Artful Dodger:

>A pure democracy is a weak government.

It is impossible to tell since that government has never existed in practice. Direct democracy remains something that was never tried in any country anyswhere. Democracy always was a priviledge of the rich and powerful. The working class were always there to merely cast a vote and surrender political power to a wealthy and powerful elite. It was like that from the beginnings of representative democracy in the late 18th century and continues like that in the present.

> I think what we have is good to a point. The problem lies where special interest
> groups can dictate (via - "vote for this and we'll vote for you!") policy that effects
> and entire population. But the Dems tried that sort of nonsense last year and many
> of them are booted out of office as a result.

And the Reps never did? I suppose the conservative right is really, really immune to special interest groups and lobbyists!