I have a rational fear of masses of dumb people electing horrible candidates who destroy what I love of the United States of America.
After Bush, Trump, and Brexit, it's a good time to discuss an idea that's
time may have come:
Requiring a test to indicate essential knowledge is not discriminatory of race or sex or ethnicity and can only improve this republic toward fairness and better representation.
Access to the polls is so essential to successful self-governing that I want people to have the ability to vote with telepathy on the toilet, if they choose. Their smartphone or any internet terminal would be fine, after reasonable vetting.
After society has an idea, the voter has an idea of the truth of reality, history, civics.
It is consistent with democracy and improving its trustworthiness. It will be another tier of representation, like Congress itself it will be local representation, by your neighbors, your family or your friends.
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be. . . whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government; that, whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them right."
- Thomas Jefferson
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Citizens voting on collective issues and representatives to argue for us is an invention of modern humanity that is essential to self-governing, and fundamental to most ideas of democracy, but discriminating toward a minimum intellect of the voter is necessary if a nation is to benefit.
Emotion related differences from children to adults.
A childlike brain will likely favor those emotional biases at the polls.
Voting "Rights":
If you are a political pundit or a politician (viewed or read and or respected by many) and go about stating that Americans have a "right to vote," then poorly informed people will use it. Rights get taken for granted and abused. It's a privilege to vote; the Framers knew it and wanted it to remain so.
Few of these "voters" would pass the civics, historyor current events questions on their local Voter Registration Test.
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Bill of Rights:
Amend the Constitution; let's take that right away from the States.
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A literacy test?
In 1780, at most, 95% of the public could not read more than their first and last name.
In the two centuries following, those figures improved dramatically.
Today, less than 5% of the public will reach adulthood and need to be literate.
We know what Jim Crow laws were, and we fully expect voter registration testing to be created for equality, as all government services should.
As the Fifteenth Amendment dictates of the Federal government, equal access to the polls is a right, not voting itself. There is no federally protected or documented universal right to vote in the United States. There is a law that defends equality to access.
Voting is fundamental to self-government, but no federal law guarantees a citizen a right to vote. There is a law (Amendment 15) that protects equality of access to the polls, and in that manner, it can be called a "right to equality of voting." It's a privilege to vote.
A well-informed voter is foundational if the self-government is to work, be trusted, and be fairer to all.
Consistent with the premise of this post, voter testing is a wise and timely idea.
It can turn the tables on voter suppression where voters' masses have become a competitive goal on partisan sides, and the race becomes a cause of election paranoia, used by a recent candidate to stoke the anger of his cult followers.
Imagine a pool of reliable voters, each passionate and curious, and passing the voter registration test before every general election.
I can imagine being one of the framers of the US Constitution and imagining that the voters can read and read news only printed by reliable sources.
Like tested and licensed drivers, they can steer on the highways of representation to avoid crashing into other people. That is consistent with democracy and improving our general trust.
An informed voter is necessary for the effectiveness and stability of any democracy, or it will fall apart, collapsing from the ignorant hordes.
Americans don't have to allow people to vote, who don't care enough to study to discover the truth.
We can't afford the LOW INFORMATION voter.
Democracy is FAILING; it's no longer about MASSES of VOTERS because proper representation requires well informed voters, not hundreds of millions of people too busy to find the truth who live in a divided news media environment.
Understand? Geez
The challenging future will require a reliable body of esteemed tested voters, not millions too busy to understand the complexities of issues.
After Bush, Trump, and Brexit, it's an excellent time to discuss an idea that's time must come.
Because, the low information voter does not have to be here-to-stay. Let them get on with their lives, that are apparently more important than giving thought time to serious issues of the day.
Trump, Brexit, right? C'mon!?
If the nation had voter testing, of history, civics and current events, to become eligible, the numbers would be smaller, but proportions of party advocates and divided opinions no less different, and they'd be knowledgeable voters that can't be fooled.
Having a pool of tested voters is a needed next tier of representation.
It is not like there won't be a lot of voters, all representing all needs of all people.
We want the tests to be welcoming and passable. It's who the voter is that's important. Someone who cares enough to keep-up and know their civics, history, and current events.
What about your neighbor representing you because you're too busy and disinterested in politics to vote with reasonable care or study to know what is true?
Imagine that after voter testing has become standard, that 20% of today’s numbers will be participating at that time, but those numbers will be persistent or greater - to be counted on as consistently there, for all candidate to focus on their opinions - of knowledgeable people who care enough. Testing should not designed to fail participants. The board can test the tests, and any member of an congressionally managed round table can challenge any question.
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Does the #DemocraticParty fear their constituency is composed of too many who would not vote if it became too inconvenient?
Yes.
Does that not indicate a corrupt system? It's an intellectual process of decision and we are doing this!
Wake up, "Awoken?"
Under #VoterTesting the lazy will stop voting. Democratic order will depend on a steady pool of committed voters who would turn out in a hurricane.
Why not have a nation run on the instant opinions of every citizen voting with their satellite connected brain implants?
Kids too, why not?
I submit, you would rather society find a way to discriminate based on reasoning skill and knowledge of truth and history.
We are expert at testing ourselves in almost all walks of life.
(and the numbers game fantasy) ......
