The last time we spoke, I conveyed how America had fallen way behind the Europeans in terms of implementing true democracy. It's worse than I thought. In the past thirty years, there have been more than 2000 nation-wide popular votes on substantive issues, including about 200 each in Africa, Asia and South America.
And now Chile, by national referendum has voted to re-write its constitution. Many 21st century issues will be addressed, including humanity's relationship to nature. But the bottom line is that Chileans are reinventing their country while Americans complacently wait for an authoritarian savior to fix their dysfunctional bi-polar republic.
Participatory Democracy CAN work in America, but we will have to demand the binding national policy referendum. Our ruling parties will never willingly grant it.