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0 pointsgnaritas12y ago0 comments

> If people are imperfectly educated

That's not really an if, it's a simple fact that has and probably will always be true.

> why let them elect representatives

Because millions of idiots turns out to be better than kings and dictators for the average quality of life.

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5 comments · 1 top-level

boon12y ago· 4 in thread

Can we not think of a way to refine the system of "idiots voting" without being accused of the false dichotomy of wanting to go back to a monarchy?

dragontamer12y ago

Good luck with that conversation.

Any form of "removing idiots" from the voting pool will give comparisons to the Literacy Test, and you will be literally compared to a slave-driver. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literacy_test

False dichotomies are the bread and butter of politics. Perhaps if you knew the history of this country, you'd know that you aren't gonna get very far on this subject.

I welcome you to try, but from a political / historical point of view, there is too much bad blood in this discussion for people to discuss it sanely.

boon12y ago

You're talking to someone whose political ideals already get me called "racist" and "slave driver". Oddly enough, I do not support racism nor slavery (quite the opposite). And I know the history — why do you think I brought the point up? (Come on, now.)

But the point we're trying to make here is philosophical, not practical: If people are too uneducated to participate in a free market economy, why do we allow them to vote?

gnaritasOP12y ago

Nope. But I'm happy to hear of any third option that isn't authoritarian. Preventing people from voting is authoritarian.

boon12y ago

Would you consider the US at any time in its history to be authoritarian?

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