Posted on 06/11/2011 3:49:56 AM PDT by LibWhacker
(AP) -- How do you write a new constitution in the 21st century? You go where the people are - online.
That was the decision of tiny but tech-savvy Iceland, which is overhauling its constitution in the wake of an economic catastrophe, and has turned to the Internet to get input from citizens.
The 25-member council drafting the new constitution is reaching out to Icelanders online, especially through social media sites Facebook and Twitter, video-sharing site YouTube and photo site Flickr.
Iceland's population of 320,000 is among the world's most computer-literate. Two-thirds of Icelanders are on Facebook, so the constitutional council's weekly meetings are broadcast live on the social networking site as well as on the council's website.
"It is possible to register through other means, but most of the discussion takes place via Facebook," said Berghildur Bernhardsdottir, spokeswoman for the constitutional review project.
When the North Atlantic island nation gained independence from Denmark in 1944, it simply took the Danish constitution and made a few minor adjustments, such as substituting the word "president" for "king."
A thorough review of the constitution has been on the agenda ever since, but action came only after the crisis in 2008, when Iceland's main commercial banks collapsed within a week, the krona currency plummeted and protests toppled the government.
"To me, it has long been clear that a comprehensive review of the constitution would only be carried out with the direct participation of the Icelandic people," said Iceland's Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir, one of the champions of the constitutional review since taking office in 2009.
She says it is a "distinct possibility" that the draft constitution will be put to the people in a referendum before Iceland's parliament debates final approval.
(Excerpt) Read more at physorg.com ...
“Iceland’s population of 320,000 is among the world’s most computer-literate. Two-thirds of Icelanders are on Facebook ...”
So using Facebook makes you “computer-literate” does it?
And we wonder why the world is the way it is...
The commerce clause is the most abused clause period.
And if it weren't that it would be some other flimsy excuse found in a an umbra of a shade of meaning that was totally opposite of what the framers intended. Our current government is a socialist tyranny that has more in common with the ideas of Karl Marx than Thomas Jefferson and has a standing army of government thugs and JBTs that the founding fathers feared. Heil 0bama
The reason the U.S. Constitution should not be changed is twofold: The men who wrote it originally were ten times more savvy than anybody alive today, and two, the enemies of our nation are in control of our power center.
I disagree. There are plenty of people alive today with the same values and intelligence. Some even run for office. The problem is that in the popularity contests we call elections today, the masses vote for the candidate who promises them the most plunder. To quote Mencken "Every election is a sort of advance auction of stolen goods."
...and they all play Mafia Wars. Well, what else is there to do?
How about a nice, real-time, "dynamic" constitution? Wouldnt that be the epitome of "responsive" gov't?
For those of you in Rio Linda: /s.
Just cause I use a sarc tag doesnt mean it won't happen.
“were ten times more savvy than anybody alive today
I disagree. There are plenty of people alive today with the same values and intelligence. Some even run for office. The problem is that in the popularity contests we call elections today, the masses vote for the candidate who promises them the most plunder. To quote Mencken “Every election is a sort of advance auction of stolen goods.””
Do they have foresight that reaches the future centuries?
How could anyone possibly know the answer to that? My crystal ball is a bit cloudy today.
But let's play your game and say some do. Let's pick Thomas Sowell and say he has the foresight etc. It's not relevant. He isn't in any position to make decisions concerning future generations. Socialist tyrants like Pelosi and 0 are in power and I'd say for better or for worse, but in their case it's only for worse.
Get drunk and eat hakarl
On the topic of creating a constitution from scratch? Limit the length of the document to approximately that of the US Constitution. This will force the cream to the top. Consider including a second level of law, bylaws, in addition to the constitution. Bylaws would be easier to change than the constitution but harder to change than the simple majority(s) needed for routine laws.If there is one change I would make to the US constitution,
One change to the Constitution? Congressional Term Limits.it is this... Freedom of Speech would be guaranteed for all -- except for celebrities. So you can enjoy your right to participate in the national debate if you'd like to, or you can make your million dollars per film, concert, or game. But not both. Now shut up and sing.Two changes to the Constitution? Repopulate the Supreme Court with named conservatives, put term limits on SCOTUS justices, and elect future SCOTUS justices as running mates of the presidential candidates.
Three changes to the Constitution? Make US senators running mates of state governors. And make governors rather than senators the judges of federal impeachments.
How would that rule have affected Ronald Reagan?The problem we have with the First Amendment jurisprudence centers on failure to enforce it fully. The First Amendment is crafted to forbid communication monopoly - anyone can express their opinion in person (speech) or technologically (press), on topics of any level of importance (specifically including religion and government).Now, if I am entitled to express my opinion on government technologically I have to be able to spend as much of my own money doing it as I wanna. Without government regulation. So much for the constitutionality of 'Campaign Finance Reform."
And if anyone can own a radio or TV channel, everyone who can afford it can own a radio/TV channel. If anyone can run a web site, everyone who can afford it can run a web site. Bandwidth is radically more plentiful now than it was at the dawn of the electronic communication era. So much for FCC regulation.
And because of the radically lower cost of bandwidth, the mission of the Associated Press - to conserve bandwidth in the dissemination of news - is no longer particularly significant, and the AP is in no sense "too big to fail." The AP was found by SCOTUS to be in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act. IMHO it is still in violation of that act, and it should be abolished.
IMHO the result of proper First Amendment jurisprudence would be a significant reduction in the influence of celebrities, including journalists.
“But let’s play your game and say some do. Let’s pick Thomas Sowell and say he has the foresight etc. It’s not relevant. He isn’t in any position to make decisions concerning future generations. Socialist tyrants like Pelosi and 0 are in power and I’d say for better or for worse, but in their case it’s only for worse.”
Agreed.
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