Are the people who live in any given nation responsible or accountable for their governments actions?

Your thoughts requested.

Mark

No.They can't control their government.It is'nt fair for them to be hated for what their government is doing.(personally I like all nationalities! :D ) Sometimes I wish that the government should let the people decide,but that would take way to long for all the people that can cote to send in there decision.

of course not - accountability goes UP The chain of command, not down ;)

apart from your vote you have no control

simple, ofcourse not.

That's an interesting question when you consider it in terms of terrorism - acts of terror are classified thus because they are against innocent people - but if said people can be held responsible for their government's actions then are they still innocent? For example, one could say that the Americans in the WTC voted for their government, which bin Laden's organisation was 'protesting' against, so therefore they were legitimate targets of attack because they espoused what their government was doing, as opposed to innocent civilians (I don't say this, mind, just making a comment ;) ).

But I think unless you have a true democracy, where every action the government takes is voted on by all the people, then you can't say that the citizens of that nation are responsible for what their government does.

I hope this topic does'nt go off topic........ [img]graemlins/idontagreeatall.gif[/img]

But, don't governments often say what they do is the will of the people?

Mark

Hey..don't they all?

;)

Mark

That is because they have been elected by the people and therefore can say that they have a mandate from a majority of the voters to act the way they do

Well then is it only those who voted for the government accountable? If you voted for the opposition who didn't get in (or not at all), are you not responsible then?

[ 06-09-2002, 06:27 PM: Message edited by: Aelia Jusa ]