(July 13, 2012 at 9:25 pm)Polaris Wrote: Democracy protecting the rights of the minorities as a defining feature? LOL no. Democracy is all about majority rule....Democratic Socialism (almost said socialism, but that would bring up the Fascists as well) protects the minorities.

I don't know about Australia, but in America the constitution revolves around majority rule and protecting the rights of the minority.
These are distinguishing and primary features that have allowed America to survive for so long.
We aren't a country of objectivist, Lassez-faire capitalists, ut we aren't socialistic either.
Regardless, we aren't talking about the fiscal protection of minorities, but rather the rights of minorities.

Quote:Democracy protecting the rights of the minorities as a defining feature?

Sadly, not under the American system,which empathises individual rights, and leans towards fuck-you-Jack-I'm-Ok libertarianism. Australian democracy emphasises equality and social justice.

In this instance I was commenting on Australian democracy, not what passes for democracy in the US.

(July 13, 2012 at 10:39 pm)padraic Wrote:

Quote:Democracy protecting the rights of the minorities as a defining feature?

Sadly, not under the American system,which empathises individual rights, and leans towards fuck-you-Jack-I'm-Ok libertarianism. Australian democracy emphasises equality and social justice.

In this instance I was commenting on Australian democracy, not what passes for democracy in the US.

Now, now. Just because the system itself is failing in almost every way possible doesn't mean that there aren't positive forces trying to counteract this. The ACLU is just one organization here that works towards upholding constitutional rights and rights for minorities.

(July 13, 2012 at 10:54 pm)Skepsis Wrote:

(July 13, 2012 at 10:39 pm)padraic Wrote: Sadly, not under the American system,which empathises individual rights, and leans towards fuck-you-Jack-I'm-Ok libertarianism. Australian democracy emphasises equality and social justice.

In this instance I was commenting on Australian democracy, not what passes for democracy in the US.

Now, now. Just because the system itself is failing in almost every way possible doesn't mean that there aren't positive forces trying to counteract this. The ACLU is just one organization here that works towards upholding constitutional rights and rights for minorities.

The ACLU upholds as many rights for minorities as they do for religious institutions and hate speech, however.

(July 13, 2012 at 11:24 pm)KnockEmOuttt Wrote: The ACLU upholds as many rights for minorities as they do for religious institutions and hate speech, however.

Religious insitutions and people whose only purpose is to rant about this and that have the same right to say as they wish as I do.
If I am to have the right to say that religion is the worst thing to ever happen to humankind bar smallpox. Hate to say it, but organizations like the Westboro Church have the right to spew their hatred all day long as long as they don't cross the line into violence.
My point was that we have positive forces working towards the adherence to our founding documents, and I don't think the fact that the ACLU protects all free speech is a detriment to my intention.

(July 14, 2012 at 2:45 am)Skepsis Wrote:

(July 13, 2012 at 11:24 pm)KnockEmOuttt Wrote: The ACLU upholds as many rights for minorities as they do for religious institutions and hate speech, however.

Religious insitutions and people whose only purpose is to rant about this and that have the same right to say as they wish as I do.
If I am to have the right to say that religion is the worst thing to ever happen to humankind bar smallpox. Hate to say it, but organizations like the Westboro Church have the right to spew their hatred all day long as long as they don't cross the line into violence.
My point was that we have positive forces working towards the adherence to our founding documents, and I don't think the fact that the ACLU protects all free speech is a detriment to my intention.

Perhaps. That aside, the U.S. is still very lax on allowing religious doctrine to be inserted into non-religious affairs. You wouldn't see what happened in Australia happen here...at least not in the next few decades.

(July 14, 2012 at 3:19 am)KnockEmOuttt Wrote:

(July 14, 2012 at 2:45 am)Skepsis Wrote: Religious insitutions and people whose only purpose is to rant about this and that have the same right to say as they wish as I do.
If I am to have the right to say that religion is the worst thing to ever happen to humankind bar smallpox. Hate to say it, but organizations like the Westboro Church have the right to spew their hatred all day long as long as they don't cross the line into violence.
My point was that we have positive forces working towards the adherence to our founding documents, and I don't think the fact that the ACLU protects all free speech is a detriment to my intention.

Perhaps. That aside, the U.S. is still very lax on allowing religious doctrine to be inserted into non-religious affairs. You wouldn't see what happened in Australia happen here...at least not in the next few decades.

Completely and undeniably correct.
The ACLU wouldn't allow religion to put its nose where it doesn't belong; the reason we see the right wing rage so hard on the ACLU is due to precisely that.
Religion has no place in the public sphere at all.