Saturday, July 16, 2011

ELECTION POSTERS THAT SHOW A REAL DEMOCRACY

AMERICAN OBSERVATIONS

In contrast to the United States... 

The main parties present their candidates (farther along rue Nationale).

  • Voting is on Sunday.

  • There are many voting sites (I have never heard of suppressing them to favor a rival camp).

  • There is no gerrymandering. 

  • Businesses cannot contribute to political  parties.  

  • Candidates are elected by direct popular vote (as opposed to the two-tiered system that in the U.S. favors conservatives). 

  •  Far-right media are far less prominent.  

  • The parliamentary system allows a number of parties.

As well, students are admitted to the top universities on the basis of competitive national examinations and receive salaries as government officials (they teach for at least three years after receiving their diplomas, again by competitive exams). Government-run health care is free for life-and-death cases and relatively inexpensive for the rest. There are no privately-run prisons.

Americans who before Trump's second presidency said
"We are the world's most admired democracy,"
knew nothing of European systems. 

End of this section.
 
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