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   Evan Prodromou (evan@cosocial.ca)'s status on Wednesday, 14-Aug-2024 07:43:39 JST Evan Prodromou

   Hey, folks. Thanks for the feedback. I'm in rough agreement that you can't count a society as democratic if some big slice of the public cannot participate in government.

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     Evan Prodromou (evan@cosocial.ca)'s status on Wednesday, 14-Aug-2024 07:47:20 JST Evan Prodromou

     in reply to

     However, I agree with commenters that the nature of control matters. An island scientific station with only temporary residents, all of whom can vote in their home districts? Hard to see that as a problem. A temporary occupation of a defeated enemy while peace is negotiated? Not great, but ok.

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     Evan Prodromou (evan@cosocial.ca)'s status on Wednesday, 14-Aug-2024 08:46:33 JST Evan Prodromou

     in reply to

     Long-term occupation of a territory without full participation in national government is colonialism. It's corrosive. It's undemocratic.

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     Evan Prodromou (evan@cosocial.ca)'s status on Wednesday, 14-Aug-2024 08:48:42 JST Evan Prodromou

     in reply to

     I think we kid ourselves my thinking that some distinction between here and there, us and them, makes it ok. We can have a democracy on this side of the line no matter what's going on on the other side.

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     Evan Prodromou (evan@cosocial.ca)'s status on Wednesday, 14-Aug-2024 08:49:31 JST Evan Prodromou

     in reply to

     But that's how all undemocratic systems work. There's always some reason to make an exception.

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     Evan Prodromou (evan@cosocial.ca)'s status on Wednesday, 14-Aug-2024 08:49:55 JST Evan Prodromou

     in reply to

     Anyway, I'm qualified no.

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     Evan Prodromou (evan@cosocial.ca)'s status on Wednesday, 14-Aug-2024 08:52:06 JST Evan Prodromou

     in reply to

     Two good modern examples are the US and Israel/Palestine.

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     M. Grégoire (mpjgregoire@cosocial.ca)'s status on Wednesday, 14-Aug-2024 09:29:48 JST M. Grégoire

     in reply to

     @evan Not to get into an argument about it, but what specifically are you thinking of for the US? I can think of a few possibilities, but what do *you* have in mind?

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     Evan Prodromou (evan@cosocial.ca)'s status on Wednesday, 14-Aug-2024 09:45:58 JST Evan Prodromou

     in reply to

     • M. Grégoire

     @mpjgregoire about 4.5M people in DC, PR, Samoa, Guam, USVI, elsewhere have no representation at the federal level of government. (DC has 3 electoral votes for president, though). That's about 1.5% of the American population.

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     Evan Prodromou (evan@cosocial.ca)'s status on Wednesday, 14-Aug-2024 10:09:47 JST Evan Prodromou

     in reply to

     • M. Grégoire

     @mpjgregoire I'd contrast our territories, which have national representation in both houses of Parliament.