Re: A simple proposition to fix democracy in U.S.

[EMAIL PROTECTED] (Edward Glamkowski) wrote in message news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
> [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Erik Aronesty) wrote in message news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
> > If we charged people a $200 federal tax penalty for failing to vote in
> > a federal election, it would stir a subtle but powerful shift in the
> > counciousness of the country.
> 
> Because not voting should be a viable option.

This would not remove that option.  You can always vote ABSTAIN.

Not having a home and living in the streets is also a viable option. 
If you don't want to work.... then that's your fate.  If you don't
want to vote, then there should also be consequences.

Working and voting are things that we do to keep society running.  I'm
not saying that you can't choose not to.  I'm saying there should be
consequences for not participating in the country.  For example: there
are consequences for not paying taxes.

> > People, feeling compelled to vote, would also feel compelled to talk
> > about voting. 
> Not necessarily. 
> In fact, that's really a staggering leap of logic.

Is it?  How about if you had a whole day off for national eleciton
day, do you think anyone would talk about it?  That was another
proposed suggestion, and a realistic one.  Many people don't vote
because they are too busy.  A national holiday would change that.

> The US government, at the federal level, was never intended to be 
> democratic.  The executive is choosen by electors, who originally

Gee, thanks for letting me know something I didn't know.  Ed.... we've
gone down this road before.  I know that the U.S. government is a
Republic controlled by the elite few (not you, not me).  I know that. 
I'm not interested in that.

I want a government "for the people" and "by the people".... as was
originally declared.  Just because we have a system that fails to meet
our expectations, doesn't mean we have to settle for it as it stands.

> We already have too much democracy in this country - look at 
> California!  We need less, not more.

California failed to enact a quorum of voters for a referendum.  This
was originally proposed and ignored by the people who created the
referendum act, since it would weaken them.  That's a bug in a system.
 It can be fixed.

> That's rather very wrong.  It was, for example, republicans who
> brought the vote to women and minorities.  Republicans have ALWAYS
> supported voting rights.  

LOL.  They also support HAVA and Diebold, which completely strip
voting rights.

> And which party benefits from that voter fraud?

Both parties do, in their respective states.  Diebold systems, for
example, has been used to completely coopt the state of Georgia.

> Clearly one must conclude that the democrats hate democracy.

Why do you make this a partisan issue?  I want more people to vote. 
So do you.  Let's agree on a solution.  How about a national holiday
on election day?