Are we governed from the top down or the bottom up ?

Question

Do we just accept that the opinion of the government is more informed and better than our own ? That because they are better paid better educated better fed and better housed than ourselves that they also know better how to spend the money you gave them and the resources you prduced for them ?
That the government is right to ignore the people from time to tiime - even though the people are the wealth of the nation because there is no way the masses could make these decisons without the upper class corperations lawyers and other "pro's" ?
Why is it we the people are in constant deferrment to the governng body and how have we changed since the old days of Kings - Isn't today's government a spit in the face to all those who fought wars on our behalf to gain just the tiniest bits of freedoms from our masters ?
70 % of the population wants out of Iraq in the US 66 % of Cdns want out of Afganistan the government who makes up less than 1/2 a % wants to "stay the course" We pay we die

Answer 1

We are supposed to be a government of the people, by the people and for the people.

Unfortunately, we are now governed by a corporate oligarchy which functions like an octopus eating its own legs. Also, we have sadly become a lazy people. How many of the 70% of Americans who want the US out of Iraq have bothered to show up at a protest, phone thier elected representatives or done anything at all. Sadly the number is very low.

You ask an interesting question when you say: "How has it changed?" A man named Thomas Paine wrote a book called "Common Sense" that played a substantial role in starting the American Revolutionary War, in it he stated: "In America the Law is King." Contrast this with President Bush's signing statements or the John Yoo's theory of the unitary executive.

If you really want to understand how all modern governments work read 1984 by George Orwell. Aside from being one of the greatest works of the English language it will teach you more than a lifetime of of TV and its a great read. Also, read "Animal Farm" by Orwell which explians Stalinist communisim and is a great fairy tale, to boot.

You can raed them on-line here:
http://www.george-orwell.org/

Give yourself credit for asking intelligent questions and thinking about the answers.

Answer 2

We are governed from the top down.

We get to choose those in power every few years and we are allowed to voice our opinions and protest peacefully if we don't agree with the government (though heaven knows, even democratic governments are tempted to make life difficult for protesters sometimes).

However we have very little actual influence on what the government does on a day-to-day basis. When there have been attempts at revolutions to devolve more power into the hands of the people these have almost invariably failed.

It seems the most democratic (i.e. responsive to the will of their people) countries are the smaller European ones like Switzerland where every important issue is put to referendum. A system which has worked well for centuries for the Swiss but do you think the UK government would agree to a system like that?

You might as well wait for hell to freeze over :-)

Sadly that is the way with government. Let us perhaps be grateful this isn't China where we would be risking prison for writing stuff like this on the net.

Answer 3

Don't over analyze. Make no mistake government ALWAYS works from the top down, no matter what kind of government it is.

Answer 4

Anymore, it's from the top down. That is not how our government was meant to operate as it was founded. (You know, of the people, for the people, and all that).

But sadly, that it what is has become today.

Answer 5

whatever it is, it certainly is not what our founding fathers had in mind. i can just imagine what the guys who said no taxation without representation would have to say about it. in particular, mr jefferson. think he'd start talking about gardening. you know, watering the tree of liberty, etc..