CZ Talk:Politics Workgroup

I think that although the articles listed in the box are reasonable, we actually need short essays which will integrate many of these ideas thematically. So, in the absence of [apparently] any other living Politics editors, I suggest a short list below --Martin Baldwin-Edwards 16:22, 27 September 2007 (CDT)

The box is unfinished, so I suggest the following additions to the list:

• under ideologies: utilitarianism
• under theorists: Rousseau, Mill, Pericles (for the Athenian ideal of democracy) Thomas Aquinas, John Rawls.
• under political systems: representative government (the system we now live under!)

Nick Gardner 04:49, 15 November 2007 (CSTKleineidam)

Can I also suggest we add Technocray under ideologies as well? Andrew Alexander Wallace 05:36, 5 May 2008 (CDT)

Can I add Michael Oakeshott to theorists? Yi Zhe Wu 14:30, 11 May 2009 (UTC)

Electoral College

I'd like to get Electoral College started towards approval. I'm certain that some expert eyes will find plenty of things which should be improved. So, please have at! In particular:

1. Is there anything important which should be in this article but isn't yet?
2. Is any of the exposition unclear or confusing?
3. Are there any factual errors?
4. Is the overall structure of the article sound?

Reply here or at the article's discussion page. Thanks, Anthony Argyriou 15:22, 7 May 2007 (CDT)

Some tentative attempts at drafting

In drafting an article on Politics and a linked article on Political Party, I have been conscious of the danger of stepping on the toes of people better qualified for that purpose. I was encouraged, however, by the belief that what was available appeared to be incomplete or obscure. But in drafting all-inclusive articles of that sort, the difficulty is how to hold the reader’s interest in the main issues without misleading him by over-simplification – and I am far from confident that I have got the balance right. I will readily withdraw if my drafts are beyond redemption in that respect, but my hope is that my fellow CZ writers will help by correcting what is misleading, and expanding the text where necessary, without insisting upon the inclusion of excessive detail that would better be in linked articles. Nick Gardner 16:48, 1 December 2007 (CST)

Some Updates

In the spirit of Collaboration Week (and so that Martin doesn't have to continue to feel alone here) I added the suggestions made above, which I thought were all good ones. (I assumed Alexander left a C out of Technocracy above. If that isn't so, he can add Technocray to the listing also - and explain what it may be.)

The large number of additions to the list of political theorists came straight from the TOC of Eberstein & Eberstein, Great Political Thinkers. (5th edition, 1991, I'm sorry to say!) I was delighted to see the number of listings for which there were already CZ entries, and look forward to development of the rest.

There are still a host of contemporary additions that might be made to that list, including Robert Nozick (Anarchy, State and Utopia), Benjamin Barber (Strong Democracy), Amatai Etzioni, (Communitarianism), Michael Sandel, and a host of new political economy, citizenship, civil society and social capital writers. Roger Lohmann 08:24, 27 June 2008 (CDT)

Myanmar (formerly Burma)

Absurd name

To me. Burma seems obviously the correct name for the article, of course with a redirect from Myanmar. Domerque gave the reasons above.

I would not object much to an article at Myanmar, with Burma as a redirect. That's what we did on Wikitravel [1] [2]. It really does not make much difference which is the article & which the redirect.

I'd say, though, that the current title is ridiculous; the sooner it goes, the better.

Also, someone above suggested separate articles for Burma & Myanmar. No! They are the same country. There might be separate articles for, say History of Burma, or Burma Road, or Myanmar junta, or whatever. However, there should be only one main article, called either Burma or Myanmar, with the other as a redirect. Sandy Harris 12:54, 13 October 2010 (UTC)

Sandy, I am not renaming the country. This is the title of an article and the title is accurate both legally and historically. If the CZ search engine fails to find things properly, this is not my problem: the computer people can make it work better instead of telling others how to do their jobs. Martin Baldwin-Edwards 13:04, 13 October 2010 (UTC)

Suggestion David Finn 13:12, 13 October 2010 (UTC)

Actually, the current title is appalling historically. The military government renamed the place Myanmar about 20 years ago. The opposition make a point of continuing to call it Burma.

From the wiki point of view, we can use either name with the other as a redirect. Probably the best compromise is to use Myanmar as an article title, since it is the current official name. Using Burma as the title would arguably be making a political statement that does not belong here.

However, your "Myanmar, formerly Burma" appears to make the opposite political statement, accepting the junta's name without reservation. Sandy Harris 13:35, 13 October 2010 (UTC)

Yes, it has had the official name of Myanmar for 20 years. Before that, it had the official name of Burma. Opponents of the current regime don't like the new name. So what? Is CZ supposed to be a platform for political dissidence? Or opposition to dictatorships? No, it has to represent the world accurately and fairly. It is a simple fact that the country is legally called Myanmar. It is a simple historical fact that formerly it was called Burma. All of these personal agendas and opinions that people are bring up here have no place on CZ. i have my own agendas and personal opinions, which I do not even mention here. I suggest you all rethink what CZ is about, because it is not supposed to be a political forum. There is a big difference between political science and politics, as Howard keeps on reminding us. Politics has no place on CZ, other than to be reported by us. Martin Baldwin-Edwards 14:20, 13 October 2010 (UTC)