The Guardian, one of the leading daily newspapers of Great Britain, has this lengthy editorial, which resoundingly endorses proportional representation, and also endorses voting for the Liberal Democratic Party in the May 6 election. Thanks to Gene Berkman for the link.
The Guardian backs Proportional Representation by saying that it would give the UK “a parliament that is a true mirror of this pluralist nation, not an increasingly unrepresentative two-party distortion of it.”
That simple sentences sums up the problem with the two party system in the UK, and also the two party system in the USA.
another reason to be impressed with the Guardian…
#1 “That simple sentences sums up the problem with the two party system in the UK, and also the two party system in the USA.”
But it goes both ways, perfectly acceptable parties such as the Greens might get seats, but so will Nazi-affiliated parties such as the BNP if its implemented wrongly. The BBC did a good article the other day about PR:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/8651231.stm
Of course, they quote someone saying that it’d be a good thing the BNP, a party that wants to ban Kosher and Halal meat and other Anti-Semitic and Islamophobic laws gets seats. Its truly quite mad how the far right is seen as acceptable in European standards.
“I may not agree with what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” goes for parties you don’t agree with as well.
Well said #4. I completely agree. It’s up to the voters to decide what party is “acceptable”.
BTW, the more publicity and scrutiny the ultra-right wing/proto fascist BNP gets, the more their racist, reactionary, theocratic and intolerant policies and personalities come forward. Muder will out and all of that.
The super dangeous ROT in parliamentary regimes is the mixing of legislative and executive power in the same party hack brains.
At least *something* was learned the very hard way in 1775-1783 in the U.S.A. — SEPARATION of Powers.
P.R. and A.V.
The minority rule ROT in the U.K. House of Commons is much worse — due to the several larger parties in each gerrymander district.
Almost all of the gerrymander winners get less than 50 percent of the votes in the districts involved.
REAL minority rule — about 20-22 percent in the U.K. — with the resulting TYRANT Prime Ministers – since 1689.
Alright! Go Lib Dems, and go Guardian. I’ve read that newspaper before, and it seem to be pretty sensible. The Independent is far left, and The Times is rather conservative since it’s owned by Rupert Murdoch.
@Vaughn & Casual Bystander: I realise that, and it was a position I once held myself, but your opinion suddenly changes when (as I did in October 2006 when I became a ‘minority’) that you are the first for the chop when such parties get elected.
In other countries, such as Hungary these parties employ much deadlier tactics such as holding militaristic styled rallys in the streets with “militia”. While it is unaffiliated technically, the English Defence League is interpreted to be a movement within the BNP sphere, a drunken bunch of yobs for the most part that causes property damage in commercial sectors and racial-religious abuse everywhere they go.