Monday, March 19, 2007

Populism is not a dirty word.

Only in political circles is 'populism' considered a dirty word and this line is widely supported across the media.
These forces love to portray the word as the domain of: the terminally shallow, the knee-jerk reaction contingent, the simple, the poorly informed, the prejudiced and those 'who cannot see the big picture'.
Certainly, mob rule and the lynch mob are undesirable but this is a calculatedly false picture, created by soundbite and misinformation.
What 'populism' really means is that the people have a true voice; democracy in fact. [That would never do, of course.]
It means genuine democracy instead of the ersatz, patrician version we currently endure.
It means an end to party politics as we know it; probably referenda in place with the power to overrule politicians' decisions which go against the will of the people.
There are several areas where my own ideas might founder in the face of a referendum on the topic but the gains would be beyond measure.

What Leftist Judge Could Meet These Criteria?

Judges. 1 8)  Appoint judges and officials for each of your tribes in every town the  Lord  your God is giving you, and they shall judge the...