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The Good State
- On the Principles of Democracy
- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 6 hrs and 25 mins
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The Good State
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Summary
The foundations upon which our democracies stand are inherently flawed, vulnerable to corrosion from within. What is the remedy?
A. C. Grayling makes the case for a clear, consistent, principled, and written constitution, and sets out the reforms necessary - among them addressing the imbalance of power between government and Parliament, imposing fixed terms for MPs, introducing proportional representation, and lowering the voting age to 16 (the age at which you can marry, gamble, join the army, and must pay taxes if you work) - to ensure the intentions of such a constitution could not be subverted or ignored. As democracies around the world show signs of decay, the issue of what makes a good state, one that is democratic in the fullest sense of the word, could not be more important.
To take just one example: by the simplest of measures, neither Britain nor the United States can claim to be truly democratic. The most basic tenet of democracy is that no voice be louder than any other. Yet in our "first past the post" electoral systems a voter supporting a losing candidate is unrepresented, his or her voice unequal to one supporting a winning candidate, who frequently does not gain a majority of the votes cast. This is just one of a number of problems, all of them showing that democratic reform is a necessity in our contemporary world.
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What listeners say about The Good State
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 30-04-23
Flawed discussion for the losers
Occasionally informative and explanatory, but subtly imbalanced in the manner of mainstream media, by omitting or shrouding at times arguments counter to the points he wishes to emphasise, and have the listener/reader remember. For examples;
His repeated recommendation to extend the voting franchise to 16 year olds, with no counter argument pointing out their lack of life experience and their easily influenced mind set at that age.
"Voting should be compulsory." a fundamental violation of the desire of the individual to abstain, or is he suggesting they can spoil their form but must attend - pointless.
"Bored and uninterested pupils are so, because classes are too big" Really? Is that the only reason? Presumably their intellectual inheritance has nothing to do with it, or perhaps their dysfunctional family circumstances etc, etc.
I could go on, The text is littered with left leaning whinging, and the usual emphasis on highlighting human rights in their various forms, but little talk of human duties, except when it comes to MP's, when attempting to emphasise their shortcomings.
When I was younger I would have agreed with everything he advocates in this work. I'm retired now; I grew up.
Having a legion of giants shoulders to stand on, if he truly is an example of the modern philosopher who is paid by society to make thoughts their aim, then we truly are in the age of mediocrity.
On the bright side, the appendices have some interesting facts and thoughts.
Mick the Hick😞
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