What is democracy? State Department launches online video contest - On Deadline - USATODAY.com The State Department is inviting budding auteurs to create a short film that finishes the sentence 'Democracy is ...'The outcome is determined by a 'contest.' YouTube is part of the process.
YouTube users will choose the winners of this international competition, which will accept submissions between Monday and Jan. 15. The top six films will be shown in Hollywood, New York and Washington.
Democracy has little to do with czars, dictators and kings. Rather, democracy is about temporary stewardship that aims to insure and make permanent the rights of others. My rights, your rights and their rights are all inter-twined.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auteur_Theory
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5 comments:
Mark,
It appears that you made up your own definition of democracy. Another description of what you did is - you added noise and confusion to the discussion.
By the way, democracy does NOT imply freedom, but freedom does imply democracy.
Stephen
The entire concept of the program of the state department is to get definitions of democracy. To make up is to create and it is the goal.
The state department and neo-cons have been known to slur that concept of building democracy in other nations around the world. Sorta. If they build democracy and the people are not free to vote nor vote for their choice nor have free elections -- then what?
Many elements of freedom need to be in place in the culture/society/systems before there can be a viable democracy.
Ballot access, ability to run, powers to govern after elected, etc.
So we agree that democracy is not a sufficient goal. However, to be fair to those who support "democracy building" as a foreign policy, it is easier to promote an actual system of government than is it to promote an abstract concept like freedom. If one cares about tangible results, that is.
BTW, here is my full equation:
Capitalism implies Freedom implies Democracy.
Stephen
Sure. I'll give nods that 'democracy' isn't a sufficient goal.
IN China, they've got lots of capitalism. But, freedom is fleeting. I'm not sure how they all connect and fit into a formula that is always foolproof.
I don't know about "foolproof," but capitalism is more than markets. It is system where individuals can acquire capital and then do what they want with it. And capital includes, at least as interpreted by our Supremes, includes what we think and express.
And, lay off the electoral college, the greatest invention not counting the cell phone.
S
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