From the blog of Garth Turner, Canadian Member of Parliament’s blog:

“When my great grandfather Ebenezer Bodwell went to Ottawa in 1867 to be the MP for Oxford, he carried with him the trust of all constituents. He knew that once the election was over, they had no choice but to trust him, since Ottawa was a long ways by horse. He rode off to represent them, since they had no other voice. But here we are. Today the work of MPs and government is well understood by everyone. Media bathes us in information and there is almost nothing our political masters know before we do. We are informed, educated, involved – and wired. And yet we still have a 19th Century political system in place in which we vote for an MP, and with that vote surrender our ability to actually get the laws we want…

So, given the fact we are all involved, and getting more connected every day, why can’t we also have more influence over our own country?

(Thanks to Richard Hamilton for the link and the quote.) [Tags: politics government blogs garth_turner canada]

Categories: Uncategorized dw