What is direct democracy?

Direct democracy is a term coined to reign the term democracy back in on itself, by qualifying it as “direct” democracy, which means rule directly by the people, voting on every issue themselves. Democracy literally means “rule by the people” but because of logistical hurdles, democracy wasn’t possible until the recent digital revolution made it so. And so democracy though history, became synonymous with representative democracy. So with new technological advancements, a move to actually poll people on specific issues by plebiscite or referendum became possible and since democracy was already applied to the current system as a label, it was further clarified as “direct” democracy when actually polling the entire populace on an issue. In fact, direct democracy is the only true form of democracy.
What is a plebiscitary?
A plebiscitary is a place where plebiscites, votes on issues by the entire populace, are discussed.
What is a Simple Majority?
A Simple Majority is 51% of the total voting on any issue, whether it be of the total populace in a plebiscite or 51% of the seats in the House of Representatives. Simple Majorities are all that is necessary to impose legislation, and since abstaining voters are totally disregarded, the Simple Majority is merely a pretension, disguising a Simple Majority only of the fraction of people who were moved enough to vote in a system that doesn’t reflect their will already. In the United States, this often leads to 51% of the 60% of the total that voted, deciding issues. And 51% of 60% is down to 30% of the total now. 30% minority, imposing their will on the other 30% that voted, and the 40% that didn’t even bother to vote, knowing they won’t be represented anyway. Simple Majorities, while disregarding Abstentions, are truly just Minority Rule, and easily exploited by moneyed interests.
What is a Supermajority and why is it better than Simple Majorities?
A Supermajority is basically, something significantly higher than a Simple Majority. Commonly used Supermajority in the Senate and in some Corporate protocols is the double majority or 66% rather than 51%. 2 out of every 3 people must agree, or the measure does not pass. A Supermajority is a sober majority.
Why is direct democracy better than representational government?
Representational governing has outlived its usefulness. What was a necessity during the days of horse and buggy, no electricity, and very weak communication, has now become redundant in this digital age of mass communication, where everyone can finally have their say directly, and not rely on representatives to try and infer what it is they want. Representatives are prone to too many exploitations that the general public voting on the same issues would not be. It is much easier for wealthy interests to manipulate some few hundred congressman to create restrictive legislation they want imposed, than it is for them to manipulate 200 million people to agree to that same legislation. Additionally, all representatives have a conflict when their own self interest is at cross purposes with those they are elected to represent, and most people put in that position, will act on their own self interest first, as most every politician does. Because representatives cannot truly represent our best interests, we ought to represent them directly, ourselves. And, representatives, some several hundred in the House of Representatives, could never be expected to statistically reflect what 300 million people want, no matter how many committees they form to discuss it. Representation is open to exploitation by moneyed interests, exploitation by self interests, and representation is such a poor statistical sampling that no conclusions could ever be drawn, scientifically from them. Finally, representation also fails at its intended purpose because abstentions not being counted and party systems reduce the Simple Majorities they do win, effectively to Minorities of 30% creating legislation for the rest of us to follow.
Why should abstentions count as “No” on every issue?
When you don’t vote, it doesn’t mean you don’t have an opinion. If there was a proposal to pass any new law that is to be imposed on every single person, people who don’t want that law, shouldn’t have to rally their troops and invest their time, to stop ever piece of bad legislation they don’t support. It’s not efficient and it doesn’t err on the side of liberty. By counting all abstentions from votes on any particular issue as “no” the entire populace is once again brought back under the umbrella of self determination, by doing nothing! By the default position on every issue being “no” unless you are motivated to vote yes on it, no laws will ever be imposed by a minority on both the active and indifferent public. True democracy takes everyone into account, and no laws should be passed that aren’t supported by a Supermajority of the total populace, to always err on the side of liberty, and never on the side of minority rule.
How can the ballot initiative system be improved to attain easy and equal access for all?
The ballot system can be revolutionized using current technology, granting easy access from the comfort of your own home, to a WikInitiatve Database of Ballot Issues that anyone can log into at any time and vote yes on issues they feel are important, even change their vote at any time as they gather new information, while the real time reporting of the instantaneous public support for that issue is maintained. All initiatives would always remain on the table, and only those that rise to a Supermajority (at least a double majority) would become law.
What about voter fraud and voter access to polls?
Voter fraud is exploited because it uses a poor identification system. This can be ameliorated using simple technology available on smart phones, for a multi-point biometric anonymously encrypted identification system. Using non-invasive biometrics, like fingerprints, eye scans or facial recognition to singularly identify you using a cellphone. With a simple easy online database of ballot initiatives that people can access anywhere, anytime they want, equal opportunity in the process of governing can finally be installed.
Why is the party system actually a minority system?
In that last presidential election, 51% of the 60% of people that actually voted, determined who became president. This half of the 60% that voted, this 30% is always a minority rule, in a two party system that splits the voting near half, as consistently occurs in politics. In Canada, the situation is even more stark, with their three major party system, wherein the last federal election, Stephen Harper’s government was voted in with 35% of the 60% that voted, granting legislation powers to an effective 18% of the represented public, creating laws for the other 80+% to follow.
What could we have avoided historically, by deferring to Supermajority by Plebiscitary?
Public records exist of public opinion polls on every major issue that government has faced, for at least a century. Three wars, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Persian Gulf war, could all have been avoided, saving over a trillion dollars and 2.5 million lives on both sides of the battles. None of these three wars had double majority support by the populace when they were initiated. Other legislation that would never have met a Supermajority support level include laws created prohibiting marijuana, votes cutting corporate, capital gains and high income, votes raising middle and low income taxes and laws against abortion.
What laws would still be in place because of a Supermajority?
Obvious, natural supermajority consensus laws would continue to exist, such as laws against murder, rape, assault and theft, because more than a Supermajority have always agreed there should be laws against such acts. Interestingly enough, in Canada, healthcare administered publicly would still be in effect, with a current 85% of the population supporting it.
How can the general populace be convinced out of apathy to support a move to direct democracy by Supermajority?
The general populace will be more inclined to participate in a system where their voice is actually counted, every time, even if they say nothing (by counting Abstentions as “no”).
What four things need to be done to effect real democracy for the first time in history?
1. Transition from Representational Government to Direct Democracy Plebiscitary.
2. Transition from Simple Majority rule to Supermajority rule.
3. Reform the ballot initiative system so that all people can easily access and participate in their own government democratically.
4. Transition from disregarding Abstentions, to counting them as a No vote.
How can the bottom 80% of the populace who somehow only own 7% of the total wealth of the United States, recoup their fair share that Wealth has been siphoning off for centuries?
By voting directly on the levels of taxation already in place for corporate, capital gains, income and sales taxes, the Supermajority can decide how the wealth generated by the entire society ought to be divided. This does not mean robbing from the rich and giving to the poor, this means taking back what was generated by the 80% and concentrated in the hands of some few. The market system is more inclined to work efficiently and competitively when wealth does not concentrate. People can vote higher corporate and wealth taxes, and lower middle and low income taxes, even eliminate them, and take back what they themselves generated and was usurped by concentration of wealth, and reverse the trend of the past 60 years of corporate, capital gains and high income tax rates plummeting, while middle and low income tax rates haven’t lowered at all.
Can voters really vote on corporate, income, capital gains, sales, and wealth tax rates?
When legislation is passed by government whether its representational government or direct democracy, that legislation becomes law. And it remains an enforceable law unless it is challenged in court, the usual check on the balance of legislative power. We already tax these things, at varying rates over time. There’s no reason that the general populace cannot decide when and if to incrementally raise or lower taxes on any group, as they see fit, by Supermajority Plebiscitary.
What about the feared “tyranny of the majority”?
The tyranny of the majority is best stated by Thomas Jefferson himself:

