It’s a phrase that was used by upper-right-quadrant Glenn Beck in closing his show tonight, after a mocking tribute to Cindy Sheehan he said that she had every right to speak her piece about the government and the great thing about that is that “we the people” control it [the government], I don’t think so.
That’s not just a slam against America, we don’t control our government either. As a matter of fact, with their staggered election system, the American people have a slight edge on Canadians with our “every four years or so, but it can be pushed to five if we want to” way of doing things.
It’s a nice phrase, and once upon a time it might even have been true, but exactly what control do “the people” have over the actions of our government?
Answer: none
If our government decided to raise taxes tomorrow could the Canadian people prevent that? No
If our government decided to launch an invasion against Djibouti could the Canadian people prevent that? No
If our government decided to break off diplomatic relations with Slovakia could the Canadian people prevent that? No
The last Parliament was dissolved in November of 2005, the new Prime Minister was elected in January of 2006, technically he does not have to call an election until 5 years after that, between now, and 2011, exactly what could the Canadian people prevent this government from doing?
Exactly what could the Canadian people require their government to do?
Oh yes, I am a sheeple, and oh so proud to be.
I am way too smart to believe in a conspiracy.(The Sheeple Poem)
Joseph Sobran (in The Myth of Limited Government) said, “Democracy has proved only that the best way to gain power over people is to assure the people that they are ruling themselves.”
I think that the nature of our political system is such that Political Parties are ultimately dependent on getting MP’s elected to Parliament. If you don’t like what the government is doing, you vote for someone else who will do what you want the next time.
While this does allow for a sometimes unacceptable delay, it makes it so that politicians are ultimately looking out for #1. I say this assuming that constituents are educating themselves about the system and paying attention to what goes on, before, during, and after elections - a faulty assumption I know, but a necessity if a democracy is to remain effective and responsive to the wishes of the people.
I was a big fan of Plato and Aristotle in my first year at University (not so much anymore) - basically that it is not only the right of the people to be engaged in their own governance, but that it is their responsibility. And if people did so, our current system would work alot better.
I’m not saying the system is perfect, I just don’t want to throw the baby out with the bath water.