http://thepolity.net/wordpress/2009/09/23/brief-review-leighninger-the-next-form-of-democracy/ Toward more sustainable ways of connecting citizens and government Tue, 04 May 2010 12:37:53 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://thepolity.net/wordpress/2009/09/23/brief-review-leighninger-the-next-form-of-democracy/comment-page-1/#comment-34 Matt Solomon Fri, 12 Feb 2010 21:37:47 +0000 http://thepolity.net/wordpress/?p=69#comment-34 “The Seven Deadly Citizens,” is very much intriguing in which it refers that citizens themselves are characterized by the capitalistic/democratic traits that are portrayed through the liberal media and its egotistical agenda to push the latest trends of merchandise. The problem in treating citizens as predictable products is on occasion the citizens do something unpredictable, though labeling them solely as voters, consumers, socializers, volunteers, advisors, the disempowered, or deliberators, could be and has proven problematic. While at the same time individuals are expected to behave within the seven parameters of a “Deadly Citizen” but how does being predictable citizens entice participatory democracy, how does it allow freethinking, free movements? When the government can predict its own citizen’s behavior and categorize them based on what the government believes you, as an individual should behave as a citizen. Governments should be afraid of their citizens, not the citizens being afraid of their government. What incentive does the government have to not fear their citizens and oppress them? Could it be that too much wealth and power in the government makes for a weak citizen base, and a powerful government, or should the people be holding the power over the government, and make the government work for the people? Participatory democracy is a grand idea, but what the world has seen out of Brazil from it is the negative side effects of riots, corruption and fear, but who is to say those things are isolated directly to the idea of participatory democracy in Brazil, no matter what government is in charge over any nation, there are these attributes of negative behavior outweighing the positive, it is human nature to take advantage for personal gains, but one thing should be for sure, is that the government should be afraid of its citizens, to ensure that services continually be rendered in support of their freedom, and not to oppress ideological freedoms granted to man. “The Seven Deadly Citizens,” is very much intriguing in which it refers that citizens themselves are characterized by the capitalistic/democratic traits that are portrayed through the liberal media and its egotistical agenda to push the latest trends of merchandise. The problem in treating citizens as predictable products is on occasion the citizens do something unpredictable, though labeling them solely as voters, consumers, socializers, volunteers, advisors, the disempowered, or deliberators, could be and has proven problematic. While at the same time individuals are expected to behave within the seven parameters of a “Deadly Citizen” but how does being predictable citizens entice participatory democracy, how does it allow freethinking, free movements? When the government can predict its own citizen’s behavior and categorize them based on what the government believes you, as an individual should behave as a citizen. Governments should be afraid of their citizens, not the citizens being afraid of their government.
What incentive does the government have to not fear their citizens and oppress them? Could it be that too much wealth and power in the government makes for a weak citizen base, and a powerful government, or should the people be holding the power over the government, and make the government work for the people? Participatory democracy is a grand idea, but what the world has seen out of Brazil from it is the negative side effects of riots, corruption and fear, but who is to say those things are isolated directly to the idea of participatory democracy in Brazil, no matter what government is in charge over any nation, there are these attributes of negative behavior outweighing the positive, it is human nature to take advantage for personal gains, but one thing should be for sure, is that the government should be afraid of its citizens, to ensure that services continually be rendered in support of their freedom, and not to oppress ideological freedoms granted to man.

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