More the reason why we need referenda.

Referenda is a great system by which the public bypasses the legislature and votes itself its own pork directly.

Here in Florida, referenda have brought us school class size and prekindergarten boondoggles, train system boondoggles, which the public later turned around and voted out when they realized it wasn't actually a freebie. Oh, and of course, the infamous amendment to our state constitution banning cages for nursing sows.

Let's skip the direct democracy. In this case the medicine is much worse than the disease.

Mark, if we are going to end up with pork it might as well be pork that the people voted for and not the elite. But then again, I forget that the "Libertarian" Party is just another party that wants to keep a ruling elite over the people.

Jeremy:

I don't particularly want the rule of the elite. But given a limited choice, I would prefer it over the rule of the unbridled masses. In any event, direct democracy "mob rule" has always been short lasting as the resulting chaos inevitably leads to dictatorship. Also, direct democracy is an affront to the rule of law, so Libertarians would have to reject it in any event.

I don't want direct democracy. I don't want rule of the elites. I want the rule of law, where government exists ONLY to protect private property rights and protect against force and fraud.

And of course you would assume that there has always been resulting chaos. Direct democracy has existed in past, even in America, and the only reason why any of them failed was because the elite of other countries couldn't leave them alone. Throughout history it has always been states, aristocrats and other members of the hierarchy that created the chaos, and they are the ones who blind us with consumption and competition to prevent cooperation and progress.

Restore the Republic, repeal the 17th Amendment which allowed Senators to become national politicians instead of representatives of the Citizens of each of the Several State Republics. While you are at it repeal the 16th Amendment and revoke the Federal Reserve Act! It would also be nice to make adjustments to the 14th Amendment in order to eliminate Federal Citizenship and authority over the Citizens of the States.

Put the proper authority in the hands of the People through the proper Constitutional use of their Rights, eliminate Corporatism (i.e. Fascism), and have Congress realize that they represent the People, not the Federal Government!

Jeremy:

I can all but assure you that progress as we know it would come to a halt under direct democracy. As each majority voted itself largesse at the expense of capitalists and entrepenuers the market would break down fast. The least productive would gain at the expense of the most productive. The producers, robbed of everything, would have no incentive to produce and soon we would have shortages and suffering and inevitably the situation would rapidly produce an authoritarian takeover. Rather than redesigning the government, I focus on reducing it and eliminating it from our lives altogether.

Yeah, thats it, we need to protect the corporations from the people because god knows they cant protect themselves with all of thier money and power buying.

Keith:

Direct democracy is not the cure for any problem with corporations. The cure is very simple. Elimination of limited liability and elimination of the concept of corporate personhood, neither concept having evolved in the market but were granted by government fiat.

In any event, having lots of money is no protection from either a direct democracy or an authoritarian elite from taking away everything you have. Neither is a corporate badge. I have watched many formerly powerful corporations disappear in the blink of an eye at the whim of an authoritarian regime.