Accepted as true in liberal US politics is, IF the scenario
could be true that EVERYONE voted, the Democratic Party would win is logical
IF a majority (even a tiny majority) of ALL did their homework, and EVERYONE
voted - a fantasy, proven to be every year there's more voters.
It's not quantity, unless your entire competition is about objectifying all
voters as simple numbers; of persons over eighteen years-old who can breathe.
I was passionate about getting out masses of people to vote, for many years, even volunteering with my local Democrats to find people, and carrying voter registration forms in my school bag.
However, I’ve realized that sustaining good (fair) #democracy with the “well Informed voter” (concept) was never about the numbers. It’s the quality of participants in the process of highly significant choices, and we are trusted to maintain this.
Below, an old meme I created 20-years ago, when, like many, I believed a simplistic idea that making voting easy, or everybody voting makes bettter representation:
Quality not Quantity.
We are not sheep to be herded for a head count.
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In the humorous example below; I see Daltry can be a metaphor for a public advocate for everyone voting fast and easy in a democratic government election, who thinks a utopia is achievable if the number of voters is EVERYBODY. He's a true believer; without voter testing (like driver testing), the party becomes a disaster.
More at the Door!
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Here's an imaginative nightmare democracy scenario:
The year 2068; the long time belief by voting advocates that everybody vote, and then democracy can save us all, has some glitches:
Every adult wears a brain implant that connects to the Earth Office of Elections in a highly secure space station, and ALL issues and political decisions are decided by MASS BRAIN POLLING.
Sometimes the whole world stops in place to masturbate. 🙄
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What citizens need are those who want to be part of democracy, enough to find the truth and pass the test.
Please take voting seriously?
If we test voters, we will more likely have an electorate who know the truth of current events, history, and civics.
They could be counted on as a consistent number who would vote in a natural disaster.
Voting is a regulated privilege of those who participate in democracy and is not a "right."
If we Test Voters, we will more likely have an electorate who know the truth of current events, history, and civics, as they would be naturally curious information readers.
They could be counted to vote in a natural disaster, after a horrific war, or in a plague.
Don't confuse rights with your privilege to vote; i.e. you cannot be discriminated against in the process for reasons of race or sex.
A tested voter should get free stuff from city and state governments and a
lot of local discounts.
They should get an annual check from the IRS, of $100. Keeps the numbers of them higher.
They are eligible.
With misinformation widely allowed, the results of #voting can be as dangerous as driving a heavy vehicle in a city. If you don't have proper knowledge and ability you are probably going to hurt yourself and others, and be costly.
Voter testing locations should all have great catering with booze. After all, testers are registered voters are honored citizens.
In the future, an answer is advocacy for creation of #VoterTesting, for all lovers of country who keep up w/truth, to have the privilege of running democracy.
You could be sure an apocalyptic event would not stop a tested voter from reaching the polling place or voting online or by mail. By taking the test and passing to become eligible, they have shown great enthusiasm for participation.
Here’s an idea, in conjunction with testing, voting at the time of the test; you choose your candidates and other choices, and then you proceed to take the test. You place your test into a Scantron form that can quickly give you your result, and if you pass the test, your vote gets registered.
In my State there were 248K citizens who voted in a recent primary, of 2.2M eligible (old enough) voters.
While the nation waits for thousands of polling places and assembly of millions of mail-in ballots, published exit polls, inferring winners and losers, will inspire great anxiety, and outbreaks of violence and riots.
Test to vote concept creates a reliable pool of active voters, must like jurists are selected and maintained for trials.
The division of both truth and political bent will be here to stay in societies with freely published media; news distributions outlets that can't be taken away, and can allow biases affect their presentation of truth.
We have abused the Frist Amendment.
We have feared regulating our information.
We must see the necessity of maintaining a fully informed electorate as important as keeping a standing army.
If we #TestVoters, we will more likely have an electorate who know the truth of current events, history, and civics, as naturally curious information readers.
Less likely will be millions of misdirected voters, as we see today, everywhere.
I would include voter testing clause within Amendment 28, Public Campaign Financing.
I want every voter to be proud and feel honored, and not to have the feeling of a granted right, that can be un-appreciated in its use, sometimes far too casually "Let's give him a try, why not!?" Laze-fare voter participation.
We use democracy to run the testing component of voter registration.
A council of elected, term serving elders and their staff keep track of the truth, and agree on all test questions. They are accountable. Not like Fox News.
Below; pardon my humor, but you get the point.
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More:
Some, edited.
Governors; and CHEAP!
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COMBINE this idea with http://PUBLIC-CAMPAIGN-FINANCING.ORG (also by me) and we have got a magnificent new package of REAL REFORMS that can CLEAN UP long standing complaints about the fairness and efficiency of the mechanisms of democracy that we use.
Thank you.
- James Gray Mason
@endallsuffering https://endallsuffering.com / @timetravelwish https://timetravelwish.com
More notes:
A common misconception is that because Congress lowered the voting age from 21 to 18-years, that they can pass a nationwide change to the process of voting for all Americans.
No, they wrote a Constitutional Amendment that the States later ratified.
A new Amendment to our constitution is like a change to the United States itself; it's our supportive skeleton.
It's one way to stop the next TV celebrity asshole from lying to tens of millions and becoming the president.
I don’t see a better long-term plan to protect democracy from idiots.
The USA is this important.
Voting is dangerous to life.