Comment by Frances Kendall, June 1, 2011 

I have vaguely followed your ideas for many years now Dennis, and congratulate you (like Leon) on sticking to your guns. Sure democracy at the closest level would be great and I agree the best system. The problem I have is the same I have as with the libertarians. It seems the majority of humans like someone else to make their decisions. I think we are evolved that way. Those who preach true freedom, democracy -- ie taking responsibility are a tiny minority. Most people seem to prefer to give their responsibilities to someone else they can then complain about.

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To ensure the worst will never happen, allow the worst to happen
Grazie kakhulu, Frances. You raise such nice things, you galvanise me:

• I too belong in that majority of humans. I do not want to have to work out whether I want fracking in the fricking Karroo. I do not want to decide whether cardboard waste belongs in the recyclable bag or the non-recyclable bin. I want someone whom I trust to be doing my share of the decision-making on these things. All I ask of the political system is that when I lose faith in this person, someone in the hierarchy of power will gulp.

• More democracy need not mean more voting. It means a more rational system.

• "Close" democracy is one side of the coin. If the democracy that is close to you (your cantons, my hillocks) can thwart the will of the majority of your compatriots, it never gets started. The basis of rational politics is the principle that the majority win. If fifty-percent-plus-one of voters are dead set on enforcing the wearing of blue socks on Sundays (or the execution of Presbyterians, banning of Abba, abolition of sun-screen, any horrendous or farcical thing you like) they have to be able to do it. This is the paradox of freedom. If the system has no limits, nothing horrendous or seriously farcical will happen. (Because timorous majorities will deflect or negotiate before voting themselves into horror or farce.) If the system puts limits on what can be achieved by ballot box, it creates rallying-points for demagogues seeking to break the system.

• D2 makes huge -- exceptional -- room for leaders to lead, subject to perpetual accountability to their rulers, the voters.

Frances, thanks. Hugely appreciated.