But when I suggested that perhaps we need to make sure people are mentally fit to vote, I’m a nazi. Keep letting the idiots vote and we’ll always be stuck with the lowest common denominator.
Because any sort of goodwill attempt to eliminate people from voting will just increase the chance of it being abused by said nazis, well fascists, because nazis were the fascists from germany.
Also fun fact, like many things IQ tests have a history rooted in racism, so if your plan was to use that then bad luck.
Fun fact number #2 the likes of Trump, Orbán (HUN), Fico (SVK) almost always win because of a low voter turnout.
The previous US election had what, 20 million more voters and surprise surprise, Trump lost.
Extremists are always a passionate vocal minority the more you restrict who can vote the easier time they have to take over the election.
If anything suggesting fines for not voting is a far less dumb idea than the shit you just said.
After all, if you live in a democracy, voting is not just a right, its a responsibility. You fail to meet your responsibilities, believe it or not, fine.
The duty to vote in Belgium belongs to all adult Belgians. EU citizens can vote in European and municipal elections. Other foreigners have local voting rights when they have lived in the country for more than five years. Attendance is compulsory for Belgians in Belgium, not doing so results in a fine, 3 fines equals the loss of civil rights.
It can be done, but I was also part of an election oversight or whatever committee, we counted votes and stuff. One of the things we did was we took a vote urn to the local retirement home and well I witnessed what happened when voting is mandatory. In the past It was mandatory in our country as it was part of the eastern bloc and this man just took the first paper, not even reading which party he voted for and just put it in the envelope and voted that way.
So there are definitely downsides to trying to encourage voting too.
I definitiv think voting should be mandatory in the sense of you should have to go to a polling place or send in a ballot or statement of intent to not vote. Make it just as easy to vote as to not, but don’t actually make people vote
Agreed. We need more Americans to actually understand the responsibilities we hold and what we get for them. Voting isn’t fun, but it’s your damn job. It’s the price of democracy. Same as being aware of the issues and candidates. And don’t get me started on jury duty
Sure, you might be able to get away with it in case of advanced dementia. When my father was an election watcher, he saw christian fundamentalists trying to convince election officiers, that a man so demented that didn’t even realize what was happening, only that those christian fundamentalists talking about how that man used to be voting for Fidesz allegedly.
I might know which user said that to you. I had a run in like that too. They kept telling how I was objectively a fascist for agreeing with the sentiment – was explicitly explaining that I am not sure how you would implement it precisely, but that it was understandable. NO ITS fAsCisT and UnCoNsTitUtIoNaL!!!
Because intelligence tests were used to deny black votes in the reconstruction south. There are a variety of tricks that they’ve used from just giving harder tests to black people to giving tests that prioritize knowledge more common in white cultural experiences. And that’s not touching on the language issue as a means to deny immigrant votes
I know there’s no hard and fast solution. Education? But that will take time. Encouraging people to vote? But if we let all the fascists get away with it they’ll get in.
Back in the 70s when I worked in a factory the hard line socialists always had a good turnout and got the vote at Union meetings etc. Those that were of a different opinion got shouted down so stopped going. The hardliners won.
But when I suggested that perhaps we need to make sure people are mentally fit to vote, I’m a nazi. Keep letting the idiots vote and we’ll always be stuck with the lowest common denominator.
Because any sort of goodwill attempt to eliminate people from voting will just increase the chance of it being abused by said nazis, well fascists, because nazis were the fascists from germany.
Also fun fact, like many things IQ tests have a history rooted in racism, so if your plan was to use that then bad luck.
Fun fact number #2 the likes of Trump, Orbán (HUN), Fico (SVK) almost always win because of a low voter turnout.
The previous US election had what, 20 million more voters and surprise surprise, Trump lost.
Extremists are always a passionate vocal minority the more you restrict who can vote the easier time they have to take over the election.
If anything suggesting fines for not voting is a far less dumb idea than the shit you just said.
Fines sound like a good idea.
After all, if you live in a democracy, voting is not just a right, its a responsibility. You fail to meet your responsibilities, believe it or not, fine.
It can be done, but I was also part of an election oversight or whatever committee, we counted votes and stuff. One of the things we did was we took a vote urn to the local retirement home and well I witnessed what happened when voting is mandatory. In the past It was mandatory in our country as it was part of the eastern bloc and this man just took the first paper, not even reading which party he voted for and just put it in the envelope and voted that way.
So there are definitely downsides to trying to encourage voting too.
I definitiv think voting should be mandatory in the sense of you should have to go to a polling place or send in a ballot or statement of intent to not vote. Make it just as easy to vote as to not, but don’t actually make people vote
Agreed. We need more Americans to actually understand the responsibilities we hold and what we get for them. Voting isn’t fun, but it’s your damn job. It’s the price of democracy. Same as being aware of the issues and candidates. And don’t get me started on jury duty
Sure, you might be able to get away with it in case of advanced dementia. When my father was an election watcher, he saw christian fundamentalists trying to convince election officiers, that a man so demented that didn’t even realize what was happening, only that those christian fundamentalists talking about how that man used to be voting for Fidesz allegedly.
I might know which user said that to you. I had a run in like that too. They kept telling how I was objectively a fascist for agreeing with the sentiment – was explicitly explaining that I am not sure how you would implement it precisely, but that it was understandable. NO ITS fAsCisT and UnCoNsTitUtIoNaL!!!
Because intelligence tests were used to deny black votes in the reconstruction south. There are a variety of tricks that they’ve used from just giving harder tests to black people to giving tests that prioritize knowledge more common in white cultural experiences. And that’s not touching on the language issue as a means to deny immigrant votes
I know there’s no hard and fast solution. Education? But that will take time. Encouraging people to vote? But if we let all the fascists get away with it they’ll get in. Back in the 70s when I worked in a factory the hard line socialists always had a good turnout and got the vote at Union meetings etc. Those that were of a different opinion got shouted down so stopped going. The hardliners won.
Difficult times ahead.