Voting is a farce

Z

z107

Guest
Split from this thread since it was not really on topic there. ClubMan.

The only power we have, is the power to change the regime (by peaceful and democratic means)
Click to expand...
The people also have the power to change the regime by civil war. Is this why you have the brackets around the peaceful bit?

(Off topic - but voting is pretty much a farce to appease the electorate. The people who want power, stay in power via this mechanism. People vote according to the following criteria:
1. Who they think will win - everyone likes to back a winner. This is controlled by the media.
2. Who their peers votes for, such as parents etc.
3. Many people don't even bother voting, making the result unrepresentative.
4. Some people would have met their candidate on the doorstep and blindly agreed a vote - or maybe liked the nice poster on the lamppost.
5. Tiny proportion read the manifestos and make a (somewhat) informed decision.)
 
1. Who they think will win - everyone likes to back a winner. This is controlled by the media.
2. Who their peers votes for, such as parents etc.
3. Many people don't even bother voting, making the result unrepresentative.
4. Some people would have met their candidate on the doorstep and blindly agreed a vote - or maybe liked the nice poster on the lamppost.
5. Tiny proportion read the manifestos and make a (somewhat) informed decision.)
Click to expand...

So what you're saying is that the public is stupid?

What's the alternative? A 'benevolent' dictator who 'knows best' for us?

We get the government we deserve, no more, no less.
 
umop3p!sdn said:
(Off topic - but voting is pretty much a farce to appease the electorate. The people who want power, stay in power via this mechanism. People vote according to the following criteria:
1. Who they think will win - everyone likes to back a winner. This is controlled by the media.
2. Who their peers votes for, such as parents etc.
3. Many people don't even bother voting, making the result unrepresentative.
4. Some people would have met their candidate on the doorstep and blindly agreed a vote - or maybe liked the nice poster on the lamppost.
5. Tiny proportion read the manifestos and make a (somewhat) informed decision.)
Click to expand...
Do you have any practical/realistic suggestions for improvements on the situation as you see it?
 
Voting is indeed a farce but it is the best system we have at present. The will of the majority will never be a great way to rule though. You end up with average politicians making average decisions. If you are lucky.
 
I strongly disagree that voting, and by extension democracy, is a farce regardless of what might motivate some people to vote (their prerogative after all and subject to privacy so impossible to measure accurately) or the (poor) quality of (some of) the representatives elected. What is a farce is the likes of the Seanad which isn't even a democratic institution with members either appointed or elected by select cabals. It really should be abolished or replaced with an upper house whose members are elected by universal suffrage.
 
ClubMan said:
What is a farce is the likes of the Seanad which isn't even a democratic institution with members either appointed or elected by select cabals. It really should be abolished or replaced with an upper house whose members are elected by universal suffrage.
Click to expand...

Apart from the cost to the state, why should we really care?

It's just a talking shop for wanna-be politicians and a retirement home for those that fall out of favour for the electorate. It doesn't have any real meaningful input into the running of the country?
 
The seanad may be a farce, but I don't think it's a bad idea to have unelected intellectuals and philosophers perusing certain issues of relevance to the running of the state.
 
It is absolutely anti-democratic to give unelected individuals the power to influence the governing of the state and enactment of legislation no matter how limited.
 
Bring on the Civil War!
I dont personally think the majority of the public are stupid. Misled maybe. I do agree with the people voting for the perceived winners though!

Unfortunately our elected representitives are clever enough to throw the odd few crumbs from the table down to the downtrodden to keep them thinking- sure we've never had it better.
Or that other classic- Sure, you'll never change it- thats how its always been.
Political education should be compulsory in primary and secondary and voting should be made compulsory also.
Although whichever government which brings it in will be voted out in the first changed election by the 50% or so of people who've never voted and are annoyed that they've to go out and miss a half hour of coronation street albeit to help elect the future government who'll run(ruin) their lives!
 
IMHO

Many people in this country do not understand PR and the way in which the second and lower preferences come into play (and I do not claim to be an expert).

I know my mother will usually vote for her favourite and will give some no-hoper her 3rd or 4th preference out of sympathy. By the time they've got that far down the ballot for distributions, the no-hoper is long since eliminated, so the preference was in vain.

Just once, in 1997, did all my preferences get counted, assuming of course my ballot paper was in whatever surplus(es) were relevant.
 
redbhoy said:
Political education should be compulsory in primary and secondary
Click to expand...

Agree, most definitely.

redbhoy said:
voting should be made compulsory also.
Click to expand...

Strongly strongly disagree.

I have never voted in my 14 years of being eligible to vote, and I don't intend to start.

Why would you go and make me vote????
 
ronan_d_john said:
Strongly strongly disagree.

I have never voted in my 14 years of being eligible to vote, and I don't intend to start.

Why would you go and make me vote????
Click to expand...

I also think voting should be compulsory. Or at least everyone eligible to vote should have to turn up on the day - they should then have the choice to vote or register a conscientious objection type view to the process. But too many people don't vote out of sheer laziness and I have a big problem with that.
 
Janet said:
I also think voting should be compulsory. Or at least everyone eligible to vote should have to turn up on the day
Click to expand...

What happens to you if you don't turn up? Will they send us to Guantanemo? :)
 
Janet said:
I also think voting should be compulsory. Or at least everyone eligible to vote should have to turn up on the day - they should then have the choice to vote or register a conscientious objection type view to the process. But too many people don't vote out of sheer laziness and I have a big problem with that.
Click to expand...

Wasn't that one of the problems with the electronic voting systems, there was no way to spoil your vote (= conscientious objection for some) ?

(sorry if this takes this thread off on a tangent...)
 
Could be. They should just add in a choice of name which is "none of the above" - that'd do it, don't you think?

Re the punishment for people who don't turn up, what would work? Prison may be a bit extreme. Why not a fine (hey, if they were actually able to collect them maybe they'd recoup some of the money spent on the e-voting mess!).

I believe it's compulsory in Australia - anyone know what they do there?
 
The system isn't perfect but it's better than anything that went before and anything that has been proposed since.
Some people are lazy, some are disinterested, some are cynical and some are just too stupid to know what it is all about; there are plenty of reasons why people don’t vote.
No system will get everyone out to vote but everyone having the same opportunity and voice is what matters.
 
but everyone having the same opportunity and voice is what matters.
Click to expand...
There really is no point in moaning/whingeing/arguing/debating/ about events before or after an election/vote/referendum if one doesn't bother to exercise one's vote.

Marion
 
ronan_d_john said:
I have never voted in my 14 years of being eligible to vote, and I don't intend to start.
Click to expand...
Seems odd (to me anyway) not to vote but to then call on others to make their voices heard by lobbying politicians directly.
 
Marion said:
There really is no point in moaning/whingeing/arguing/debating/ about events before or after an election/vote/referendum if one doesn't bother to exercise one's vote.

Marion
Click to expand...

Rubbish.

What about those who couldn't be arsed voting because they don't feel there's anyone out there worth voting for?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top