Why would they need additional chances when they have already expressed what they want? Oh, they dared to vote for a candidate that doesn’t suit the powers that be, so they’ll vote again and again until they choose the preselected candidate.
You want democracy to work? Give people real choices, not the usual binary bad or more bad. Make them feel like their vote matters for once.
I’m not satisfied with the voting choices either, but I do have some understanding of why they are the way they are. It is a nontrivial systemic issue, and voting populist does not improve that situation.
You seem to see a dichotomy between the politicians that provide voting choices and the rest of the population that votes. I don’t see it that way. The politicians are part of the population, they represent the population. I won’t tell you to go into politics to try to change things, but if you did, then maybe you’ll realize why it’s hard, and that how things are is a function of human nature, of the particular country’s specific political system, and of the world being more complicated than many people recognize.
> the general public is so easily influenceable that allowing them to vote is a danger for democracy
I hate to admit it but he’s got a point. My counter would be that the recent US election was not won by the biggest spender.
Free speech is valuable and worth defending specifically because it has the potential to change minds, not just because people like the sounds of their own voices.
(For the recent US election, people also point to Musk buying Twitter and getting his president of choice and saying this demonstrates why Musk is smart and $44bn was worth it, so are you sure it wasn't won by the biggest spenders?)
> The collection of electoral contributions and the payment of electoral expenses may be made only through bank accounts notified in advance to the Permanent Electoral Authority.
The EU is not involved in directly financing candidates or political parties in Romania, they've already given us tens of billions of dollars to develop our country.
Wow, seems like they're spent tens of billions of dollars in long term election interference campaigns. Are we going to see the politicians elected going to jail over it?
Not quite the same as external party spending huge amounts of cash running political campaigns, while ignoring all the local rules about campaigning. After all Romania didn’t have to accept the EU cash, or spent it. The EU doesn’t force countries to join, just so they can give them billions of euros in the hopes of interfering in a political process years later. A political process that’s only important, because of the development funding. Much easier and cheaper to simpler not get involved, and allow those countries to struggle alone.
If Russia had called them in for not blocking or censoring pro-EU candidates would you not have called that election interference?
Secondly, for political messages it should be clear who the message is coming from! If this organization is coordinating messages that should be public (though from looking them up it sounds like they are already fairly public with it).
Open, fair, and honest elections are important. People always whine on about what the other side is doing but I want that fixed, too and I would gladly work with anyone that wants to fix both but sadly it's much more common to see continuous deflections to the other side (because they know their side is indefensible) rather than a desire for real change.
Okay, name two presidents who visited the NAFO summit.
Other than just being cheapskates, the west has a fear that {if Putin fears his regime may collapse, he may personally order the use of nukes}, and also that even if he doesn't and Russia does collapse then rogue actors may steal some of the nukes.
Russian propaganda machine is incredibly strong, because it was perfected on their own citizens for basically century now. They spend billions on pure propaganda.
While with military - they relied on propaganda as well. They projected power while not picking conflicts with anyone who can punch back.
Ukraine appeared too big to swallow this time and everyone can see, that king is naked. Russian military is a sham compared to US. Like, incomparable to be honest. But problem is that propaganda is much stronger than military. So west made a mistake dismissing russia because of their weak corrupt military while being invaded by propaganda.
West has nothing against russian propaganda machine and this is what thrtuthly terrifying to be honest.
If they dont, then you can claim "election interference" and misinformation and then call for a do over.
I want open borders so we can put a taco truck on every corner. Immigration is good.
No one is arguing that immigration isn't good.
You can have taco trucks with legal immigration.
I know what it means ;)
> No one is arguing that immigration isn't good.
You'd be surprised how many people argue exactly that. But I digress, I was just making a poorly-timed joke.
Say you live with your family in Juarez right now - what do you think statistically your chance of legal immigrating to the United States is (and lets up the ante, say you have legit proof that every mafia boss in Mexico is hunting you and every member of your family)...?
I'll give you a ballpark - your chance of legal immigrating is similar to me marrying Gisele... there is a chance, I am very good looking but you know...
Majority of people arguing "illegal" vs. "legal" immigration simply fail to look at statistic to see that "legal" immigration is vaporware - just a term to use to try to prove some point which cannot be proven with that argument...
I suppose that's one definition of it, a more extreme version. No country on Earth has this kind of immigration policy. It would be unsustainable.
> It doesn't mean the borders aren't secure enough for your paranoid xenophobic liking.
Ad-hominem attacks are not necessary. My wife is second generation immigrant. Her father is first generation, they do not support illegal immigration either. He came here legally and the people that come here illegally take away resources from those who want to come here legally the right way.
Do you actually believe this? Voter suppression and intimidation tactics don’t exist? Elections are always valid, no matter how they were facilitated?
What kept things in check so far has been that in the West, the elites have been benevolent. But now the masses, thx to social media and global comms, can be influenced by others.
Welcome to our post truth planet.
If propaganda from the "enemy" really is that effective, then either it's rooted in truth and resonates with the electors, or we have to admit that the general public is so easily influenceable that allowing them to vote is a danger for democracy, which means democracy isn't really worth much in the first place.