideally in real time. All contact with lobbyists for example would be brought out into the open, as would be internal discussions within or between government departments. The only exception should be items relating to national security or ongoing legal proceedings. Complaints about excessive volume of documentation miss the point - computer memory is very patient, cheap and requires very little maintenance. And no one has to read the files if they are of no interest to him.

When is a Government legitimate?

2010-12-30T11:39:00.000Z

Only 23.3 % of those eligible to vote supported Chancellor Merkel's party during the last federal election in Germany. Governing parties in the UK often have very low electoral support as well. So one has to doubt the legitimacy of governments that rule without real majority support. In addition, elections basically mean that the citizens at best have a hazy idea of what the governments will actually do during their period in power. Direct Democracy alleviates this problem as all legislation will ultimately have to pass scrutiny by the electorate. This will ensure that the interests of the citizens are much more closely aligned with the decisions of the government - whatever its level of public support. Even governments elected with overwhelming public support often lose popularity later on. Instead of having to wait for the next election before it can be changed the requirement to hold a referendum on all new policy initiatives ensures that the citizens have a say during this period as well.

UK: Public will be given right to petition for Bills

2010-12-29T13:38:00.001Z

Not only is this latest proposal made by the establishment parties condescending (who 'gives' the citizens what rightfully is theirs in any case?) but also just another trick to lull the electorate into a false sense of democratic progress. Does it really make any difference if a petition that is supported by 100,000 signatures is 'ensured' time for a Commons debate (likely to be a near-empty chamber)?

UK: Conservatives and Lib-Dems may enter into election pacts

2010-12-29T13:33:00.001Z

Like coalitions in general an election pact between different parties is making it near-impossible for the citizens of a 'representative' democracy to know what he is voting for when asked to cast his ballot every few years. Direct Democracy prevents backroom deals that exclude the electorate as all political decisions have to be submitted to a referendum.

USA: Political System protects existing parties

2010-12-29T11:13:00.002Z

We do not always agree with Jeffrey Sachs but when he argues that the political system of the USA is corrupted by the influence of party donors and that only a new political force in the form of a third party offers any chance to improve the situation we can offer him a clear alternative: a political system of comprehensive Direct Democracy as advocated by DIRDEM will not completely eliminate the problem posed by the influence of political donors but it will reduce it to a large extent. No final decisions will be made by corrupted parliamentarians and government ministers that are beholden to special interests as they will have to consider the potential outcome of any referendum. Thus the influence of special influence groups will be diluted and a more rational debate on an issue-by-issue basis will become the norm.

Masses incapable of democratic participation?

2010-12-21T10:44:00.000Z

A popular argument against the introduction of comprehensive Direct Democracy is that the average citizen is neither capable nor willing to participate in this form of real democratic decision-making. This may well be the case in the present form of 'box-ticking' half-democracy. But when the citizens are regularly asked to vote in a large number of referendums - and on different levels of government (local, regional, national) - they will quickly develop a much higher interest in the issues. There will always have to be a prolonged period of public discussion and this will give the opportunity as well as the incentive to be much better informed before going to cast one's vote. There will always be a part of the electorate that is unwilling or incapable of participating in the discussion of the issues but it will be sufficient that a large-enough part of the electorate is willing to take part in the formation of a democratic decision.

Europe has chosen its path

2010-12-20T18:28:00.000Z

But did anyone really ask 'Europe'? Or should it not be the Europeans who should have been asked? these are the questions that come to mind when reading about the possibility of a closer fiscal and economic Union being forced upon the citizens of Europe.

Italy: Three votes save Berlusconi

2010-12-15T08:50:00.001Z

Dirdem argues against leaving the fate of all nations to tiny majorities. Only the vote of three members of parliament prevented Silvio Berlusconi to lose a vote of confidence. The fact that three members of a party refused to follow the official party line may be interpreted as a sign that MP's take their responsibility seriously and defend their independent judgement but it also leaves the electorate at the mercy of individuals that do not owe them any accountability.

