Clarification/Follow-up by excon on 07/05/04 11:06 am:

Hello again HANK,

Ahhh Haaaa, said the blind man. You're talking about a nation without NATIONAL politics. That's different.

Sign me up. I like it. Kinda sounds like the way the US was designed to be - strong local government, weak federal government.

excon

Clarification/Follow-up by drgade on 07/05/04 11:43 pm:
It's hard to separate politics from the people.

I know the "common usage" of the word "politics" has some very bad connotations and its own different meaning to many.

In fact, the word comes from the Greek word, " hoi poloi" - "the people"

Clarification/Follow-up by ETWolverine on 07/06/04 3:44 pm:
>>>A common sense republic could become reality if the people had a say-so in all matters ... including the passing of all legislation etc.<<<

Hank,

If everyone had a say in all matters of legislation, politics would become WORSE not better. 2 people, 3 opinions is a fact of life. And until we can get EVERYONE to agee with EVERYTHING, politics will abound.

Politics is really just the art of getting people to go along with your opinions, choices or decisions. So if everyone is involved in the decision-making process, then everyone will be involved in trying to get others to vote the same way they do... and until they can, they will engage in politics to convince others of their opinions. That is human nature.

Thus, a politics-free society is impossible. Everyone has some opinion that they wish to convince others to go along with. Politics will exist as long as more than one idea or opinion does.

Elliot

Clarification/Follow-up by HANK1 on 07/06/04 4:19 pm:

Elliot: The majority in a Republic rules the roost! Anyway, there's more to my post than meets the eye! This is WHY I want to get my book published! Perhaps this wasn't a fair post ... because I didn't write an intro!

Clarification/Follow-up by ETWolverine on 07/07/04 7:55 am:
Hank,

What about issues where people are evenly split? Where there is no clear majority?

As long as people try to convince other people that they are right and others are wrong, politics will exit at SOME level.

Elliot