direct democracy is the only way

[lucy]

Because even in my small country of 5 mill people you cannot have a vote with all 5 mill anytime the smallest thing has to be decided.

And who exactly would be interested in voting on the smallest thing? That's simply not necessary. I can tell you what would happen if you tried to have vote on every chickenshit proposal: After a while almost nobody would bother to go to vote.
It's relatively easy to implement elements of direct democracy: You restrict it to elections, new or altered laws and projects that cost at least a certain amount of money and of course also everything that affects the constitution. There can also be an element of referendum, i.e. a law is only put to a public vote if a certain number of people demand it.

Works pretty well around here and has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the complexity of a society. I'm pretty sure Switzerland isn't that much more simple than say, England or Germany or Ireland. At least last time I've been abroad I didn't feel much like a tribal cavewoman.

[thir]

And who exactly would be interested in voting on the smallest thing? That's simply not necessary. I can tell you what would happen if you tried to have vote on every chickenshit proposal: After a while almost nobody would bother to go to vote.
It's relatively easy to implement elements of direct democracy: You restrict it to elections, new or altered laws and projects that cost at least a certain amount of money and of course also everything that affects the constitution. There can also be an element of referendum, i.e. a law is only put to a public vote if a certain number of people demand it.

Works pretty well around here and has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the complexity of a society. I'm pretty sure Switzerland isn't that much more simple than say, England or Germany or Ireland. At least last time I've been abroad I didn't feel much like a tribal cavewoman.

How interesting!! I was not aware that the Swiss system was so different. I must read more about this - or do you happen to have some really good links you'd like to refer to?

[leo9]

And who exactly would be interested in voting on the smallest thing? That's simply not necessary. I can tell you what would happen if you tried to have vote on every chickenshit proposal: After a while almost nobody would bother to go to vote.

There was a satirical comedy in the '60s about that. The anti-hero gets elected on a promise of total democracy, which turns out to mean that everyone's TV keeps lighting up with a demand that they vote on some issue or other that nobody gives a shit about. After a few months of that, he gets them to elect him dictator just so they can stop being asked to vote.