Democracy 'Intelligent' people vs 'stupid' people

[TinnTinn]

Some people are too stupid to be allowed to vote. I've been hearing a lot of this since the referendum.

Should this come into democracy? Or is it possible that different socio economic, political and regional groups within a country have very different experiences, wants, needs, hopes and aspirations. Chances are these will differ from other groups of people. Does this somehow invalidate their views?

[PurpleDaisies]

Should this come into democracy?

Short answer-no. Everyone old enough to gets to cast their vote regardless of their IQ. That's it.

[BigGreenOlives]

Some people are just unpleasant.

[BananaL0af]

Everyone of voting age should get to vote.

However, I don't think the public had enough actual facts (there weren't many!) on either side in the referendum, and the issue shouldn't have been put to to vote at all.

[splendide]

Is anyone really saying this? I've heard it as a joke.

[allegretto]

I never believed there was an intelligence problem with the leave supporters. Then I started reading some of the posts on here! It is clear that a lot of people have no idea what the EU does or even what our own parliamentary system is. Maybe there should be a compulsory gcse in this plus critical thinking. That way it might also encourage younger voters to actually vote when it is fresh in their minds.

[summerrosegarden]

Some people will always lack intelligence, no matter what you stick on the curriculum.

[MysteriesOfTheOrganism]

"Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time." Winston Churchill

[goodbyestranger]

Churchill said it didn't he?

I left for Poland at 3am on Friday and over the weekend I heard the view very clearly expressed, very often, that the franchise in the UK should be restricted to people who could actually think.

[Lweji]

I do think some people are too lazy to look at the information circulating.
And too disinterested.

It has come to bite in the arse of those who only took an interest after the result.

I hope a lesson is learnt, but probably not.

Some people really are not capable of understanding the issues, but that's why majorities are required.
The vast majority of the population should have enough brain power to make a sensible or informed decision. If they do a little home work.

And note that I do respect people who voted either way if they did make an informed decision, understanding the consequences and giving proper weight to benefits vs costs.
Reaching different conclusions no matter how wrong they are is different from voting on soundbites or who shouts the most.

[Eigg]

Everyone holds an equal vote in our democracy. If not everyone has equal levels of understanding the it is the job of the intelligent to translate the issues into terms that everyone can understand (which is the job the tabloids do - sort of)

Otherwise we're just the pigs in 1984 saying "some are more equal than others"

[goodbyestranger]

Cross post! I was thinking of something different Churchill said about believing democracy was a good thing until one spoke to an ordinary voter. Can't recall the exact words but the sentiment was that lots of people are too stupid to vote.

[penisbeakerlaminateflooringetc]

Everyone of voting age should get to vote but I don't think the public was properly informed on this one.

I did not go to school in this country so would like to know what British students learn about the EU at school? Has it been included in the curriculum so people understand how it works?

[BeyondTellingEveryoneRealFacts]

Agree wth lwegi

[Dontyoulovecalpol]

There are a lot of stupid people (I heard one say they were voting leave because we send too much money to China )

But, that is an indication of the level of education and culture in this country isn't it? Intelligent information isn't available and people don't know how to access/ understand it. We have to be responsible for having so many dumb people, depressing as it is

[BeyondTellingEveryoneRealFacts]

Short answer penis, they dont. No compulsory politics or economics in school.

[Dontyoulovecalpol]

People DO look at the information available. But when that's the sun newspaper and they don't have the intelligence to critically evaluate what they read you won't get far persuading them to search out more info

[NiceViper]

The referendum had a huge lead time, and plenty of time for campaigners to out out material in digestible form to the electorate. It's not like this was a snap election.

So yes, I think it's Unreasonable to blame this on cleverness or how well informed people are (and Unreasonable to start Yet Another Duplicate Thread).

[Numberoneisgone]

I do think that referendums particularly can be affected by people who do not use any form of critical thinking to come to their decision and get simply swayed by a campaign. I have seen this countless times in Ireland with people just voting because that is the Catholic Churches position.

What are you going to do though? That is the nature and flaw of democracy.

[Eigg]

Beyond Scottish children get compulsory Modern Studies for the first two years of high school.

[OurBlanche]

The Public who is that / are they?

At the moment it seems It/They are anyone that does not agree wit the poster using that epithet.

As neither side made the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth avaialble a better way to say it is

"We were not told the truth. We were not fully informed"

[Shouldwestayorshouldwegonow]

I haven't heard anyone actually say that in RL op just on the Internet.

What unpleasant people you must mix with. Prefer stupid but nice myself.

[drivinmecrazy]

My 15yo DD showed me this on her instagram; top Google searches the DAY AFTER the referendum were 'what happens if we leave the EU ' followed closely by 'what is the EU'. MN is definately not representative of a large number of the electorate, sadly

[StealthPolarBear]

I agree that democracy means everyone gets a vote. However this referendum in particular has been short on facts and I think people (myself included) have been hugely underinformed.

[BeyondTellingEveryoneRealFacts]

ah cool eigg, well thats another plus for moving to scotland then!

[StealthPolarBear]

That said the bbc had sn idiots guide plus main arguments for and against which were useful