Category: Democracy
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Engagement efforts still not good enough
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Losing your human rights was never so boring
The headline message from this post is that the US Senate just passed an amendment denying habeas corpus – a fundamental human right – to anyone detained at Guantanamo Bay. And that’s very bad.
Obsidian Wings has a description of the amendment and its potential effect, written before it passed yesterday. It also has a second post, with more description, written after the vote passed 49-42 on the floor of the Senate.
All is not over yet, but SCOTUSblog and Opinio Juris discusses the consequences for some major human rights cases currently before the Supreme Court.
Update: More in the New York Times.
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Al Gore speech on democracy and the media
The Associated Press reports an interesting and readable speech by Al Gore on the problematic interaction of the American media and democracy:
I came here today because I believe that American democracy is in grave danger. It is no longer possible to ignore the strangeness of our public discourse . I know that I am not the only one who feels that something has gone basically and badly wrong in the way America’s fabled “marketplace of ideas” now functions.
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People versus Mandarins
Simon Parker comments on democratisation, and whether there is a need for a mandarinate any more. On a related note, interested readers of this blog shouldn’t forget the meetup on Wednesday – first meeting of the London and Brighton Democracy group, at the Mitre, off Hatton Garden. Details through the last link.
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People power
Demos Greenhouse links to the New Economics Foundation’s new Index of Democratic Power, showing how influential your vote is in deciding the government of the country.
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London & Brighton Democracy meetup
The first meeting of the London and Brighton Democracy meetup has been arranged, for 5 October at 1930, at the Mitre, off Hatton Garden.