NEWS: UK Suggests Compulsory Voting!

I see your point but a situation like that could end up working against what you want. I work in the public sector and before the last election the number of 'sweet little old ladies' that said they were going to vote BNP was ridiculous. The majority of people I spoke to, mainly middle age and older people, said they were going to or would vote for UKIP or BNP!
A lot of younger ill-educated people probably would if they had to just because it's 'cool', or not what their parents would want.

Look at the hooligan attitude todays youth have, do we really, really want their vote? Most of them worth anything probably do vote already.

Anyway, you can lead a horse to water but you can;t make it drink..

I suppose you can blow it's brains out if it doesn't, but it doesn;t really help now does it?

I think their main concern is statistics more than anything, they currently show a falling interest in goverenment which means it's failing. They can't rejuvenate it by making things actually better. So it's the usual school bully tactic:

'Give me your lunch'

'No'

'Give me your lunch or I'll kick your face in'

'OK, whatever'

Originally posted by AgentSmith
I see your point but a situation like that could end up working against what you want.

It's not about what I want......and as for the ill informed and unprepared youth.......that is my point. The vast majority of people live in a world where all they have to do is live within the parameters set up for them and they will be afforded the personal autonomy to pursue that which they please 8 hours out of every day.

Not a bad set-up as there you have people working for the whole and able to satisfy their individual needs. The way an efficient civilization should be.

But making people vote who don't know what is going on beyond prime time T.V. is no way to go about solving a problem. Until the answer is to better educate the population, we're going to continue seeing a dissolution of personal freedoms.

Originally posted by MemoryShock

Originally posted by AgentSmith
I see your point but a situation like that could end up working against what you want.

It's not about what I want......

I was responding to Odium, not you sorry. I must have been writing while you were because I started before your post came up.

When you stated that 2+2=4, were you agreeing with me or did you misread what I said - sorry I'm genuinely not sure what you meant?

Originally posted by AgentSmith
I was responding to Odium, not you sorry.

Ah......understood.......I agree with you........we are probably working towards the same destination on two different roads.......

[edit on 4-7-2005 by MemoryShock]

Kemalism. The last defense.



[edit on 4-7-2005 by Moretti]

Originally posted by Moretti

Kemalism. The last defense.

Please elaborate, a quick google search brought up pages of reading. LOL

People who are saying that this is a good thing, must be mad!
This country is getting more and more like a totalitarian "Democracy"!!!

I thought a "Democracy" was about choice, and not being falsed
to do something like vote.

Being falsed to vote, will just make people more angry, and are more likely to invalidate the ballot paper, out of spite, and protest!

Originally posted by veritas 7
People who are saying that this is a good thing, must be mad!
This country is getting more and more like a totalitarian "Democracy"!!!

I thought a "Democracy" was about choice, and not being falsed
to do something like vote.

Being falsed to vote, will just make people more angry, and are more likely to invalidate the ballot paper, out of spite, and protest!

"Forced"?

Originally posted by subz

Originally posted by veritas 7
People who are saying that this is a good thing, must be mad!
This country is getting more and more like a totalitarian "Democracy"!!!

I thought a "Democracy" was about choice, and not being falsed
to do something like vote.

Being falsed to vote, will just make people more angry, and are more likely to invalidate the ballot paper, out of spite, and protest!

"Forced"?

Oh come on don't be so picky, he obviously got caught up in typing like a lot of us do (I know I do).

If you hadn't had the quoted text your post would have blatently been in violation of the short posting thing and wouldn't even have been allowed by the software. Can't you just politely notify him of his error by U2U or try and be less sarcastic?

Agentsmith, i wasn't being picky or sarcastic, i simply had'nt read subz post, sorry! This is simply what i felt.

Originally posted by AgentSmith
Oh come on don't be so picky, he obviously got caught up in typing like a lot of us do (I know I do).

If you hadn't had the quoted text your post would have blatently been in violation of the short posting thing and wouldn't even have been allowed by the software. Can't you just politely notify him of his error by U2U or try and be less sarcastic?

I was interested, he typed it twice so I ruled out a typo. Falsed is not a word to my knowledge but it could imply something. Sorry if I offended anybody, sheesh.

Originally posted by veritas 7
Agentsmith, i wasn't being picky or sarcastic, i simply had'nt read subz post, sorry! This is simply what i felt.

I agree with you! I was having a go at Subz and sticking up for you! LOL, and saying that sorry subz too because I think I just over reacted, but people do make mistakes like that sometimes when their thinking fast and typing quick. I do all the time and my grammer/spelling etc is actually quite good, but I type like a 10 yr old!
Also as veritas was going along my line I was sticking up for the home team! LOL

[edit on 4-7-2005 by AgentSmith]

I support this, but think they should give the voters a little incentive. Perhaps a national holiday on the day that everyone votes! Maybe then people would embrace their ability to vote, not see it as an extra hastle on another day at work...

Odd. As has been said before, it's compulsory to vote if you're over 18 and an Australian citizen.

Boohoo, you might have to wait in line just to cast a donkey vote. But it's your nation's future. Other people aren't so lucky to have a say in how their country is run - I think most people in democratic societies take that for granted. I'm sure if a horrible dictatorship arises, people will be wanting to vote greatly.

Originally posted by Ishes
I support this, but think they should give the voters a little incentive. Perhaps a national holiday on the day that everyone votes! Maybe then people would embrace their ability to vote, not see it as an extra hastle on another day at work...

ishes i think you are on the right lines
sounds like a good idea

Originally posted by Xar Ke Zeth
Odd. As has been said before, it's compulsory to vote if you're over 18 and an Australian citizen.

Boohoo, you might have to wait in line just to cast a donkey vote. But it's your nation's future. Other people aren't so lucky to have a say in how their country is run - I think most people in democratic societies take that for granted. I'm sure if a horrible dictatorship arises, people will be wanting to vote greatly.

nope dont agree.
i retain the right not to vote. full stop. its not something that i 'take for granted'
who the hell are you or anyone else to try and tell me what i should take for granted. you wanna turn up at my door and try and tell me what to take for granted? huh? just see what happens

i dont like this because it seems like a reverse of logic.
normally the government is there to punish people from doing wrong and thereby protect the rules of society, thats the only reason we put up with them really, otherwise they would have to get proper jobs.
This seems like getting punsihed for not doing something instead of doing something, and it doesnt feel right to me.

AdamJ, I think your feelings stem from the fact that our legal system is reactionary. It punishes you for things you DO, not what you DONT DO.

If you speed you get fined, if you murder some one you go to jail, if you litter you get fined etc.

When the government switches gears and starts punishing you for what you dont do, it becomes a totalitarian state.

[edit on 4/7/05 by subz]

Nope, not really. Aside from the fact I didn't tell you what you take for granted, I couldn't be bothered to try and sway peoples' opinions on the matter. I'm just stating my opinion, and I'll certainly vote whether it's compulsory or not.

I just think it's a bit sad if people need an incentive to have input on how their country is run, when other people would give their life for such a freedom.

I live in Australia and only vote to avoid the fine most of the time. It is a bit of hassle but there is so many people here that think it's good that none of the political parties would suggest getting rid of it. Anyway if i had to get rid of something the government forces me to do it would be stuff like filling in my tax forms LOL or military conscription ala Vietnam era because voting is a lot more fun and the whole community is out having BBQs and socializing (well where i live anyways). It's a hassle if your not in the mood but there is much worse things your government can give you an insentive to do.

[edit on 4-7-2005 by Trent]