Only logged in members can reply and interact with the post.
Join SimilarWorlds for FREE »

Who really is in control? The governments are made up of careerists some of whom manage to stay elected to office most of their adult lives,

But do they actually hold any power?
Individuals don't have much power except to the extent that they can lobby, persuade and vote within the legislative chambers.
Parties as a block have more power.
Ministers and leaders have the most; exactly how much varies depending on the constitution of each state and country.

Governments control the making and amending of laws and regulations. They can control how they gather and spend taxes. They control the armed services (in most countries). They have a large say in control over social safety nets and public services. They can have some (limited) influence on public opinion in so far as they control information about their intentions and actions and the spin they choose to put on these.
In extraordinary situations, specified by the constitution, they can overrule normal limits.

In democratic countries they can't control the judiciary. This is deliberately designed as a means to help prevent overreach, abuse and corruption of power -- but it doesn't always work.

In democratic countries, governments cannot control the press media -- although quite often and increasingly, the media can affect the rise and downfall of politicians.
The media are one of the essential features of a democracy; people cannot vote appropriately unless they are reliably informed.
In this sense, it's up to the citizens to seek out news sources that are backed by proof. Reuters is one of the best.

Governments - and individual politicians - cannot control economics (because of fiscal deregulation), world finances, stock markets, international corporations, religious beliefs, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, droughts, earthquakes, or diseases.
They can control the responses to these events in ways that can make the effects worse, or which can help to soothe, heal, cope and rebuild.
MrAverage1965 · 61-69, M
The real power is on the hands of the wealthy.
The elected politicians are simply their puppets.
This comment is hidden. Show Comment
Kwek00 · 41-45, M
In these liberal constitutional frameworks, power is difused over the governement, midfield organisations and those that can organise and vote.
Bc8627 · 26-30, F
@Kwek00 Are you advocating some kind of change to that?
Kwek00 · 41-45, M
@Bc8627 You know, if you want power to be more concentrated you should at least give it to someone you really trust. But those that seek power, are ussually people that are easily corrupted by it... so you run the danger of creating something dangerous. Even if this person would do his job and not become corrupt, you have now created a system where it will only take time for someone that will abuse it to grab power.

To give a simple annalogy, have you seen "Black Panther"? The entire "yay Wakanda" thing? Well, that's kinda absurd to a person that thinks like me, since Wakanda was an absolute monarchy. And it's portrayed to have been ruled by "wise kings" and everyone is happy [i](how romantic can you get)[/i]. But the system failed the moment someone took power the moment an asshole sat on the throne, shit just hit the fan. That's what happens if you concentrate power.

Liberals had a bit of a frustration just because their point of reference was a time of absolute monarchies, so they tried to difuse power in their systems of thought. It's that system that is more or less implemented in most western countries today. But difusing power, also creates problems, mainly that certain descisions take a long time to make or are never made at all. There is also verry little long term vision that can be implemented since power wheels every 4-8 years.

I personally favor the current problematic system over the old problematic system, since individuals and the people at least have some protection and something to contribute. Where we as a civilisation failed, is educating people on how to use the system, what the principles are, why it's there, etc... the fundamentals and the why are seriously underappreciated because people just don't know. And if you don't know a lot about this system, then you don't know how to use it or how it can work for you... but those that seek power know how to use it and they know how it will work for them. And the fact that the system is pretty chaotic and complex just because power is so difuse, makes it an easy target for people with simplistic narratives to create the perception that it's broken. It's kinda sad really.
Graylight · 51-55, F
Only the power we give them. They win or lose based on our support of them, and they work or pack their things based on our vote. We have the ultimate control... It's just that most of us never choose to use it.
Cierzo · M
I think the objectives come from above (Deep state?), but they have some autonomy in the ways to achieve them.
Northwest · M
The Illuminati, and when that does not work, lobbyists.
FloorGenAdm · 51-55, M

 
Post Comment