The fewer people that vote, the better?

[Masark]

I do agree, i think democracy is a flawed system. I don't think it would work any better than a monarchy. At least in a monarchy you would have a king that was educated in leading a country since he was born. The people should then have the power to overthrow the king, not by vote, but by murder. That way, the king wouldn't dare act selfishly, and would aspire to being liked by the people.

He could have a council of advisers, if he so chose, of course, and they could be elected, but not according to the current system. Something new, and less corrupt should be implemented.

Oh look, here come the neoreactionaries.

[Kelxin]

Simple solution....
A formal IQ test for the following activites:

Driving : Baseline IQ to be qualified for any "mature" activities including driving
Voting: IQ Higher than driving a car
Gun Ownership: IQ Higher than voting
Pro-creation: IQ Higher than anything else.

That would fix 99% of the worlds issues...

[Kreeshak]

At my college there were people collecting signatures to "get out the vote" and to support a petition to extend early voting rights. When asked if I would like to help them out, I told them "the fewer people that vote, the better," and then I walked off. I can't say that I was joking either, not at all, I think that the last thing this country needs is even more ignorant people voting.

I can't help but sense that this might come across as somewhat elitist, but I'd much prefer it if only the most informed and educated people make decisions for this country. Wouldn't you agree that there is a lot of truth in that statement?

Ignorance can be bad, but how can you classify a population into ignorants and non ignorants in a credible way?

EDIT: Wouldn't it be hilarious if Bush Junior could not vote for himself in such a system?

[Masark]

Ignorance can be bad, but how can you classify a population into ignorants and non ignorants in a credible way?

Using the patented Nakura Chambers ignorantometer.

If you disagree with him, you're ignorant.
If you agree with him, you're non-ignorant.

[Dezerte]

How do you separate the educated from the uneducated? That's the number one problem with your idea.

[Annoying]

Simple solution....
A formal IQ test for the following activites:

Driving : Baseline IQ to be qualified for any "mature" activities including driving
Voting: IQ Higher than driving a car
Gun Ownership: IQ Higher than voting
Pro-creation: IQ Higher than anything else.

That would fix 99% of the worlds issues...

Yeah, we don't need farmers for food or anything. A society with no laborers wouldn't fare well.

[Vizardlorde]

Yeah, we don't need farmers for food or anything. A society with no laborers wouldn't fare well.

Nonsense high IQ ppl will make use of robotics to replace workers and euthanize everyone that's useless to stop wasting resources on unproductive ppl ^-^

[Dezerte]

Simple solution....
A formal IQ test for the following activites:

Driving : Baseline IQ to be qualified for any "mature" activities including driving
Voting: IQ Higher than driving a car
Gun Ownership: IQ Higher than voting
Pro-creation: IQ Higher than anything else.

That would fix 99% of the worlds issues...

IQ tests are terrible measures. Many famous serial-killers have had a high IQ.

[Gum]

Fact is, people in democrasies cant see whats best for their country, thats why so many early democracies had issues getting off. Its also why most multi-party systems such as the one in denmark moreso resembles unions taking care of their interests rather than political parties, noone seems to be able to fathom how important is it to focus on the horizon when dealing in politics, hence why contemporary politics are such a mess.
Specially looking at contemporary political theories, its insane how so few of them actually work around improving society towards a greater good for the spiecies rather than the individual. Specially the ideas from Marxism and Utilitarianism works solely around the benefit of the individual as opposed to further develop society.
The notion of justice and rights are whats keeping us back as a species something that we sadly cannot forgo with democracy. Fact is very few societies work well under democracy, no let me rephrase, very few countries reach their potential under a democratic regiem, Having a despot with good and loyal advisors will always be the best way to rule if talking purely development of the country, givin that the King/Despot/whatever isnt evil and acts according to the greater plan. Having to deal with people of lesser intellect while running a country only further delays the procress, as it would in any other department of progression.

Fact is most humans has become too content and complacent to really understand how the main goal for each of the is to increase human superiority over earth and secure our survival. Having to bother with spending money and funds on anything other then that, "space exploration, medicine and General engineering" simply artificially prolongs the venture. Considering this, its just impossible to imagine a country where everyone is able to understand the importance of this, thus giving up on basic comfort for the idea of a better future for someone they dont know. All comes down to how good and nice a spot we put ourselves in, theres no reason to move from there unless theres an obviously better place in sight. Something that im having a hard to imagining what could be.
So on the topic of less voters = better? No, thats not right. Seeing as you per default cant expect anyone whom votes to have a clue regardless. But i do agree with you on the whole, " dont need people, that didnt care to begin with running around voting"-policy, theres nothing good comming from that, also it devalues my vote and i treasure mine.

[Felya]

The more that vote the better... Arguments for cutting the voting pool are as transparent as the fact that those promoting it, never include them selfs as part of the criteria of inhibiting voting.

[Angella]

How do you separate the educated from the uneducated? That's the number one problem with your idea.

Easy.

English: Is ain't a word?

Statistics: Correlation does/does not equal causation.

