Should Democracy be Compulsory?
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Category: News And Views
Forum Name: Thoughts and Opinions
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Printed Date: 14 January 2026 at 11:42pm
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Topic: Should Democracy be Compulsory?
Posted By: .Ryan
Subject: Should Democracy be Compulsory?
Date Posted: 30 November 2004 at 11:49pm
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So? Should people be made to vote?
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Replies:
Posted By: pb125
Date Posted: 30 November 2004 at 11:50pm
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No, the only thing people are forced to do is jury duty.-me ------------- 
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Posted By: BARREL BREAK
Date Posted: 30 November 2004 at 11:51pm
| It starts as a good idea, as a democracy falls when people no longer care (IMO: NOW), but then the common moron who doesnt even know who the president is, or thinks that reagan is still in office has to vote, kinda like MTV's "rock the vote" |
Posted By: Homer J
Date Posted: 30 November 2004 at 11:56pm
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Like the people on Jaywalking that thought Bill Clinton was the ONLY president the US has ever had.
"Who was the first president?" "Uhh...Bill Clinton." "Which president signed the Louisiana Purchase?" "Uhh...Bill Clinton." "Which president said, 'The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself'?" "Uhh...Bill Clinton." It's scary that those people vote. Also, I'm a senior in High School. What scares me is that the large number of complete idiots there in my grade level will be voting soon. I voted No. As much as people should be highly encouraged to vote, and vote responsibly, I don't think forced voting would be a good idea, because then that would in a way be defeating the purpose of democracy. |
Posted By: quizl
Date Posted: 01 December 2004 at 12:02am
wasnt there a record number of voters this time? ------------- MEJOR QUE |
BARREL BREAK wrote:Posted By: BARREL BREAK
Date Posted: 01 December 2004 at 12:04am
yes, if by record, you mean, "3/4 of the country turned up, kinda, sort" but, look at the last few elections, less than 50%, this time passions ran hot, but not next time. |
Posted By: dankman
Date Posted: 01 December 2004 at 1:17am
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Maybe we should enforce mandatory voting. That way all the ignorant voters can swing the election either way. Kind of like a big raffle drawing but with our nations leaders. ------------- |
Posted By: Panda Man
Date Posted: 01 December 2004 at 1:19am
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Maybe we should just have the vote like a lottery... just pull out 30
Million names out of Abe Lincolns hat, and only those people will vote.
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Posted By: dankman
Date Posted: 01 December 2004 at 1:23am
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Yea, there you go.. ------------- |
Posted By: Panda Man
Date Posted: 01 December 2004 at 1:24am
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^ see it would be like killing 2 birds with one stone type gig.... you
Win somthing and you vote... so everyone wins on that part.. I think
thats how we should do Jury Duty also.... Just select names out of
Hats...
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Posted By: Darur
Date Posted: 01 December 2004 at 1:26am
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I get the feeling this has a lot to do with Nation States . . .
------------- Real Men play Tuba [IMG]http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/1859/newsmall6xz.jpg"> PH33R TEH 1337 Dwarf! http://www.tippmann.com/forum/wwf77a/log_off_user.asp" rel="nofollow - DONT CLICK ME!!1 |
Posted By: Panda Man
Date Posted: 01 December 2004 at 1:48am
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^ uhh.. no... I havn't ran into that problem yet... (Yet anyway) BOO YAH!!! 2000 posts! -------------
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Posted By: AdmiralSenn
Date Posted: 01 December 2004 at 8:54am
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I think we need to implement a "common sense" test. Make it mandatory before anybody is allowed to vote, drive, use a computer/the Internet, use power tools, own a gun, etc.
Best of all, the population of this forum would suddenly shrink to about half of what it was when I joined. "The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. Unless you're an idiot." ------------- Is God real? You'll find out when you die. 
Okay, I don't have a clever signature zinger. So sue me. |
Posted By: Clark Kent
Date Posted: 01 December 2004 at 10:03am
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^^^^ But wouldn't it suck if you failed the test?
