I think there is a huge difference b/w candidates. If you look at most governments they might want the same things but their means of acheiving them are quite different. In the U.S democrats favor large government involvement and spending on social programs. Republican's while often wanting the same things want less government involvement and more personal accountability.
This causes a huge amount of difference in how social programs/the bureaucracy is funded and managed and thus there can be rather stark differences in government-citizen interaction, not to mention environmental and foreign policy. Liberals tend to be much more passive in foreign relations and active in environmental issues.

As for wheter democracy is needed or not I think it is. The people need to be running their own lives, not some dictator segragated from the population in his compound and out of touch with the common man and his problems. Socialism can exist but it has to be created from the will of the people not a few 'revolutionaries' who happen to have the military strength and enforce the will of the few upon the many.
As for worrying about idiots voting and screwing things up, most people who know nothing about the issues or have little concern in government won't be voting, those who do are for the most part well informed.

And yes, you're vote does count. Just because an electoral college exists for the presidential race doesn't mean that that is the only thing people vote on. In fact in everything but the US presidency the popular vote decideds the outcome. And voting is the only way to tell politicians that you ARE in fact holding them accountable for their actions while in office.

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quote:

Originally posted by tdawgs69 I think there is a huge difference b/w candidates. If you look at most governments they might want the same things but their means of acheiving them are quite different. In the U.S democrats favor large government involvement and spending on social programs. Republican's while often wanting the same things want less government involvement and more personal accountability. This causes a huge amount of difference in how social programs/the bureaucracy is funded and managed and thus there can be rather stark differences in government-citizen interaction, not to mention environmental and foreign policy. Liberals tend to be much more passive in foreign relations and active in environmental issues. As for wheter democracy is needed or not I think it is. The people need to be running their own lives, not some dictator segragated from the population in his compound and out of touch with the common man and his problems. Socialism can exist but it has to be created from the will of the people not a few 'revolutionaries' who happen to have the military strength and enforce the will of the few upon the many. As for worrying about idiots voting and screwing things up, most people who know nothing about the issues or have little concern in government won't be voting, those who do are for the most part well informed. And yes, you're vote does count. Just because an electoral college exists for the presidential race doesn't mean that that is the only thing people vote on. In fact in everything but the US presidency the popular vote decideds the outcome. And voting is the only way to tell politicians that you ARE in fact holding them accountable for their actions while in office.

Well said and a true story.

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"...End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path...one that we all must take.
The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all change to silver glass...and then you see it...
...white shores...and beyond...the far green country under a swift sunrise."