Math: 10x + 2y = 14; x + y/2 = 2, solve for x and y.

Geography: Name the capitol of Canada:_____________

SS: Who is the Vice President? _____________

Science: Name 3 examples of amphibians:_________

Get 5/6 or better right to be considered educated.

[Theodon]

Wouldn't excluding people with a harmful agenda to the majority be a more beneficial and equally difficult proposition to attempt to bring about?

If less people are encouraged to vote then those who vote are going to be those who always vote. Changing and improving the future by relying on those who want to prevent change seems like an odd line of logic, to say the least. If you want to change things in any way then not voting will just result in those who voted to bring in the present just voting to keep it that way.

There is also no realistic method you can use to seperate intelligent voters from ignorant ones, and there is also no way you can justify making a singular bar of measurement because politics and voting cover just about all aspects of life. Does anyone exist currently that can say they know enough about everything to vote will full confidence on every aspect of life?

[Christan]

Holy shit- I called it being a Nakura Chambers thread.

Alright, I'll bite and shoot down your whole point with one minor albeit dismantling one:
"Who decides the qualifications to be considered informed and educated?"
High School Graduates? College? Degree-Holding? None of those are remotely close to being valid indicators of intelligence or understanding.

there's a reason people call a PHD "Piled Higher and Deeper.
will let your imagination figure out what is being piled.

Easy.

English: Is ain't a word?

Statistics: Correlation does/does not equal causation.

Math: 10x + 2y = 14; x + y/2 = 2, solve for x and y.

Geography: Name the capitol of Canada:_____________

SS: Who is the Vice President? _____________

Science: Name 3 examples of amphibians:_________

Get 5/6 or better right to be considered educated.

other than the math question any grade schooler should be able to answer those. and the math question is only algebra1
not even pre-calculus

and none of that would prove you have any common sense, which is more important with voting (such as bills with double negatives) and being able to imagine what could happen should a bill come to pass(patriot act) etc...

so imagination and common sense can throw pure intelligence out the window.

[Masark]

Easy.

English: Is ain't a word?

Statistics: Correlation does/does not equal causation.

Math: 10x + 2y = 14; x + y/2 = 2, solve for x and y.

Geography: Name the capitol of Canada:_____________

SS: Who is the Vice President? _____________

Science: Name 3 examples of amphibians:_________

Get 5/6 or better right to be considered educated.

You seem to be sneaking an English question into the Geography question.

And the appropriate answer to the Social Studies question is "Of what country?".

[Annoying]

Easy.

English: Is ain't a word?

Statistics: Correlation does/does not equal causation.

Math: 10x + 2y = 14; x + y/2 = 2, solve for x and y.

Geography: Name the capitol of Canada:_____________

SS: Who is the Vice President? _____________

Science: Name 3 examples of amphibians:_________

Get 5/6 or better right to be considered educated.

Our definitions of educated are significantly different.

[Theodon]

there's a reason people call a PHD "Piled Higher and Deeper.
will let your imagination figure out what is being piled.

Would someone with a PHD in engineering with 0 experience in healthcare be more suitable to vote on changes in the health sector than the nurse who works in said sector? If you use qualifications to dictate who can vote then you still don't guarantee they will know what they're doing when they vote.

[Sky High]

hitting the ground running I see. ignorant voters are as bad if not worse then nonvoters. the solution is to make people less ignorant not restrict or hamper their rights. if you thought for an extra 2 seconds that might have dawned on you.

[Annoying]

Would someone with a PHD in engineering with 0 experience in healthcare be more suitable to vote on changes in the health sector than the nurse who works in said sector? If you use qualifications to dictate who can vote then you still don't guarantee they will know what they're doing when they vote.

They would be more familiar with researching to determine the best option, though.

[Christan]

Would someone with a PHD in engineering with 0 experience in healthcare be more suitable to vote on changes in the health sector than the nurse who works in said sector? If you use qualifications to dictate who can vote then you still don't guarantee they will know what they're doing when they vote.

exactly hence why common sense and enough imagination to foresee what could happen should a law be voted in.

[Theodon]

They would be more familiar with researching to determine the best option, though.

The person working in the specific sector that is the subject of a vote wouldn't need much research to vote intelligently though, and there is still no guarantee the research will provide the engineer with the knowledge he needs, especially if the change being voted in doesn't have a precedent. The nurse would still be more suitable in this case, but she would be excluded if you used qualifications to judge who can vote and who cannot.

There is also the issue of people with PHDs not being automatically being more able to do research than someone without. If a formal qualification doesn't serve your career then it would be quite silly to pay for one. There is, again, the issue of some qualifications being more influenced by throwing money/influence behind the effort as opposed to actually knowing what you're doing.

exactly hence why common sense and enough imagination to foresee what could happen should a law be voted in.

How do you quantify common sense? and how do you deem someone being able to see what could happen before it's happened? Even politicians that are issuing these votes struggle to meet those criteria. The ability to imagine is also not something linked to how many qualifications you have. If someone has focused on their own field of study to a great degree then they may have a narrowed view on the world.