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From: hinsenk@cyclone.ERE.UMontreal.CA (Hinsen Konrad)
Subject: Re: talk & travel
In-Reply-To: livesey@solntze.engr.sgi.com's message of 18 Feb 1995 23:26:46 GMT
Message-ID: <HINSENK.95Feb20175757@cyclone.ERE.UMontreal.CA>
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References: <elnaD3oBsD.IE7@netcom.com> <3hmv97$h6g@fido.asd.sgi.com>
	<3hnqn0$q1a@cosmos.imag.fr> <3hp376$7a3@fido.asd.sgi.com>
	<3htpq5$9pa@lyra.csx.cam.ac.uk> <3i0ptu$2md@fido.asd.sgi.com>
	<HINSENK.95Feb17111407@cyclone.ERE.UMontreal.CA>
	<3i5vnm$m7f@fido.asd.sgi.com>
Date: Mon, 20 Feb 1995 22:57:57 GMT
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In article <3i5vnm$m7f@fido.asd.sgi.com> livesey@solntze.engr.sgi.com (Jon Livesey) writes:

   In a democracy, choice is effected through the ballot box, not
   by post-facto demands for choices you didn't vote for.

   Mind you, you are by no means the only person who fails to
   understand that.

I understand perfectly well how democracy works. I even agree
with your description. What I do not agree with is the conclusions
you have drawn.

It is a fact that the current system of handling the language
problem in the EU (translation and interpretation) was decided
by governments which were elected in a democratic way. From
that you conclude that a majority of Europeans is happy with
the system. There are, however, several other possibilities:

1) They dislike it, but nevertheless elect parties that
   favor it, because other subjects are more important
   to them.

2) They don't know enough about the problem, its current solution
   and alternatives to have an opinion on it.

3) They elect the parties that they have always elected and don't
   care what they are doing.

(This is just a small selection of possible reasons.)

--
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