Berlusconi, Sarkozy, Merkel, Blair, Bush, Putin - common thread

2010-12-14T08:54:00.000Z

The common thread uniting these names is the fact that they have excessive powers in our 'representative' democracies. No single person should have so much power as any of these 'leaders' unites in his hands. A collegiate form of government would avoid a personality cult (who needs first ladies?) and ensure that government affairs of the executive branch are run on a professional basis - like the post office for example. No one cares about who runs that institution - as long as it is managed effectively. A 'President' or 'Speaker' could be nominated or elected on a rotating basis who would be 'primus inter pares' for a period of one year. In addition to this college of officials we would have a comprehensive form of direct government that would be an additional safeguard against the concentration of power in the hands of one individual or party. Extensive public participation in the formulation of new laws would also help to make decision-making more rational and avoid expensive mistakes.

Berlusconi accused of buying MP's votes

2010-12-12T13:14:00.001Z

In a system of direct democracy the risk posed by dubious practices in public life will be much reduced as any decision is always subject to public discussion and referendum. This will make it much less attractive to influence votes in parliament or government officials as their decisions will in any case not have binding character.

UK politician paid £25,000 for speech

2010-12-12T12:51:00.001Z

We do not support the idea of full-time members of parliament but at the same time we insist that they should not profit in any way from their official role. So news that the British MP David Miliband received £25,000 for a speech given in the Middle East leaves a sour taste.

UK: Is power slipping away from Parliament?

2010-12-11T14:57:00.000Z

Wrong question Mr. Johnston! The question should be: why has power 'slipped away' from the citizens and how will we be able to wrest it back from political parties and their frontmen?

Pol's favorite excuse for spending our money

2010-12-11T14:55:00.001Z

'We will save money in the long term' is often said by politicians when they undertake a new spending project. But it usually never is the case.

March of the giant wind turbines

2010-12-11T14:47:00.002Z

You may be for or against wind turbines but their installation must be subject to tight democratic controls. When whole regions are about to be disfigured by monumental structures that can be seen for tens of miles in some instances the decision about their construction cannot be left in the hands or anonymous bureaucrats and pressure groups that are accountable to no one.

UK: Cameron wants to give us power?

2010-12-11T14:44:00.001Z

Wrong, Wrong, Wrong - no one should be able to 'give' us power. The citizens have to take government - and especially legislation - back into their own hands. The politicians have to execute our wishes.

UK: Largest cities 'offered' a vote on whether to have an elected mayor

2010-12-11T14:11:00.001Z

Another proposal introduced on a completely arbitrary basis. Who 'approves' this proposal, why are only the 12 largest cities in Britain 'offered' this option?

Subsidies: how can wasteful spending be controlled?

2010-12-11T10:55:00.004Z

An example for the way the identity between the executive and legislative arms of government permits the waste of taxpayer money is given by the federal state of Upper Austria. The province spends roughly 1.5 billion Euros on subsidies in a year. That means about 1,000 Euros per head of its population, a not insubstantial sum as it means about 3-4,000 Euros per average family. Naturally, this largess is defended with the argument that laws mandate most of that spending but the undemocratic nature of this spending becomes obvious when one reflects that the same government that spends the money is also identical with the legislative majority that created these 'laws' in the first place. Only a mandatory referendum on all spending measures and a separation of the executive and legislative branch of government will be able to stop abuses such as these.

What are good laws?

2010-12-10T22:22:00.000Z

Stalin and Hitler during their time in power both had laws passed that fulfilled the requirements of due process but no one would say that they were just laws. Despite a veneer of democratic due process we should also not assume that all laws passed in 'Western' Democracies automatically qualify as just because the ruling party machines pass them - sometimes with tiny majorities and without even the backing of a majority of the electorate. When unjust laws are passed the question becomes relevant: should citizens respect them and what ways to resist them do they have? Protest is one way and as the laws are not democratic in the proper sense of the term one should not be surprised if protests sometimes become violent. The best way to prevent legislation that is not supported by the majority of the electorate is the introduction of direct democracy. The threat of a referendum would prevent extreme measures to be contemplated as the supporters would know that their proposals would have to pass a lengthy process of public debate and a vote that they may have little chance to carry.

