🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <47scop$2ln@cliff.island.net> record@goldrvr.island.net (Jerry West) writes:
>
>It is strange that the people who have the least control of the resources
>and are the most vulnerable should expect to have a form of government
>that protects them.  But that is an aside.

>To get away from such intense party "us vs them" politics let us:

>     1) Separate the executive and legislative branches of government.

>     2) Have a fixed term of office, no snap elections or any of this
>        putzing around trying to time an election call just right.

>     3) Do away with non-confidence votes and weaken party control over
>        legislators.

>     5) Use the referendum as a major vehicle for items on which the
>        legislature can not reach agreement, or is too chicken to tackle.

>Fire away guys

What happened to number 4?

More importantly, your first three suggestions are in place in the United 
States, and have not in any way prevented the development of "us vs them" 
politics in that country.  Similarly, if you really believe referendums 
(referenda?) do not create "us vs. them" polarization, I can only assume you 
have not been living in Canada for the past five years.  Get real!

If you want to argue for American-style government structures, you are going 
to have to do better than that.