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Civil society tends to become a sort of artificial reservoir for an endangered species: the democratic intellectual, protected by the international institutions

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Is this undemocratic ?


Posts: 2
Joined: 2005-06-15
Is it undemocratic to take over somebody's blog and as such interfere with his/her right to express himself, and his/her freedom of speech ? I posted this online on my own blog mistwereld.blogspot.com and many people here in Belgium or at least some say that it is not undemocratic, that it is ok and they can do it, yet if the same happens in china it is said to be undemocratic. And is identity theft and taking over a blog, by getting access to peoples computers by hacking there computers, aren't that crimes ? I'm asking because I live in Belgium a democratic country, yet something that I have read to be undemocratic in other country's are said not to be here, by some, and I find that a worrying thing. Because if they start measuring with 2 different weights, so to speak, can bring a democracy of course, and that would not be a good thing. I have noticed that being for Europe, and saying that everyone is equal, and controversial topics such as gradations of life, seem to stir certain people up so much, that they might find it normal to shut me down. Thats why I'm asking. I am white, but sure know how it feels like if I would be black or muslim, because of the way I have been treated. Somehow if you are different you can be called a murderer, terrorist, thief, gay, gigolo, pedophile, when you are not that, and if you protest about it, then you are the one who should shut up. So what is the difference ? I asked one person before in the Netherlands and she said it was undemocratic.



Posts: 24
Joined: 2006-06-30
Re: Is this undemocratic ?
Yes it is really rather undemocratic. One of the key points of a democracy, i think, is that when you go to the polls, you are correctly informed about the facts. If not, then you aren't really free. You just have the illusion of being free. A major part of being well-informed is that intellectual debate isn't censored or stifled in any way. But I think you should ask yourself this - in Belgium, does the will of the people get done? Because in a parliamentary system, politicians can promise to do something and do another. It happens a lot in Britain. As such, I would submit that Britain is not a truly democratic state. The same may well be true for Belgium.



Posts: 109
Joined: 2005-10-27
?
A democratic ideology and the concept of human honesty are as different as apples and oranges.



Posts: 11
Joined: 2007-10-26
Voice from Poland
In Poland we have, in my opinion terribly stupid, law that every webside must be recorded in court as a journal , which costs some money of course. Isn't it strange that these things happen in democratic country? I heard about similar law in Italy these days... www.ego.wot.pl a new Internet newspaper
--

www.ego.wot.pl
a new Internet newspaper




Posts: 234
Joined: 2004-12-12
??
You mean that democracy and honesty are both fruit? Or do you mean that democracy has an inedible core, and honesty makes you all sticky?


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