Heidegger

On 29/05/2006, at 2:47 AM, That Pete wrote:

> — Malcolm Riddoch wrote:
>> So when do you think democracy becomes undemocratic Pete? When the
>> will of the people calls the leader forth to assume emergency powers
>> and the leader gratefully accedes? If they voted for him, and the
>> constitution allows it, at what point is our already flawed
>> representative democratic order abolished?
>
> When they stop having elections.

Constitutionally suspend elections or illegally abolish them? If you
could argue that the suspension of elections was constitutionally
legal in times of national emergency, and this possibility is
apparently covered in the Patriot Act, then is that democracy in
action? If not then I take it you would consider yourself under
dictatorial rule if another major terror attack in the US leads to
the imposition of martial law and the suspension of state and federal
elections? The potential is there, at least legally speaking.

Elections weren’t abolished as such in Hitler’s Reich either, they
were just postponed until the next crisis, and the next, and the next.

Cheers,

Malcolm

***************************
Dr Malcolm Riddoch
Electronic Arts
School of Communications and Contemporary Arts
Faculty of Communications and Creative Industries
Edith Cowan University, 2 Bradford St, Mount Lawley
Perth Western Australia
+61 08 9370 6034

Posted on Sunday, May 28th, 2006 at 8:05 pm
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