Freedom in the big grey space
Elizabeth, ek is so dankbaar vir jou intrede. Ek het al dikwels gesê dat vir 'n sitetjie met opset is weerklank lewensbloed. Die oortappingsdiens word tot uiterste waardeer.
I now respond to things you bring up. I probably give you more response than you expect, possibly more than you want. That's because I think/hope that via (relatively) short replies to queries like yours I make D2 less mysterious, to other people too.
Point 1: Freedom/Democracy. You imply a link; you raise the thought whether they are the same thing. To me, no. Democracy can restrict freedom. It has always done that, it does it routinely in every democracy now. D2 might introduce more restriction. The logic of D2 would abundantly let Limpopo restrict late-night partying, Sordwana restrict dune buggies. However, the restricting of anything requires a critical mass of interested persons to want to restrict it. Given that (a) Stella worries less about Billy's life than about her own life, and (b) when her life is proceeding reasonably she gets less agitated by what he thinks or how he behaves, I claim for D2 that (a) it creates an unprecedented level of freedom, and (b) it stimulates the comfortable to help the uncomfortable get more comfortable.
Is that a bit of a rough sentence? Let's try this one: D2 puts freedom into the big patch of space between the things people support you doing and the things they hate you doing.
Point 2: Are you citing "stuck resources" and "inability to act" in support of D2 or in criticism of it? If the former ... well, um, thanks. If the latter, along the familiar lines that "things can't work like this; things have never worked like this" I wish to say: that's the point. Nowhere has the system been designed to maximise the power of the voter. When my little local councillor has clout over public monies, we're getting somewhere. First she must be able, in council, to levy taxes on us, her voters, our little local selves. Second and bigger, she must stand on a low rung of the tax ladder stretching up to the Minister of Finance. All of my representatives, and of yours, will have a foot on this ladder, each with a vested interest in cementing my vote, or yours, by finding things that can be done better and cheaper than a rival party is doing them. (Right now the tax ladder doesn't exist, please note. Between us and the Minister is light years of black hole – over which we as typical taxpayers have no notion of exercising any influence whatever).
Elizabeth, dankie, you've helped me clarify some things. Well, they're clearer to me, I hope to you, too. Allebeste.
Subscribe to this comment's feed