Alternative Energy - Absurd Cross-Subsidies

2010-12-07T11:15:00.001Z

The costs for subsidising alternative sources of energy are threatening to explode. In Germany they may soon surpass the mark of Euro 13 billion per year, that is close to 500 Euros per child or adult citizen. No one has ever had the chance to vote on this pet project of politicians and lobbies. The situation in other countries is not much better and absurd consequences abound. Why should earners of low incomes subsidise the solar-cells on the roof of a rich dentist?

Dirdem demands full disclosure of government affairs

2010-12-06T08:28:00.002Z

Dirdem supports full disclosure of government affairs. The recent releases of US government documents by Wikileaks is only a foretaste of what the electorate should expect in a regime that brings the workings of lobbies and other pressure groups into the open. During the Renaissance, an Italian Republic locked up its ministers during their time in office to prevent illicit dealings and stop pressure groups from influencing legislation and the administering of the state's affairs. Apart from aspects of national security - and even there should be stringent controls - we see no reason why not all government matters should be subject to full disclosure. In a time of powerful and cheap computing resources this should not be too costly and if anyone complains about too much information the answer should be that no one is forced to trawl through all the information available.

Who governs FIFA?

2010-12-01T07:53:00.000Z

Recent accusations about corruption have put pressure on FIFA to investigate some members of its executive committee. But the more important question is: who controls and supervises a self-perpetuating oligarchy at the top of organisations such as FIFA or the International Olympic Committee? Both organisations have tremendous power to goad independent nation states to spend billions to finance what is in effect a private hobby (but big business for the insiders involved in it as administrators, promoters or active participants). Both organisations are not much different from a monopoly and as such should be subject to strict supervision. In addition, members on the grass-roots level should determine who runs the organisations and - even more importantly - who supervises and audits their management.

Ordinary citizens to draw up new constitution

2010-12-01T07:37:00.000Z

That parties and lobbies do not have to have an iron grip on legislation is demonstrated in Iceland where ordinary citizens have been elected to draw up a new constitution. Anyone who had the backing of just 30 adult citizens could stand for election to the commission charged with this task. In the end, 35.95 per cent of the electorate voted to select 25 out of 522 candidates.

Earmarks - no problem if subject to referendum

2010-10-24T10:50:00.001+01:00

The heated debate in the USA about the merits (or defects) of the use of 'earmarks' in the allocation of spending would be much less of an issue if all government spending would ultimately be subject to a mandatory or facultative referendum.

Soft-Authoritarianism by the backdoor

2010-10-24T10:33:00.002+01:00

"Modern authoritarian movements tend to adopt the strategy of avoiding talking about or even hinting at the coercion they will adopt to deal with those opposed to the supreme rule of the all-powerful state apparatus. They deny that they are fascist movements and instead adopt a slew of fanciful euphemisms for the coercive policies they propose to inflict on their brutalized subjects. You silly fool! They are not robbing people — they are just "asking them to pay their fair share." They are not micromanaging people's lives — they are just "looking after their health and welfare." They are not silencing dissent — they are just "ensuring tolerance" and fighting "hate." They are not trespassing against private property — they are just "managing the economy." They are not enslaving people — they are just "encouraging volunteerism." ('Dropping the mask of Ecofascism', Ben O'Neill, Mises Daily, 19 October 2010)

Courts as Defenders of Freedom? - Don't bet on it!

2010-10-21T11:08:00.002+01:00

Whatever one's opinion about smoking, one should let those who enjoy a puff on a cigarette have their pleasure. Intelligent adults are (hopefully) aware of the dangers of inhaling tobacco smoke. The vendetta against smoking has taken on the character of a quasi-religious crusade during the past years. Legislation has been passed in many countries that reflects this overzealous attitude. We see no reason why it should not be allowed to smoke in places that are clearly designated as smoking zones. People then have the clear option to live and work in these places - according to their own individual judgement about the risk involved. So one would hope that courts are able to protect the individual citizen's right to make this decision. But the decision of Germany's Constitutional Court is a slap in the face of all independently minded people. Yesterday's judgement reinforces Bavaria's rigid anti-smoking legislation by prohibiting even the use of water-pipes in a Turkish-themed restaurant. Separation of Power is a long way from being a reality when politicians can appoint judges at will and the judiciary is not under the slightest form of democratic control.

