Message-Id: <20050817072943-59875-7@2rosenthals.com>
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Date:  Wed, 17 Aug 2005 12:29:48 +0100 (BST)
Sender: os2-wireless_users-owner <os2-wireless_users-owner@2rosenthals.com>
Reply-To: os2-wireless_users@2rosenthals.com
From:  "Howard Winter" <os2-wireless_users@2rosenthals.com>
To:  "os2-wireless_users@2rosenthals.com" <os2-wireless_users@2rosenthals.com>
Subject: [OS2Wireless] Library of Congress is confused...

Bob,

Sorry to continue this Off Topic topic!

On Mon, 15 Aug 2005 11:41:13 -0700, Bob wrote:

>** Reply to message from "Howard Winter HDRW@hibernaculum.org.uk" on Mon, 15
>Aug 2005 10:14:02 +0100 (BST)
>
>> I don't understand the US political system, but aren't they expected to represent all of their 
constituents, 
>> regardless of their political affiliations?
>
>No.  The only time they even talk like they represent the common folk is at
>election time.  All of their efforts are to keep themselves in office which
>means getting lots of campaign money which means that money talks and gets what
>you want.

I may be being a bit naive, but why don't people then say "You didn't represent me last time, so I'm not 
voting for you this time"?

>>  (That's how it works here, but obviously if your view is opposite 
>> theirs, the representation may amount to "listen, analyse, and ignore"! :-)
>
>I lived in the UK for a while and did see some difference in the way
>politicians acted towards the common folk but I did not notice much better
>actual results, especially from the party in power.  

I think that's a function of the "first past the post" electoral system - I am very in favour of changing it 
for "proportional representation" in some form, but the winning parties obviously won't change things to their 
disadvantage!  Personally I think it's a farce that I get 1 vote every 5 years, and the Government then does 
what it likes based on that - and calls it "democratic"!

>The main thing I liked was
>the short election process.  No political ads on TV for years as it is here.

Yes, the last one was even shorter than some - 1 month from announcement to election.  That comes of not 
having fixed terms (except that there is a 5-year limit).  There has been talk of centrally-funded election 
campaigns, where each party has money allocated, and can't spend any more, so that there is no way to "buy" 
votes, which does have its merits.  But how you decide how much goes to each party is a problem - and what 
happens to Independants?  Anyway, enough of my ranting!

I did consider sending the 6 copies of "Why IE is a Bad Thing" to the LoC, but I get the feeling that a 
foreign opinion may go straight in the bin...

Cheers,


Howard Winter
The H2Org
http://www.ecomstation.co.uk


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