Referendum

[radiantsoul]

The UK seemed to go for a long time without referendum. The rule seemed to be you elect some folk who you hope are wiser than you and they make decision for you. They were able to survey the facts, decisions were played out over a long period of time and discussed at great lengths. Education and access to information was much more limited so it was

Comments

[siobhan63]

Did you see David Mitchell's piece on referendums in the Guardian this weekend? Very similar thoughts expressed! And I totally agree -- there is clamour here in Canada (from some) for a referendum on changing our voting system (which the new government has promised to do and is now regretting, I think). I'm really not a fan -- I've voted in two and observed a few others, and the debate is never edifying. Never.

[radiantsoul]

I didn't see it. But I think quite a few people see what a dire and tedious state of affairs it is.
I am not sure social media helps, as much of that is often slogan based.

[stray_infinity]

It is simply not possible to have a debate on the basis of facts

You raise an interesting idea here. It seems that facts can never just speak for themselves in the face of social change, that when it comes to reasoning about why something is either problematic, good, or soon-to-be, there has to be that follow-up thought, which is certainly shaded by what side of the fence you're on. Politics in general seem more like competition than collaboration to me.