greenpolitics.ca

Although BC-STV nearly squeaked by in 2005, it went down in flames spectacularly this year. Despite the almost $750,000 spent and aided by a small army of volunteers, poor process, too many amateur cooks on the ‘Yes!’ side’s committees, a complicated voting system badly explained, and too-large electoral areas meant that BC-STV was practically doomed from the start. Could it have been deliberately set up to fail? Or was this just a case of hubris?

Book Review Political activist Judy Rebick has written a visionary and inspiring book that shows how applied people-power can transform politics from being élitist, secretive, and corrupt, into genuinely open, grassroots, and democratic systems. Her writing is highly-charged and visionary, but her focus on South American politics glosses over the fact that Canadian political culture is very different. Can western democracy be transformed, or are we just too affluent to organise for change?