Should we take away old people's voting rights like we do their driving rights?

Not that old. I just find the topic insulting to an entire demograhic of Americans. Hell, at least a lot of them vote, which is more than one hell of a lot of "young people" can say about themselves.

 

I don't think the key is removing voting rights for the elderly...

I think the key is giving more voting rights to other groups.

(Like a share dilution)

I've always thought that the votes of young people, and the votes of those with families should count more. For families, you have individuals with high stakes in how the country pans out---but they aren't allowed to vote since they're too young. Somehow, that needs to be accounted for.

The biggest problem with American politics as I see it is a penchant for emphasizing the short-term, and neglecting the long-term. Giving those individuals who must think long-term more power will help to correct this imbalence.

 

I'm for drafting people for representation like jury duty. Everyone gets a 3 year rotation, 1/3 get rotated in and out every year.

 

I think this is a really fantastic idea that would have potentially positive repercussions throughout society. There are hundreds of ways to organize it, but the important part is that individuals are drafted to represent their communities - it would really underscore the idea of civic duty, and could potentially get rid of a LOT of the bull**** that infests politics.

The idea has actually been around for as long as democracy itself - Athens used a lottery-based system, but they limited the candidates to wealth-possessing males.

The details, of course, would be up for debate (at what age does a person become eligible? Will there be a hierarchy of positions - will one first be eligible for local government, and eligible for state goverment after that, and federal government after holding a state government position? And so on....) but, I believe, the fundamental concept is a great one.

This may need its own thread.

 

How? A good friend of mine is working to be a chemical engineer. He's placidly conservative, but isn't really interested in politics. How will plunking him in some kind of office, one where he does not have the right personality or willingness to be there, make him more interested in his civic duty?

I mean, off the top of my head, isn't randomly selecting people kind of how jury duty works?

 

Interesting idea. The perks would be sensational. ;-)-

 

Draft Robert Gates!

 

A draft of representatives is a bad idea here. I don't think you can empower political neophytes and expect they will be savvy enough to avoid manipulation on the one hand and corruption on the other. Someone more intelligent and more experienced will use them to his own ends.

 

People do not vote until they're well into the tax system. Or until they have family and dependents to take care of (or if they're about to get drafted).

Helping the "fellow man" should be motivation enough, though generally people get interested in politics when their wallets are getting affected.

Thats why younger people will never have as high a voter turnout as we'd like, and why older people will be more involved. Can we trust the country in the hands of junior voters any more than cranky seniors?

 

doesn't diebold already do this for everyone

 

As long as we are setting new standards, I don't think people should be allowed to have children until they pass a competency and means test. If they do then the state should take the children and give them up for adoption to qualified parents.

 

Has someone already asked if driving is a right or a privilege?

 

As my father would say, "It's not a right, it's a god-damn necessity!"

 

I think it's interesting that no one's brought up the fact that we have a minimum voting age of 18 in the this country. To me, that's no less discriminatory than some of the measures suggested in this thread.

 

This is the first time I've seen somebody agree with me about this. I'm shocked.

 

don't work, can't vote.

 

Oooh, interesting, anyone that is on the government's teet or does not pay taxes, should not vote.

DD