After all these decades of parliamentary representative Democracy, nearly everyone realises that this system does not work and it has nothing to do with Democracy. There is only one real Democracy and that is Direct Democracy from the people for the people with the direct participation of all.The experiment of it started about 2600 years ago on Ancient Greece, it was not perfect but it set the foundations for something bigger, something more Human centre! A lot of things came in between since that moment in human history ( feudalism, empires, parliament) but now the time is right to kick start the whole thing back again all together. For freedom, justice, equality for me and you and the fellow next to us. Direct Democracy that is the answer!

very commendable. seen this working in a tv documentary about venesuela. unfortunately irish politicians seem more interested in serving. Europe and themselves than us. I think the idea of a motivated, informed and engaged populace is terrifying to them.

This is essentially sortition, analogous to the way in which juries are selected and in my opinion should replace representational democracy which is essentially 166 inefficient and unqualified political puppets acting as 1 drunken fumbling dictator! Sortition was a fundamental tenet of democracy that has been lost. Give randomly selected people, not motivated by outmoded potical persuasions or investstment interests the Oireachtas and they will, as has been proved by this experiment, revolutionise this country. However as this is a pipedream, I want to ask, as We the Citizens is not a political org, is it possible for Michael D higgins, esteemed president, to lend support to this movement, and I wonder are Eamonn Gilmore’s words sincere??

even if a new party comes along with a new fairer way of implementing democracy, the Irish way of thinking is a selfish one, i.e what can I personally get out of voting for a particular person. we never see the bigger picture. Our own individual psyche will have to change. unfortunately I can’t see this happening. gombeenism to prevail. hope I am eventually proved wrong.

Read the article and love the idea of ordinary people getting together. Too much ego sometimes associated in the whole political party thing. Reminds me of a book I read re a small utopian island which advocated small localised government where committees made decisions for the common good! Could it be Ireland? I’d love to live there. :)

I’m all for this kind of system.

We the Citizens support the bank guarantee.

Interesting experiment. We certainly need to have a much closer look at how our parliamentary system works. The whole idea of a “parties” is certainly not working, it is in essence a group of sheep all voting in the same direction with a complete absence of individual comment or opinion. There can be no informed debate when no matter what is proposed by the opposition it will be voted down by the “majority” government. We need to have a parliament where elected representatives can vote according to the wishes of those who elected them and not according to un elected advisers, political spin doctors, senior civil servants and party whips/leaders.

“The Rise and Rise of Micheal Rimmer” great ( if hard to find ) film showing hot direct democracy is one step away from dictatorship… ( Not that I personally believe this. )

Intriguing article but reminds me hugely of the debate about Fiat currencies and returning to the Gold Standard, or the reintroduction of the punt.

Just because something is flawed, it doesn’t necessarily make that the alternative must be better. In many senses it’s a bit like the quote from the Life of Brian where he says “You’re all individuals” to which the crowd inUnison responds “Yes we’re all individuals.”

Society is a very diverse group and so any form of direct democracy must incorporate such diversity. Take social welfare forexample. I earn a good wage but still get children’s allowance. I feel this is unfair. Yet I know of many who earn more than I who think children’s allowance is sacrosanct. To represent both viewpoints a compromise must be reach and therein lies the flawed beauty of representative democracy.

And that’s even before we get into the good stuff such as economic policy. And then there are lots of things which the some citizens don’t care about but which, in cold light of day, require sophistictaed debate. e.g. the Corrib Gas Field.

It’s a good intention, but the flawed system which exists should not be replaced with an even more flawed system, however noble the intentions.

“Participants had become more aware of the complex trade-offs to be made in coming to political decisions.”

Best point in this excellent article for me. Pity the commentators on here and in the media weren’t more aware of the same complex trade-offs.

A new politics fronted by Mr. Mac Conghail a Fine Gael appointed Senator! A new politics from We the Citizens so-called “citizens’ assembly” where the agenda was preset by a conservative academic elite think-tank. A new politics consisting of a glossy report to government from the We the Citizens so-called “citizens’ assembly” which recommends property and water taxes! A report which recommends that a citizens’ assembly be absorbed into the coalition’s proposed Constitution Review Convention. A new politics? I don’t think so.
Elite well funded groups such as the university academic group who set up We the Citizens are part of the problem and are definitely not the solution. If they really wanted meaningful change they would have followed the citizens’ assembly model from British Columbia which put its proposals to a referendum and not to government.
People who want change should support grassroots groups such as Occupy, Second Republic, Claiming our Future, etc. They are all pushing for meaningful change in different.

The struggle for freedom from oppressive elites is only beginning.
Manus

what we need to recognise first of all is what’s wrong with our democracy, and that is simply that it was never set up to cater to the Irish people in the first place, it is the hand-me down of a colonial system design to meet the recquirements of the ruling class, what ireland needs is an Irish system of government, unfortunately we have another government clearly more interested in looking east than west and will continue to do so till given a reason to turn around!

It doesn’t matter what direction the present crowd of politicians we are stuck with for five years look.
There is a stranglehold in the Constitution article 46.2
which lays down that only the governement can put amendments to the Constitution.
How can we create a new system of government?
That is why the We the Citizens’ powerless citizens’ assembly model is a pipedream.
The only way for change is from the bottom up. The politican turkeys will not vote for a Christmas which would involve radical change to our Westmisinster style system of government.
We need to get behind those groups who are working outside of the system with the aim of creating a new politics.
It comes down to people on the streets and not going away – without that the political Golden Circle still hold the all the cards.
Manus

new systems begin with a solid high wall with those traitors to the state standing in front of it blindfolded. you may include bertie, brian, seanie, fingers et al. start anew from here.

Could a high enough wall be a redesigned political system with real accountability?
Solid governmental systems redesigned by the people themselves like in Iceland after their country went bankrupt.

I don’t mean redesigned by obediently following neat briefs, lecture notes and informative questions generously supplied
by We the Professors.
(aka We the Citizens)