I reapeat, I didn't know these questions were open fordiscussiob. Who convened the constitional convention? Obviously different forms of liberal democracy are possible, and some might be better. Just not here. jks
> > >=================
> > >
> > >Whizzed right past the constitutional phase of deliberation quite
> > >quickly didn't we? :-)
> > >
> > >Ian
> >
> > I thought we did that in 1789. I hadn't realized we were constructing
> > everything from scratch. No doubt a liberal state is unpopular. Every
> > fruitcake with a particular conception of the good wants to make the
>cops
> > enforce it against the unbelievers. That is why the ACLU is hated.
>
>================
>
>This presupposes that there is only one possible matrix of primary
>institutional forms within a liberal state which shall then be used to
>develop the institutional ecology necessary to support, configure and
>adapt to the economic and environmental conditions that evolve in
>historical time. Even your necessary conditions for any possible liberal
>democracy leave much to be determined in terms of institutional
>possibilities.
>
>Do all liberal democracies need a bicameral as opposed to, say, a
>monocameral legislature; do we or do we not have proportional
>representation; to what extent, if any, do we allow judicial review of
>legislation; how detailed would the bill of rights be; what would a
>commerce clause for the 21st century look like given all the mischief
>it's created; what institutions would oversee the production and
>distribution of scientific knowledge yaddah yaddah.
>
>Imo with regards to the issues in the 2nd paragraph, we need some
>serious updating of the institutional mix currently on offer and those
>very institutions are the greatest barrier to the necessary updating and
>reconfiguring of institutions. A constitutional convention is most
>definitely needed and if Jefferson and Madison rose from the dead they'd
>be appalled at what's going on right now. J. would probably update his
>tree of liberty rant......
>
>Ian
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