Debate: Capitalism vs. Democracy
Side: democracy

Ok.. What? LOL I love it how you "invalidate" my points by rephrasing them into illogical statements. I'm guilty of this too, but I do try not to, honest. No. Without evidence (I find it funny that you accuse ME of no evidence) the possibility of wireless or "shit like that" causing cancer in the future is not the concrete case against neoliberal capitalism.http://www.ted.com/talks/paul_root_wolpe_it_s_time_to_question_bio_engineering.html There's an interesting video that talks a little bit about one section of scientific research that seems a bit worrying. I'm just skeptical and wish for some regulations about things because as a free choosing being I can choose not to buy a GM product, but it is becoming harder and harder. I like living in New Zealand where we question these and other things on a political level.Tobacco, alcohol, prostitution?Here in New Zealand we have a strong anti-smoking thing going on at the moment and it is working to some degree. I have smoked for a period in my life, and I've "quit", but I regress occasionally. This is because I do feel addicted, and its hard to say no when they are on offer. Is it free choice when addicted?However, we (New Zealand) are not so good on the Alcohol debate... We (myself included) drink like fish and suffer as a result...Again I think you are reducing my argument to a HARD LINE against drugs. I believe that some regulations are too much and others are good, some not enough. And decisions on these should have public debate.Salvia Divinorum is legal in New Zealand. Each drug should be seen on its merits and detrimental effects. So I agree with you re: weed, salvia.Notice I am (trying my hardest) not saying exact laws that should be in place, nor laws that should not be in place. I don't know enough to say yay or nay. I don't believe your "freedom of choice" is enough evidence to say yay.Prostitution is legal in New Zealand, and from what I read the number of street workers has quadrupled since its legalization (a few years ago) as a result. Violence, rape, discrimination and the other nasty things picked to decrease are still accepted by most prostitutes in NZ as "part of the sex industry". So now 400% more people are involved in this. Great job legalization.I wont dissect the "kindergarten teacher" remark because, ok I did go a bit to far with the cloning/stem cell idea. But you still reduce my debate. I did not say "natural order instead of science" I said current regulations to enforce testing before they are chucked into the market is great.Yes, democracy gives people a chance to try and change something (because of equal voice). Social movements are all about this. Go the gays. If you want rights, campaign for them. They are and it's working. Are gays vilified now? Yes, by some, but not by a majority and so it is not illegal to be gay. (I am in NO way using these as an analogy of the gay struggle for acceptance, but an analogy of a social movement:) Same with campaigns for Christianity, abortion, capital punishment, drugs, immigration, gun laws, the right to go naked in public... Common sense should prevail over these things, and common sense does by democracy. And common sense changes over time.BUT you are right with your point about equal opportunity or equality not working, yet I (like I stated last comment) suggest it is not a problem with democracy but the realities of the world.Is not the environment being destroyed? Deforestation. Deep sea trawling. Melting ice caps. CO2 levels. Ozone depletion (no wait, government policy helped reduce that problem)...I'm not paranoid, I'm concerned and instead of just staying concerned, I'm (rightly or wrongly) trying to discuss a solution. It's better than inaction, or ignoring the issue.It all sounds so bogus as we have such a choice of what to believe these days. There is a supermarket of ideas on the Internet, and this does little to provide any truth to any matter. We live in a simulated society.I think the best argument for democracy and a collective agreement on things is your and my opinions. I don't want to live in your 'perfect' world, and you don't want to live in mine, thats why everyone should have a say, and democratically continually adapt society to work for the majority, instead of imposing all the differing crazy opinions (mine included) upon everyone!I will conclude with this: LOL we have now delved into class. Social stratification means both you and I are a minority! Some see class as something created by the dynamic logic of capitalism which helps institutionalize any economic based social movement. Yes liberals or any other social group HAVE to recruit across the analytical barriers of class because if they didn't they would have a very small group indeed.