Triumphrat

TonyD

Voting these days all too often seems like Samuel Johnson's description of second marriage - 'the triumph of hope over experience' - and thus a right to be exercised or not according to the intestinal fortitude of the individual.

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Tony

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Tbirdnz

That's a very good quote TonyD, I'll vote, but will never get married again ! I voted last time, as always, I live in hope, and my party never got in so at least I have the right to say "I never voted this lot in !"

Equally those who complain about their wives "Well you married her !"

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Ride on !

lanwanman

Sure, but just don't try that in Chicago where it is ILLEGAL to sell foie gras...obviously the city council in Chicago is standing watch for those of us who ignore such blatant threats to the health of geese everywhere. Much like the city of New York and it's ban on trans fats in restaurants.

And this is what you get when no one cares who gets elected...I've always been partial to the rather extreme position staked out by Robert Heinlein on the voting franchise being extended only to those members of society who have served in the voluntary armed forces...let's see how that one flys.

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Mike

"Clone me, Dr. Memory!"

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Tbirdnz

Well Mike if that type of voting was done on a global basis then wars would be a thing of the past.

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thumper723

LanWanMan, I always thought Hienlien's thought on that was a provoking idea.

The only real "downside" I see of it is that how to you make "citizenship" available to those who are not physically fit for military service.

When people scream about militatry service in the US, they seem to neglect that a lot of countries they hold in esteem, have compulsory national service. Finland and Switzerland come to mind.

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mglemans86

Ben Franklin once said " The problem with a democracy is that you have to let everyone vote"

A few years back the Rasnish took over a town and nearly a county in Oregon. He was later charged with infecting a salad bar at a popular local eatery with salmonella intending to suppress the local vote. There was a high voter turnout, unfortunately cult members were the majority.

Informed voters are the key and as Ben realized 250 years ago the uninformed or coerced voter can cause a problem

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akenaten

The USA the same. Both parties talk s*** during an election but once in office the results are the same.Only the people are to blame.

HiDesert

Heinlein had some really interesting ideas. I wonder if any nationa will ever try them out. The problem with anything sort of universal sufferage is that it's so much easier to rig or abuse the system.

Require military service? The recruiter just became the most powerful man in the country. Require a college degree? How many colleges could a really rich man afford to start? And how do you define "college" or "degree" and regulate them?

Democracy for small nations, republics for medium, and federated republics for the bigger nations seems to work well in most of the world.

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In the third century B.C. the Greek stoic philosopher Chrysippus died of laughter after giving his donkey wine, then seeing it attempt to feed on figs.


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cyclebob

Just to note that Heinlein thought military or government service should be required to vote. Then again, in several of his works he espouses incest, libertarianism, individualism, free love, etc.

[ This message was edited by: cyclebob on 2007-04-24 12:59 ]

mdgore

Yeah, but Finland and Switzerland don't make ****e up to invade other countrys. When was the last time you heard someone scream: "Oh my God, here comes the Swiss army, run for your lives!!!"

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