The usual knee-jerk reactionary nonsense, with a few worthy exceptions. To be fair to OLO I find intelligent contributions do outnumber inane ones ... usually.
Nothing cogent to respond to--indeed, the dessenters bare me out admirably--so I'll make do with some twitter. I'm not suggesting we dismantle democracy--though I am implying we need reform--the fact that it protects human rights, to the extent that it does, is worth preserving. I'm saying that in the real world---ie not the indestructible, inexhaustible cornucopia the denialists believe in, but the vulnerable planet we are in the process of devastating---democratic capitalism (oxymoron) is proving a signal failure at addressing ethical and survival issues. Our treatment of the biosphere is an ethical issue too; it's not just about us. Democracy is rule by the people, who en masse are as responsible and considerate as feral pigs. Lowering western living standards is analogous to denying these spoiled pigs their truffles, hence all the squeeling. The pigs will not vote for pain, even if it is for their own good, certainly not for goodness's sake; they are too pig-ignorant--"they" being the voting entity that holds sway. The real "pigs" are probably a minority, but their effective vote is tripled by the spook that they send through the herd when their truffles are threatened. Incoherent swine though they are, their indignant uproar has a hyperbolical effect on reason overall. Thus the majority vote to keep the truffles and be comforted by the suilline snorting of the bold ones among them.
When it comes to a global emergency, we can't be prevented from acting by a sounder of ignorant pigs! All nations should be signatory to global action that overrides domestic politics. This is not socialism or fascism, it's ethical self-preservation. Just because the pig ignorant say FTW, that doesn't make it ok! Do we get to vote on euthanasia, drugs or paedaphilia? No. And we shouldn't get to vote on whether or not we rape and pillage!
King Hazza. Interesting that you cite Sweden, noted for its socialist policies, as most ready to stand up.

"rats … have followed men like parasites from the very beginning … They are cunning, cowardly and fierce, and usually appear in large packs. In the animal world they represent the element of subterranean destruction ... (their place is) not dissimilar to the place that Jews have among men" - Joseph Goebbels, 1940

"We must kill the Tutsi cockroaches" - Hutu Power Radio, Rwanda 1994.

"The pigs will not vote for pain, even if it is for their own good, certainly not for goodness's sake; they are too pig-ignorant--"they" being the voting entity that holds sway. The real "pigs" are probably a minority, but their effective vote is tripled by the spook that they send through the herd when their truffles are threatened. Incoherent swine though they are ... we can't be prevented from acting by a sounder of ignorant pigs!" - Squeers, 2009

Isn't it remarkable that those who have no logical argument to rebut what can only be described as "reasoned argument", have nothing but recourse to ridicule and offensive language, imputing imagined motives and so the list goes on.

Clownfish et al, this will be my last post on this topic. I am done. Others may wish to pursue what seems to me to be a futile exercise in pursuading you of the error of your ways. More power to their elbows.

Have a good day.

David

Gosh, he's right ya know! I nominate Squeers el Presidente.

(I find it safest to humour these people.)

Squeers- apparently Sweden, classified year after year as being among the "Most Democratic Nations in the World" by the Economist and numerous other studies measuring Democracy, is in fact, NOT a democracy because it's "Socialist".
Apparently Germany- leading country in Solar Panel production and research, the Netherlands, which is introducing vertical urban wind turbines, aren't democracies either.

Oh, and furthermore: The World's Greenest Countries (based on Yale University's grouping to an environmental performance index- and (surprise!)

1- Switzerland (one of the only countries with CIR)
2- Sweden (which, democracy established, has now incorporated electric car recharge infrastructure for the convenience of the public
3- Norway
4- Finland
5- Costa Rica
6- Austria
7- New Zealand
etc

More here;
http://www.newsweek.com/id/98010
And many more for anyone who wants to google for it.

Now comparing this to any list of countries based on a degree of democracy (and admittedly none are quite accurate or base 'democracy' on other criterias than public input- which, anyone who actually bothers to research will quickly find to be VERY LOW in most countries- including officially 'democratic' ones), but you will find the more democratic countries tend to also be greener.

It seems quite a few people get very confused about what 'democracy' actually is (which is pretty pathetic as the other half of the people here explicitly outline it on a regular basis). They either think it only means a system where you vote some guy to rule over you- or more correctly as a system based on public input- but then lazily and falsely associate this with countries that clearly DON'T accomodate much public input at all. Some even go so far as to assume it's related to Capitalism- which is quite frankly so stupid I'm worrying I might get a stroke merely from reading it.

Goodnight everyone!

VK3AUU,I can only assume you took issue with Squeer's ranting diatribe against "pigs"?

Otherwise, what was it about reflecting on 20th Century history and how it relates to the posts on this forum that could have caused you to take your bat and ball and sook off home?