Quote:
Originally posted by red-beard
So, poll tax? Literacy requirement? Real estate holdings/business holdings? What way will you decide who gets the franchise?
Personally, I'd like to see an IQ test built into the voting machines.
Solve this quadratic equation, and then proceed to vote.
X² -4X + 3 = 0
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Democracy is a very imperfect notion. It only makes theoretical sense if (a) everone is fully informed of the issues and choices, (b) everyone is rational and (c) everyone votes.
An uninformed vote actually hurts the process.
In a highly developed nation democracy makes sense to the degree you can achieve (a), (b) and (c).
In an underveloped, poorly educated nation frought with tribal differences (such as Iraq) democracy really makes very little sense.
That's why I never understood the obsession with "bringing democracy" to Iraq. What for? The place needs a benevolent dictator.
In Australia you used to get a fine if you didn't turn out to vote. This meant you had a spike in the uninformed vote - those who didn't know or didn't care for whom they were voting as long as they didn't get fined. That also devalues the currency of democracy.