EU bureaucrats sue member states

2010-10-21T10:34:00.001+01:00

The consequences of the lack of democratic control of the EU institutions come to light in this absurd court case to be decided by the European Court of 'Justice': The EU Commission sued the council of ministers because their salary increases were to be capped at 1.85 per cent versus 3.7 per cent indicated by the 'agreed' method of calculation. One has to wonder how this 'agreement' was reached and who is supposed to supervise the process. Without direct democratic control this sort of backroom deal is anything but democratic.

TV Discussions, Chat Shows, Town Hall Meetings

2010-10-21T10:26:00.000+01:00

The media are full with chat shows that focus on political issues. Politicians use them as cheap platforms to promote their policies (and at the same time polish their image in front of a large audience). But do these events really add much to the governance of a country? We think that these media events may well have their (limited) use but without giving the electorate the say on the eventual decisions that are made in a country they are a highly ineffective way of arriving at legislation and at worst give the illusion that the public's opinions are considered by the politicians.

EU wants six new taxes for itself

2010-10-21T09:01:00.001+01:00

The importance of direct democratic control in the case of supranational organisations becomes evident in the light of news that the EU bureaucracy wants to have authority to levy six (!) taxes in order to finance its activities. These taxes are: (1) Value Added Tax, (2) Air Flight Tax , (3) Petrol Tax, (4) Corporate Tax, (5) Financial Activities Tax and (6) CO2 Tax. If anyone was still left in any doubt about the need for drastic change in the political system in the EU he should now be convinced otherwise.

FIFA needs a dose of democracy as well!

2010-10-18T08:50:00.001+01:00

Revelations that some members of FIFA'S executive committee may or may not have been caught asking for payment in return for them supporting bids to hold the next Football World Championship are a reminder that large organisations such as FIFA need a dose of democracy. As matters stand, the tiered way of running the organisation gives too much power to those running the organisation as the final members - the grassroots clubs and their membership - have basically hardly a say in the affairs of FIFA. Like Boards of listed companies, the people at the top are a closed shop that effectively appoints its new members and elections are at best a fig-leaf for public consumption. Worst of all, while FIFA keeps all the income from the competition the taxpayers of the country holding the World Cup is saddled with the costs of running the event. A similar problem exists with the International Olympic Committee.

EU wants higher minimum sentences for sex offences

2010-10-17T11:20:00.002+01:00

The cause may well be worth supporting. But this does not belong to the responsibility of the EU and illustrates the misson creep that permeates the EU. This problem is also endemic in many other international organizations. As they serve many masters (member countries) no one is really in charge and the insiders running the institutions are effectively in charge. No wonder that they endeavour to increase their area of responsibility and making themselves (and their well-paid jobs) more indispensable.

Eco-Electricity costs German citizens Euro 13 billion

2010-10-16T13:04:00.002+01:00

News that annual subsidies for eco-electricity will cost German consumers and taxpayers the incredible amount of Euro 13 (!) billion demonstrates to what follies political decision-making leads when it is unconstrained by any reference to the will and interests of the citizen.

How can EU be stopped?

2010-10-16T11:22:00.002+01:00

Citizens and Governments of the individual member states are watching helplessly as the unelected (or quasi-elected) Officials and Bureaucrats of the EU arrogate more and more power for themselves. For Dirdem the solution to this problem is the introduction of direct democracy at the EU level. This should not just mean that a simple majority of all EU citizens can decide. There will have to be a number of safeguards to ensure that the regional and national sensitivities are protected. At least half of all eligible voters in the EU will have to participate. A minimum of two thirds will have to support any new legislation and a two thirds majority of all member states will have show a (simple) majority in favor. In addition, there needs to be a clear separation of competencies between the EU and the member states. Arbitration in cases of disputes about which level of government should be in charge cannot be left to the present EU Court of Justice (only those carefully vetted by the vested political interests in the EU and member states need to apply!) and in effect is a prisoner of the bureaucratic mindset ('More central power is presumed to be good'). The court must be restructured so that appointments are not backroom deals negotiated by party machines. Judges must be linked to individual member states and subject to some democratic control.

Michelle Obama 'most powerful woman' - shall one laugh or cry?

