myk
Posts: 14806
Registered: 04-02 |
Bucket said:
Um... property rights?
j4rio said:
Um... right to life?
Pretty much surmises what the whole debate narrows down to.
doom_is_great said:
Right to vote should require an exam taken each and every election year. All voters should know the structure of their govt., who the elected officials are and what political office they occupy, who is the incumbent, who is the challenger, who are their running mates, etc. They should also be informed on current events and statistics such as the national unemployment rate, national debt, how much the budget deficit is, etc. If you can't answer those questions correctly, then you shouldn't be allowed to vote.
The biggest problem with this is that democracy is social organization by which as many people as possible give each other means to defend their crossed or mutual interests by having some way of being represented and heard. Now, however flawed the voting of people with "educational deficits" may be, without the possibility to vote they only have less chances to correct their weaknesses. Biology tells us we're basically "self-interested", so you won't really get others to vote for your welfare. You'll have to do it yourself, however uneducated.
What we call deficient education is itself primarily tied to a lack of economic means, and education is a means to development and wealth. In your utopia, masses of people can't vote, can't pressure society in sake of their interests and thus have a harder time accessing suitable education, which puts them even father away from a chance to vote in such a society. In your dream world of restrictive voting, poor people increase in numbers and the rich get richer. Dream on, but if you succeed, get ready to build your walled and armed castle amid a sea of squalor, if end you up among the lucky.
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01-23-13 15:32 
