Should everyone be allowed to vote?

[Toddsterpatriot]

If you lose the right to vote you should lose the requirement to pay taxes.

No taxation without representation.

And if you're on welfare, you can't vote.

 

[edthecynic]

If you lose the right to vote you should lose the requirement to pay taxes.

No taxation without representation.

Don't give the Right-wing felons any ideas or they will all turn themselves in, the prisons are already over crowded.

 

[edthecynic]

If you lose the right to vote you should lose the requirement to pay taxes.

No taxation without representation.

And if you're on welfare, you can't vote.

And if you are a stockholder in a company that gets a subsidy, low interest loan or bailout from the government you can't vote.

It is probably a lot easier to let everyone vote.

 

[Ringel05]

Universal adult suffrage is a basic principle of democracy but is this the right thing to do?

1 in 4 Americans Failed to Answer This Simple Science Question - PolicyMic

According to a poll of 2,200 Americans conducted by the National Science Foundation, one in four people are unaware that the Earth revolves around the Sun. The NSF gave participants a nine question quiz about basic physical and biological science, and the average score came back at a barely passing 6.5 questions correct. That's right, the average person can barely pass a basic science quiz, and a large chunk of the population doesn't know how the Earth travels through space.

That in mind, I propose a change in the electoral system of every country that excludes anyone with a low IQ or who can't pass basic general knowledge tests.

I see it this way, if you have no clue about the world around you and/or the inability to learn because you're too stupid, you should not be allowed any participation in the electoral system.
Why would you want really thick people deciding the course any given country should take?

Do you agree?

I see Baghdad Bob is up to his old tricks again.

 

[Victory67]

And if you're on welfare, you can't vote.

Is that you're way of keeping black people from voting?

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

And if you're on welfare, you can't vote.

Is that you're way of keeping black people from voting?

Are there black people on welfare?

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

Universal adult suffrage is a basic principle of democracy but is this the right thing to do?

Is this the right thing to do in a republic? No.

Even in the decades following the creation of our new government, when democracy was restricted to the lower chamber of the legislature, suffrage wasn't universal. Voting wasn't a right.

Through constitutional amendments, we have been transforming participation of the franchise into a right, though it can never be an unalienable right because it is not innate (it becomes a desire only after we create reasons to vote). Liberals insist on calling it a right, anyway, ever so slowly broadening the definition of the term to include government endowments.

No, universal suffrage is never smart, even in countries with democratic governments.

Incorrect.

The right to vote is indeed inalienable, as originally intended by the Framers, and as acknowledged in Article II of the Constitution.

Therefore, the issue has nothing to do with ‘liberals,’ or ‘expanding rights.’ Rather, the issue concerns the right to vote as being as fundamental as any other right that manifests as a consequence of one’s humanity, subject to strict scrutiny, and comprehensively afforded to all Americans regardless one’s station in life:

Undoubtedly, the right of suffrage is a fundamental matter in a free and democratic society. Especially since the right to exercise the franchise in a free and unimpaired manner is preservative of other basic civil and political rights, any alleged infringement of the right of citizens to vote must be carefully and meticulously scrutinized.

Reynolds v Sims (1964)

Given this fact of law, the notion that one’s fundamental, inalienable right to vote can be denied because he is perceived to not ‘pay into the system’ is repugnant to the Constitution.

 

[norwegen]

Universal adult suffrage is a basic principle of democracy but is this the right thing to do?

Is this the right thing to do in a republic? No.

Even in the decades following the creation of our new government, when democracy was restricted to the lower chamber of the legislature, suffrage wasn't universal. Voting wasn't a right.

Through constitutional amendments, we have been transforming participation of the franchise into a right, though it can never be an unalienable right because it is not innate (it becomes a desire only after we create reasons to vote). Liberals insist on calling it a right, anyway, ever so slowly broadening the definition of the term to include government endowments.

No, universal suffrage is never smart, even in countries with democratic governments.

Incorrect.

The right to vote is indeed inalienable, as originally intended by the Framers, and as acknowledged in Article II of the Constitution.

Therefore, the issue has nothing to do with ‘liberals,’ or ‘expanding rights.’ Rather, the issue concerns the right to vote as being as fundamental as any other right that manifests as a consequence of one’s humanity, subject to strict scrutiny, and comprehensively afforded to all Americans regardless one’s station in life:

Undoubtedly, the right of suffrage is a fundamental matter in a free and democratic society. Especially since the right to exercise the franchise in a free and unimpaired manner is preservative of other basic civil and political rights, any alleged infringement of the right of citizens to vote must be carefully and meticulously scrutinized.

Reynolds v Sims (1964)

Given this fact of law, the notion that one’s fundamental, inalienable right to vote can be denied because he is perceived to not ‘pay into the system’ is repugnant to the Constitution.

I call them unalienable rights because that's what the DoI calls them. Do you know what they are? Will you identify this clause in Article II, please?

 

[Indofred]

The right to vote is indeed inalienable, as originally intended by the Framers, and as acknowledged in Article II of the Constitution.

I believe the constitution of the United states and any other country that follows this ideal is wrong.
My argument is simple enough; if you don't have the brain capacity to understand political issues, why should you have a say in the election of a government and all that brings?

The sheep (The unintelligent fools) can be conned into believing any old rubbish because they are far too stupid to understand the basics of anything.
In my opinion, that makes them unfit to vote.

I should make clear; this thread isn't about America (but it was inspired by a story from America). Every democracy has a percentage of dumb voters so my assertion applies to all such countries, equally.

 

[Indofred]

Apologies for not being very active in this thread. I've been a bit on the busy side to haven't had a lot of free time.
I've added a poll.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

Much as I'd like to see IQ apply to more than bragging rights, using it as a qualification for things is the stuff of dystopian nightmares.

One of the best examples of this comes from Outer Limits (90's version) and the episode "Examination Day"

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLvu_bPqaL0]The Twilight Zone 1985 Examination Day - YouTube[/ame]