[Slice of Life]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

You see, I believe in democracy.

I think you misunderstand what democracy actually means. Democracy is a system to ensure good governance through a system of checks and balances to limit any party's power. Compromises, individual rights, and independent judges are elements as important as the principle of majority vote.

You seem to think the systems would work better by somehow going to the basics. No. Actual democracy is to your idea of democracy like driving a car is to blowing up the tank. You might find the latter more appealing because it embodies the fundamental process that drives a car forward in all its pureness; but it won't get you to the next city, only to hell.

Or maybe you're already intellectually satisfied by the beauty of the pure solution and don't care for its practicality. But conflicts, hierarchies and power concentrations in need of moderation won't get away by the political system turning a blind eye on them. By sweeping them under the carpet you only allow them to rot.

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

And the corollary of that is that I hold everyone responsible for his or her vote.

You're in no position to hold anyone responsible for his or her vote, especially not in the system your desire. Except in the meaning of some moral judgment. If that already satisfies you, you've never really been in the position of the powerless at the mercy of the powerful.

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

I just believe that if someone's going to exert tyranny, I'd rather it'd be the majority than some select minority decided on shady criteria, which is pretty much the only alternative, from what I can tell.

Your dismissal of representative democracy is trendy, especially among anti-democrats of any flavor. You have no idea how a real tyranny looks like and the system you enjoy is meant to prevent you from ever finding out.

Originally Posted by Xellos-_^

someone form Europe explain to me how it is incompatible with Human Rights to lock up someone for life who has history of violent behavior (including murder and rape)?

don't the avg person have a right to be safe form someone like that?

Nobody should ever lose the chance to become free again through their own effort. Which implies that they should have the right to have their personality being reevaluated at some point. If they pass or fail is a different matter.

The crime rate in most European countries is low and falling by the way. Cries for tougher laws are more often than not nothing more than attempts to satisfy their own primitive emotion of rrrrraaage under the thin veil of the concerned citizen.