Referenda are dumb. 'Direct democracy' is a misnomer. Better term is amateurocracy. Democracy is good for picking people, not positions.
Conversation
Replying to
referenda aren’t dumb. But most policy decisions and things that are the results of long negotiations are bad subjects for them
1
1
Replying to
which is.... Most matters in governance. Things that are referendum worth are usually handled at nation-formation time.
1
Replying to
yeah: they should be fairly rare and restricted to simple constitutional questions. (Or perhaps big simple moral questions.)
1
1
but we’ve had three since 2010 in U.K. which I think had appropriate subjects. AV referendum, Scottish independence, U.K. secession
2
1
Replying to
I could expend many tweets arguing why they were appropriate (part. the most recent) … but I will spare you.
1
1
one observation I can’t resist: if it were up to the MSPs in Scottish Parl instead of a referendum, Scotland would be independent now.
1

