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Napoleon used direct democracy to make himself dictator its always been a tool of tyrants, and the referendum questions manipulated

• david927 13y ago
  Nonsense. Overthrowing Louis XVI was one of the most important movements of the enlightenment. Napoleon was popularly supported, remember, because people were sick of the monarchy. Democracy, direct or not, is the way forward. Accept it or not.
  • dobbsbob 13y ago
    "Plebiscites are “referenda”, people’s votes, in which an authoritarian ruler invites the people to answer an often ambivalent, suggestive question, which he formulates himself. Using such plebiscites, a ruler bypasses and ignores his elected parliament and tries to claim direct legitimacy from the people. In this he is wrong, because he does not respect or follow parliament which has indeed been elected by the people and expresses their diversity and different interests" In your case this would be bypassing congress, and bypassing debate because referenda are always formulated in questions that cant be debated. You're with us or with the evil doers
    • nate_meurer 13y ago
      Nice, thanks for this. For others' ease of navigation, the quote above comes from http://ukrainianweek.com/Columns/50/74762 http://ukrainianweek.com/Columns/50/74762