However, I'd really like to see Mother replaced by a system of proportional representation; and/or John and James have the option to buy "I don't like any of these cakes, and they should be barred from being on sale for the next two successive parliaments". Personally.
How do you know Mother is not a system of proportional representation? It does not say anywhere in the parable that John and James a) are not the entire population or b)have not unanimously endorsed Mother as the only conceivable candidate for role of mother and distributor of pounds.
When talking about politics i always thought the answer was yes yes, but now you put it like that i think it might be no no. I think i probably ask for anything with apple filling, but they don't have any so i say i'll settle for a jam donut but they give me flapjack anyway which i hate. I can complain about this all i like.
I'm sure it's something like the bible that tells us to honour our mother and father so if the boys are saintly they will share the flapjack with good grace and learn from this experience
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i) No. Next time he will learn the importance of uttering the phrase "Mother, may I have a cream cake, please?" at the time when he is given the chance to influence the outcome. After all, it was perfectly clear to him that the worst that could happen was flapjack.
ii) He has the right to make it known to John and Mother that he does not like flapjack, which is not necessarily the same as complaining about it. Complaining may imply that he has the right to have anything better than flapjack. Whether he does have the right to anything better depends on a factor which was not stated: when John and James go to the bakery, can they be reasonably expected to know that the cake is being given instead of dinner (an expectation which can arise either from being told so by Mother or by reference to precedent)? If not, James, has the right to complain about the half-a-flapjack replacing dinner. So has John
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No, and No. I mean, they have the right to complain, but noone will take them seriously. That's cakes though. I have a parable about cakes that is actually about elections and politics
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It looks like we might actually have common ground on hypothetical failure to vote for the candidate you wish. Also, I do not disagree that our voting system is not perfectly representative.
(a) Yes - he was not given the cake for which he asked (b) No - by not expressing an opinion he accepts whatever occurs (c) A compromise between interest groups is more representative than a single issue majority. (d) Assuming that one of the proposals to recall bakers has not been instituted, balance accepting the situation until the next shopping trip whilst complaining loudly so the issue is highlighted against inciting revolt. (e)By choosing a cake that contains the greatest number of things they like and nothing they hate; no one said the decision was easy.
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(ii) yes
However, I'd really like to see Mother replaced by a system of proportional representation; and/or John and James have the option to buy "I don't like any of these cakes, and they should be barred from being on sale for the next two successive parliaments". Personally.
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I think i probably ask for anything with apple filling, but they don't have any so i say i'll settle for a jam donut but they give me flapjack anyway which i hate. I can complain about this all i like.
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ii) He has the right to make it known to John and Mother that he does not like flapjack, which is not necessarily the same as complaining about it. Complaining may imply that he has the right to have anything better than flapjack.
Whether he does have the right to anything better depends on a factor which was not stated: when John and James go to the bakery, can they be reasonably expected to know that the cake is being given instead of dinner (an expectation which can arise either from being told so by Mother or by reference to precedent)? If not, James, has the right to complain about the half-a-flapjack replacing dinner. So has John ( ... )
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(a) Yes - he was not given the cake for which he asked
(b) No - by not expressing an opinion he accepts whatever occurs
(c) A compromise between interest groups is more representative than a single issue majority.
(d) Assuming that one of the proposals to recall bakers has not been instituted, balance accepting the situation until the next shopping trip whilst complaining loudly so the issue is highlighted against inciting revolt.
(e)By choosing a cake that contains the greatest number of things they like and nothing they hate; no one said the decision was easy.
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