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Stop telling people to vote

jwz.org

61–64 of 64 posts

Re: Stop telling people to vote

#61

The implied supremacy and paternalism in the post is pretty problematic. What is your threshold for informed? Should we have tests at the polls to make sure people have researched before they vote? Do you really want to make a case for an "informed" electorate instead of a more representative one? I know this post isn't saying to deny the vote to the "uninformed", just not to encourage them, but that sentiment implie…

Agreed.

It's difficult to address the problem of underinformed and uninformed voting, which is indeed an issue, or even address the issue of people who care little about the political system and their voice in it, and therefore don't vote because they feel uninformed. It's also difficult to turn uninformed people into informed voters who are active in their communities.

It's easy to say "fuck you" and tell people to stay home from the polls.

It looks like the author of the piece prefers the easy road.

Re: Stop telling people to vote

#62

" Corrolary: You should vote "NO" on every Proposition unless you actually know what the fuck you're talking about. The California Proposition system is asinine, and the way to do least harm is to reject by default. " This is half correct, and that half is very much my policy. If the proposition is for something the legislature can and should be doing, I vote no; we are paying people to give these issues more time an…

California now has both legislative houses with supermajorities for Democrats. No excuses going forward.

I am not sure what you mean.

Re: Stop telling people to vote

#63
post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As an American, I want people to vote who want to vote and for no other reason. They should have nothing stopping them from voting if they want to, and nothing artificially pushing them towards doing so either. The big problem in America with voting is that election day is not a national holiday. If there should be any incentive to vote, there should be fines for employers who don't give election day off (not saying…

Would you meet halfway on this? How about a box on the ballot marked "I choose not to vote in this election"?

No, because I believe on principle a government shouldn't control the movements or day to day actions of their population. That goes from drafts, to compulsory public education, to mandatory voting. Making education non-compulsory is a lot harder than just saying "kids don't have to go to school anymore" but I'm just giving examples.

Re: Stop telling people to vote

#64
post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would you meet halfway on this? How about a box on the ballot marked "I choose not to vote in this election"?

No, because I believe on principle a government shouldn't control the movements or day to day actions of their population. That goes from drafts, to compulsory public education, to mandatory voting. Making education non-compulsory is a lot harder than just saying "kids don't have to go to school anymore" but I'm just giving examples.

Well then what exactly is the point of government, in principle, if they have no authority at all over people's lives? If everyone could do whatever they liked and ignore any rules set by anyone else, all the benefits of collective action vanish.
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