2010-10-07T12:00:00.001+01:00

The sorry, even ridiculous state, of present-day politics is demonstrated by the American 'First Lady' being elected the 'most powerful' woman by Forbes Magazine. And not only of the USA but the whole world at that! One has to wonder what mysterious powers she must possess - and what she achieves with it. If there is even a shred of actual power in her hands it would mean that the actual will of the citizens is not worth a lot. The episode also puts the media into a bad light as it is only too willing to endow personalities with more prominence than they deserve thus creating the celebrity cult in order to stimulate sales.

US picks off EU member states

2010-09-30T12:02:00.002+01:00

News that Austria has given in to a deadline imposed by the United States illustrates the impotence of the EU. Despite widespread opposition to US demands to get access to police records in other countries the EU is not able to form a unified front against these demands. In a system of democratic decision making EU voters would be asked to give their opinion about the US demands. This would also avoid that individual countries get blackmailed individually - or that the governments cave in to US demands against the wishes of their citizens. US threats to introduce a visa requirement for the citizens of 'uncooperative' countries wishing to visit the United States could easily be countered by introducing a similar requirement for US citizens visiting the European Union.

Christian Wulff, Ed Milliband - what do they have in common?

2010-09-29T11:59:00.001+01:00

At first glance one would think that the newly-elected President of Germany and the new leader of the British Labour party do not have much in common. But closer inspection shows that in both cases these two 'career' politicians have no (Wulff) or very little experience outside politics. Unfortunately the current system of 'democracy' as practised in most countries gives undue influence to political parties and a subsidised political class that effectively guarantees that people such as these increasingly dominate the political landscape.

How to deal with threats to Media

2010-06-14T12:04:00.001+01:00

Silvio Berlusconi succeeded in pushing a law through the Italian Senate that restricts the use of wire-taps by investigating magistrates. As the magistrates will now have to prove that a serious offence has been committed before they use this surveillance method they will be much less likely to unearth corruption among the political class in Italy. Investigators will be in a catch-22 situation.
Another recent example for politicians abusing their excessive discretionary powers is the interference of French President Sarkozy in the negotiations about a sale of the French newspaper 'Le Monde'.
These cases demonstrate the undemocratic symbiosis between the executive and legislative arms of government that is common in our pseudo-democracies. The so-called 'Parliamentary System of Government' is further corrupted by the ability of governments to control the appointment of judges - in effect selecting the referee in the political game.
Under a system of direct democracy the shenanigans attributed to the two politicians are unlikely to win the approval in a public referendum or under a constitution which places more emphasis on the separation of powers.

Totalitarian Logic: pay for TV and Radio even if you have no receiver

2010-06-11T12:05:00.003+01:00

It is a well-known fact that more and more controls are necessary once a society has started on the slippery road towards state control of every aspect of the citizen's lives. The nation who has 'given' Karl Marx to the world is testimony to the inevitability of this 'road to serfdom' (F.A. Hayek). The hapless legislators of Germany have just decided that as their police apparatus is unable or unwilling to guarantee an efficient administration of the license fee for TV and Radio, the only solution is to make it mandatory for everyone to pay the fee - even if the citizen has no means or willingness to watch (the mostly state-sponsored) TV and Radio programmes.

Britain tries out Coalition

2010-05-13T12:07:00.002+01:00

Every country has the media it deserves. This expression comes to mind when one listens and reads what the media pundits have to say about the fresh experiment with coalition government in the UK. One gets the impression that journalists would love nothing better than a bust-up between the Conservatives and the Liberal-Democrats when they conduct their interviews.
We also would like to caution against expecting too much a transition to coalition government. There is nothing magic about either a single-party or coalition government. Both create problems with respect to democratic legitimacy and in our view only a transition to a full version of direct democracy can insure that the wish of the majority of the electorate is followed in all policy measures.

To raise taxes or cut services

2010-05-13T12:06:00.001+01:00

This is the dilemma facing political decision makers in most industrialised countries at the moment. Under a system of direct democracy the solution to the fiscal problems would be much more transparent as citizens would have the ability to vote on each spending measure item by item. This would avoid the commingled decision-making that dominates the political landscape at the moment where citizens may agree to measure A but not to measure B but have no way of making a differentiated contribution at the ballot box.