“A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine.” Thomas Jefferson

This led to the drafting of the Amendments to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, inalienable rights that no legislation can infringe upon, so that no majority could impose its will on a minority, legally. The Constitutional framework provides a final test which all laws must be measured against, in order to protect everyone. So the only real tyranny is rule by Simple Majority, which when abstentions are disregarded, becomes not even a Simple Majority, but a minority only.
Who can be expected to support a true Liberty party whose intent would be to immediately install direct democracy by supermajority plebiscitary?
Any person or group that feels disenfranchised by the current political system can be expected to support a system that finally and accurately grants them representation directly in the entire political process. Labour unions, working poor, Occupy movement, all these and more can be drawn upon to put the power of the government finally and absolutely in the hands of the people themselves.

Is this some form of socialism?
Direct democracy by Supermajority Plebiscitary has no parallels to socialism. Socialism as conceived by Karl Marx, is about wresting control of the means of production (corporations) and handing that ownership directly to the people, while legislative power still remains in the hands of some few. All modern democracies aren’t truly democratic, if they use representatives at all. All modern democracies aren’t truly democratic, if they don’t use Supermajorites instead of Simple Majorities. Socialism and communism stifle innovation and maintain legislative power and wealth in the hands of a few. Direct Democracy by Supermajority Plebiscitary is the only conceived type of government from ancient Greece until modern times which is a true democracy, responsive, adaptive and sober.