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Does today's public make you question democracy?

Posted on 1/14/14 at 1:19 pm
Posted by tiger1014
Member since Jan 2011
12511 posts
Posted on 1/14/14 at 1:19 pm
I just see so many dumb people around and knowing they have an equal voice to select leadership as people with a functioning brain. It makes me cringe.

Seeing how easily swayed and impressionable the public is makes me (at times) wonder why things (though unconstitutional now) like basic literacy tests or poll taxes aren't seriously considered.

:inbeforebestcountryintheworld:
:inbeforethesystemhasworkedforover200years:
Posted by Scruffy
Kansas City
Member since Jul 2011
72100 posts
Posted on 1/14/14 at 1:19 pm to
quote:

Seeing how easily swayed and impressionable the public is makes me (at times) wonder why things (though unconstitutional now) like basic literacy tests or poll taxes aren't seriously considered.
I think the same thing.
Posted by TerryDawg03
The Deep South
Member since Dec 2012
15714 posts
Posted on 1/14/14 at 1:20 pm to
:inbeforemostdemocraciesonlylastRoughly200years:

It confirms the flaws of democracy and why we were supposed to remain a republic.
Posted by GumboPot
Member since Mar 2009
118782 posts
Posted on 1/14/14 at 1:23 pm to
quote:

It confirms the flaws of democracy and why we were supposed to remain a republic.



Most people don't realize we are not a democracy but are supposed to be a constitutional republic.
Posted by UPT
NOLA
Member since May 2009
5508 posts
Posted on 1/14/14 at 1:30 pm to
quote:

literacy tests or poll taxes aren't seriously considered.


You can't be fricking serious.
Posted by Broketec
Dumpster Fire
Member since Sep 2006
1226 posts
Posted on 1/14/14 at 1:33 pm to
quote:

Seeing how easily swayed and impressionable the public is makes me (at times) wonder why things (though unconstitutional now) like basic literacy tests or poll taxes aren't seriously considered.


Cut more education.
Build more jails.
Smart is overrated.
Posted by PenguinNinja
Antarctica (and Japan)
Member since Sep 2011
2081 posts
Posted on 1/14/14 at 1:33 pm to
There was a reason you had to be a land owner to vote when the country was founded.

That has been destroyed, predictably, by political correctness and the mindless masses.
Posted by PenguinNinja
Antarctica (and Japan)
Member since Sep 2011
2081 posts
Posted on 1/14/14 at 1:36 pm to
What's wrong with making sure someone can read what they're voting on before they vote on it?

Or, alternatively, confirming that they're not of a mental condition (e.g. Illiterate) which should preclude them voting for the sake of the rest of us?
This post was edited on 1/14/14 at 1:37 pm
Posted by UGATiger26
Jacksonville, FL
Member since Dec 2009
9044 posts
Posted on 1/14/14 at 1:41 pm to
Rather than worrying about the general public and democracy, I'm more worried about our republic with our representatives acting based on their own short-term best interests as opposed to the country's long-term best interests.
Posted by HempHead
Big Sky Country
Member since Mar 2011
55454 posts
Posted on 1/14/14 at 1:45 pm to
Democracy has always sucked, now we are just more aware of how terrible the general public is at making decisions for each other.

ETA: Electing representatives to make decisions is only slightly less terrible, and can be worse in some instances.
This post was edited on 1/14/14 at 1:46 pm
Posted by Green Chili Tiger
Lurking the Tin Foil Hat Board
Member since Jul 2009
47608 posts
Posted on 1/14/14 at 1:46 pm to
quote:

There was a reason you had to be a land owner to vote when the country was founded


There was a reason the document that is the foundation of our government has instructions for changing it written in to it.
Posted by Bard
Definitely NOT an admin
Member since Oct 2008
51614 posts
Posted on 1/14/14 at 1:57 pm to
quote:

Rather than worrying about the general public and democracy, I'm more worried about our republic with our representatives acting based on their own short-term best interests as opposed to the country's long-term best interests.


Welcome to the era of Low-Information Voter dominance. It makes me wish uninhabited islands were more plentiful.
This post was edited on 1/14/14 at 2:00 pm
Posted by HempHead
Big Sky Country
Member since Mar 2011
55454 posts
Posted on 1/14/14 at 2:00 pm to
quote:

Welcome to the era of Low-Information Voter dominance


Representatives making decisions based on short-term politcal expediency is not a new phenomenon, it is a reality of the institution. This will happen when they are given the ability to spend other folk's money, and especially so when many programs don't have to be paid by taxation, but by borrowing.
Posted by hawkster
Member since Aug 2010
6229 posts
Posted on 1/14/14 at 2:04 pm to
quote:

I just see so many dumb people around and knowing they have an equal voice to select leadership as people with a functioning brain. It makes me cringe.


And the real tragedy is that these idiots are duped by unscrupulous politicians who rely on their stupidity and inability to care for themselves for job security.
Posted by CITWTT
baton rouge
Member since Sep 2005
31765 posts
Posted on 1/14/14 at 2:09 pm to
quote:

our representatives acting based on their own short-term best interests



Which is the reason the Framers of the Constitution made members of the Senate appointees of the governors of the states. Each of them would have no short term or long term interests except for gubernatorial elections in their home state. The present membership of the Senate would be radically different if that was still the case today.
This post was edited on 1/14/14 at 2:21 pm
Posted by UGATiger26
Jacksonville, FL
Member since Dec 2009
9044 posts
Posted on 1/14/14 at 2:15 pm to
quote:

The present membership of the Senate would be radically different if that was still the case today.


Indeed. Kind of redundant and detrimental to have 2 houses of representatives but no real Senate.
Posted by goatmilker
Castle Anthrax
Member since Feb 2009
64345 posts
Posted on 1/14/14 at 2:18 pm to
I think 200 years ago they realized 'the public' as did the monarchies and dictators.

And all wondered how long a democracy could last.
Posted by foshizzle
Washington DC metro
Member since Mar 2008
40599 posts
Posted on 1/14/14 at 2:57 pm to
quote:

I just see so many dumb people around and knowing they have an equal voice to select leadership as people with a functioning brain.


This is one of the oldest topics in political theory. Plato wrote about it (no, I'm not kidding).

The problem is that if you don't secure the consent of the dumb they will flock to someone who will get them excited and smash things.
Posted by tiger1014
Member since Jan 2011
12511 posts
Posted on 1/14/14 at 2:58 pm to
I've always personally criticized the electoral college. But damn. Those founders were on to something. They knew we couldn't be responsible for directly electing a national leader
Posted by UGATiger26
Jacksonville, FL
Member since Dec 2009
9044 posts
Posted on 1/14/14 at 3:21 pm to
quote:

Those founders were on to something


No shite.

You only had a collection of the most educated philosophical and political minds of the time spend four months debating and crafting the U.S. Constitution. And they spent years writing about it before that. I think they put a good deal of thought into it.

Guns are bad! Ban guns! The 2nd amendment was meant for muskets!
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