brian
Joined: 02 Jan 2006
Posts: 643
Location: Sacramento, California, USA
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 Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2006 7:14 am Post subject: [non-aviation] voting (was: Going after overzealous Feds) |
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Bruce Thomas wrote:
| Quote: | John, in reply to your comments that 28% of eligible voters actually
took the time to vote staggers me;
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It was a really bad turn-out but the trend keeps going downward.
| Quote: | are 72% of Americans not interested in WHO governs your country and
makes foreign policy.
|
You got that right. Thinking about how the country should operate takes
away from more important things, like the NFL and reality TV.
| Quote: | This gives the lobbyists and self interest groups open slather.
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Well, not really. You would be amazed at how many congresscritters
actually take their jobs seriously and try to do what they think is the
right thing for their constituency.
Special interest groups have the same access to their representatives
do. OTOH, their money is significant regardless of what the voter
turn-out is. The process of getting elected is very expensive. If a
group has somehow contributed $100,000 to someone's campaign, you can
bet that elected official going to listen when that group speaks. They
may choose not to go along with the desires of that group but at least
the official will listen.
| Quote: | We in the land of OZ (Australia) have since 1901 had compulsory voting
in all elections; local, state and
federal and while it is'nt perfect (about 5% donkey vote) it sure beats
28%.
|
Explain to me how Compulsory = freedom? Someone once told me that one of
the clearest indications of freedom is the right to say "no, I won't."
Forcing people to do something against their will is the antithesis of
freedom. As soon as a government has compulsory anything, be it service,
taxes, identification, or even voting, there is less freedom. Even not
voting is a public statement.
It is certainly difficult for a politician to claim a "mandate" when
only 35% of the people vote.
| Quote: | We really get the government we deserve; perhaps you should
consider asking that great statesman Abraham Lincoln to come back and
rewrite a few things.
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You know, there is always more than one way to look at things. Some
people view Abraham Lincoln as a bad guy. He stood for federal power at
the expense of individual and states' rights. When the people of the
south speak of the "War of Northern Aggression" (the Civil War) there is
actually something to what they say. That war was substantially about
economics and control. Slavery was only an ancillary theme but you have
to get the masses behind you somehow if you want to get them to fight.
Most people aren't willing to fight and die for economic prosperity, at
least not directly.
You know, if you look at any event in history long enough and critically
enough you discover that there just are no good guys.
| Quote: | Regards Bruce Thomas 18T
|
--
Brian Lloyd 361 Catterline Way
brian-yak at lloyd dot com Folsom, CA 95630
+1.916.367.2131 (voice) +1.270.912.0788 (fax)
"Five percent of the people think.
Ten percent of the people think they think.
Eighty-five percent of the people would rather die than think."
---Thomas A. Edison
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_________________
Brian Lloyd
brian-yak at lloyd dot com
+1.916.367.2131 (voice) +1.270.912.0788 (fax)
I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . .
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery |
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