h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

For too long, the traditional roots of parliament, which is steeped in the traditions of law making, is stuck in that framework of working and views of the world. The effect is that big mistakes were made and are still being made; and we are suffering greatly from that legacy. New methods and philosophies should be introduced to modernise parliament; not just from the point of view of representation.

The work of parliament has been devoted to passing laws in terms of giving extra rights or restricting rights. Too little went into efforts in assessing the effects of change and how to make changes successfully. Take for example:-

Introduction of laws that disallow smacking of children and similar rules applied to schools and homes alike. Many parents of this country has had a long tradition of controlling children by verbal threats and physical punishment. It is obvious that these parents do not have the social skills and attitudes required to bring up children without resorting to such methods that they believe works. And obviously, they would continue to do so at home! However, the schools where the teaching professionals know better had been increasingly having their hands tied by each rule that came out. What parliament failed to do is to convince parents that there are better ways of parenting than threatening and smacking children, and let them see the error of their ways and to let them acquire skills to deal with parenthood. Perhaps, if parliament has done that, there is no need to pass laws even! This is the big difference in how a system engineer sees the world instead of how lawyers see the world.

I agree that new methods should be introduced to modernize parliament, as it stands at the moment I believe the system is not very democratic, the majority of the public have very little say it what really goes on, this is left to an elite few (i.e. house commons/lords) who rarely listen to the views of the majority.

Why not introduce new technologies into the parliamentary system, for example by letting everybody have the opportunity to vote on important issues/decisions. Surely getting the views off 100,000+ people is better than the views of 100 or so ‘elite’.

With the latest technologies this is easily possible, through the use of the internet/WebTV/mobile text messages a secure voting system available to all citizens could be built.

i totally agree whole hartedly with what you r saying if you read my space it goes on to say more