# Which democracy has the calmest, most rational political discourse? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 3, 2016, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-democracy-has-the-calmest-most-rational-political-discourse/747859 "2016-03-03T19:44:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2016, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-democracy-has-the-calmest-most-rational-political-discourse/747859/21 "2016-03-04T19:33:42Z")
Sorry, but I have to say it. The progressive movement in the US is fairly calm and rational. You know it’s truer and truer every day. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2016, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-democracy-has-the-calmest-most-rational-political-discourse/747859/22 "2016-03-04T19:46:57Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Sorry, but I have to say it. > > The progressive movement in the US is fairly calm and rational. > > You know it’s truer and truer every day. Sorry, but I’m asking for objective feedback. ---
**Author:** ![jerry\_smissingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e56c9b/32.png) [@jerry\_smissingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerry_smissingfinger)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2016, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-democracy-has-the-calmest-most-rational-political-discourse/747859/23 "2016-03-04T22:38:47Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Every democracy gets pretty shrill about certain topics, but in general, which democracy today is best able to discuss topics and issues in a calm, fair, rational, factual-based way? This is my dig on democracy: It’s dead For real democracy to occur everyone must be educated and completely informed in all fact(s) presented. There is so much secrecy and misinformation now that there is no way a person can cast a vote understanding entirely what is at stake. This is clear to me as an observer of the U.S “democratic” process with hidden agendas and misinformation just to get a bill passed. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2016, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-democracy-has-the-calmest-most-rational-political-discourse/747859/24 "2016-03-04T23:01:03Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Sorry, but I’m asking for objective feedback. Well compare them in your mind with all the examples given heretofore. They are also the opposition and opposite of another party which shall remain nameless, which is having a lot of problems in this realm lately. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2016, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-democracy-has-the-calmest-most-rational-political-discourse/747859/25 "2016-03-04T23:13:41Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > Not wanting to derail the thread, But I think calling the BBC a ‘state broadcaster’ is pretty misleading. It’s tax payer funded, but it isn’t a wing of The State, political or impartial. It’s still a state broadcaster though. The judiciary is also independent but it’s very much an arm of the state. > [@jerry\_smissingfinger](#): > > This is my dig on democracy: It’s dead > > For real democracy to occur everyone must be educated and completely informed in all fact(s) presented. There is so much secrecy and misinformation now that there is no way a person can cast a vote understanding entirely what is at stake. > > This is clear to me as an observer of the U.S “democratic” process with hidden agendas and misinformation just to get a bill passed. On this basis, democracy in the US was never alive. ---
**Author:** ![jerry\_smissingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e56c9b/32.png) [@jerry\_smissingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerry_smissingfinger)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2016, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-democracy-has-the-calmest-most-rational-political-discourse/747859/26 "2016-03-04T23:15:23Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > It’s still a state broadcaster though. The judiciary is also independent but it’s very much an arm of the state. > > On this basis, democracy in the US was never alive. Pretty much ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2016, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-democracy-has-the-calmest-most-rational-political-discourse/747859/27 "2016-03-04T23:24:48Z")
Looking at the Fragile state index from Foreign Policy Magazine and the Fund For Peace we get these results: [http://fsi.fundforpeace.org/rankings-2015](http://fsi.fundforpeace.org/rankings-2015) Looking at the _Legitimacy of the state_ index we get Norway on top (0.4 score -the lowest score the less bad issues or incidents found). Followed by New Zealand (0.5). Denmark, Finland and Canada with the same score. Looking at _Group Grievance_ Iceland is tops, with Sweden, Finland, and Ireland next. Looking at _Human Rights_ we get Finland on top then Sweden, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. So I have to say that: [QUOTE] ♪ Finland, Finland, Finland The country where I quite want to be Pony trekking -Or camping- Or just watching TV Finland, Finland, Finland That’s the country for me… ♫ [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-democracy-has-the-calmest-most-rational-political-discourse/747859/28 "2016-03-08T03:48:33Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > They’re afraid the sergeant at arms will put an end to any unrest in Parliament 🙂 Well, now I’m curious how many countries have parliamentary sergeants-at-arms that have actually killed a guy in the line of duty. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-democracy-has-the-calmest-most-rational-political-discourse/747859.md?page=1)