What is Democracy

Democracy can be defined easily. It means for the people, one person one vote.

If certain groups have a greater influence than there number represents, then it is undemocratic. A poor man has that same right to vote as the rich man. 

A group of poor men should not have less influence than one rich man. A rich man who can afford to lobby and hire marketing firms should not have more influence than the poor man.

In this regard, we need a system where the poor man's vote is as powerful as the rich man's vote.
This site offers ways in which we can make every persons vote equal.

Related articles

• Democracy (socyberty.com)

Democracy - how can we see if they have made the right decision if they are hiding.

When people meet who have been given authority to act on our behalf, then their behaviours and actions should be entirely open to us. If there are secret meetings, closed door meetings, secret votes, then this is not Democracy.

All meetings should be open door and recorded on video and published in a public place when the voting public can view. Our leaders should have nothing to hide when they are acting on our behalf. What ever reason they provide for their not being open, it can never be greater than the benefits of a free and open society.

From John Kennedy's Inaugural Address.

"The very word "secrecy" is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and to secret proceedings."

Our Government

Often a government is labelled by its leader. As in the case John Key's Government which is the current New Zealand Government. John Key is the prime minister of New Zealand and he has an important job to do. However he is not the owner of the government, nor should he make decisions unilateraly without the input of its citizens.

Doing a quick search on the NZ Herald at Google with the exact line :

site:nzherald.co.nz "john key's government"

reveals the NZ Peoples Government being called John Key's government in a number of news articles.

To call a countries government by its prime minister implies that decisions are made by one man. And that one man has greater influence then any other man. Yet that government is for the people and voted in by the people. In my opinion a government should begin with the people. Calling it The New Zealand People's Government has a far better ring to it. A ring which resonates with the people.

Asset Sales in New Zealand

Just because we vote for one particular party every three years, does not mean that we agree with every single policy of the party. One fine example is the policy of Asset Sales. According to the NZ Herald  this policy of the National Party to sell assets "is its most unpopular policies".

Why can't we simply vote for the party and then vote for each policy that that party wishes to enact. Anyone person can vote on this policy, whether or not, they have voted for the National Party. A real time system of voting would allow this system, and would truly reflect the people's wishes. If this does not happen, a popular National Party will carry out unpopular actions which would bear little resemblance to a true democratic system. They are simply not representing the peoples wishes.

Image via Wikipedia