I am beginning to believe that not only should we not have mandatory voting, but we should stop encouraging people to vote. Perhaps the people who need to be told by Puff Daddy, or their minister, to vote shouldn't be voting at all. Perhaps, if you can't figure out on your own that voting is a good thing, society would be better off without your vote. |
Posted By: adrenalinejunky
Date Posted: 01 December 2004 at 10:12am
| I'm gonna have to say no as well. kinda like clark said, if your not intelligent to figure out you should vote than i'm not sure i want you picking this nations leaders. |
Posted By: DBibeau855
Date Posted: 01 December 2004 at 10:19am
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they had tests once, supreme court ruled that they were unconstitutional. so no, people should not be forced to vote. What if you dont like any of the candidates? You shouldnt be forced to vote for someone you dont want in office ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/DBibeau855/?chartstyle=myspacecolors"> 
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Posted By: Slimz.357
Date Posted: 01 December 2004 at 10:20am
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^^^Makes sense in a way, but that still leaves us with the problem of minorities voting for the majority. Democracy was designed to represent the will of the public as a whole, not just the educated public. Hence, guliable idiots will vote that barely deserve to live, and ocassionaly devious idiots will get elected that don't even deserve to think about living. I could use this opportunity to make some rather pointed anti-Democrat remarks, but I'll pass. The Constitution designed the voting system to represent what people WANT, not what people NEED. That is the basic principle of Democracy, and also it's greatest flaw. A representative Democracy is a little better, but the problem of Idiots ellecting Idiots still exists. The solution to the problem is to completely educate the public, but short of creating a mandatory class for every citizen in the United states about every issue of a given election, it's not gonna happen. Ps. I think AdmiralSenn could pass without much trouble. ------------- "If you make it idiot proof, they'll make a better idiot." http://www.tippmann.com/players/forum/wwf77a/forum_posts.asp?TID=125287&PN=1&TPN=1 - REQUIRED READING |
Posted By: DracoPlasm
Date Posted: 01 December 2004 at 10:27am
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no ------------- 
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Posted By: Clark Kent
Date Posted: 01 December 2004 at 10:46am
How is this a problem? I am not aware of ANY democracy where everybody had a vote, nor do I think we would want such a democracy. In this country we exclude people under 18, many of whom pay taxes, and all of whom suffer the consequences of the election. We also exclude many felons, many insane folk, and (to some extent) the people of the District of Columbia. We also exclude people who have been living here for decades (and paying taxes), just because they happen to be foreign citizens. Why should we assume that more people voting is better? |
Posted By: adrenalinejunky
Date Posted: 01 December 2004 at 10:55am
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let me share a story one why more people voting isn't necessarily better.
My freinds mom ran for state rep this year, and my youth pastor was working one of the polls with a sign for her, one lady on the way out told him that she voted for my frinds mom because he was holding the sign. and after having voted asked about her. now, in this case, it was a well placed ignorant vote, but the fact that someone would base thier voting based on the fact that a stranger was holding a sign amazes me. |
Posted By: Stormcharger
Date Posted: 01 December 2004 at 12:56pm
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No. But the greatest thing about democracy is that if you don't vote, your're still voting. You have the right to express your opinion on any issue, and also to abstain if you wish. That most people do so by default is of no concern. If you do not wish to make your self heard, then you have little basis on which to complain. |
Posted By: AdmiralSenn
Date Posted: 01 December 2004 at 3:45pm
Of course... that's why you think before answering. If you can't, you probably don't deserve to do any of the things I mentioned. Oh, and add 'reproduction' to that list, since this is all hypothetical anyway.
Precisely what I was saying, just in fewer words.  ------------- Is God real? You'll find out when you die.
Okay, I don't have a clever signature zinger. So sue me. |
Posted By: Clark Kent
Date Posted: 01 December 2004 at 4:22pm
You missed my point. What if the government issued a "right to vote" test tomorrow. You (AdmiralSenn) take the test, looking forward to voting in the next test. You fail, and you are not allowed to vote. Too bad, so sad. What is your conclusion from this?
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