[quote Wheresyourclapham]@terrywynne
Wheresyourclapham
“I didn't understand that Biden doesn't have any power yet”
Ignorant people should not be allowed to vote or run for office. Maybe it should be a legal requirement for everyone to take a basic test beforehand. Let’s just continue to allow them to spout shite on the internet.
terrywynne
(07/01/20, 10:55)
‘Or we could accept that
A) people not in the USA may not fully understand how their politics work because unless you study politics you tend not to learn about other countries in detail (until it appears on the news)
B) invest money in education and work to install a respect for education and knowledge to counteract this 'we don't need expert's attitude that emerged recently
C) don't berate people for stupidity because it will make them less likely to engage in debate/ask question.
Democratic processes are undoubtedly flawed (first past the post voting has many issues, as do many other aspects of political systems in different countries) but restrixting voting to those who think 'correctly' and dismissing others as stupid is a terrible idea. We should be adressing social inequality, educational disparity, lack of social movement, engaging with those who feel excluded etc. But maybe not the day after a mob storms the Capitol! Things need to calm down a bit first...’
I stated ‘ignorant’ people not ‘stupid’ people. Two different words with different definitions.
I should have been more specific: Candidates running for office should be legally required to undergo psychological testing.
One does not need to study Politics in order to understand Politics, so that’s no excuse.
Why should people not be addressing those aspects the day after the mob stormed the Capitol!?
I do not think that things will be calming down a bit anytime soon![/quote]
This is a predominantly UK forum, I do not expect all posters to have knowledge of all the ins and outs of the US political system (whether through stupidity or ignorance). The point still stands that they should not be discouraged from commenting by being told they shouldn't be allowed to vote if they are ignorant - as joining in with this is one way of learning (the poster that prompted your comments is now more knowledgeable than before)
I still maintain that deciding who should or shouldn't be able to vote on the basis of either ignorance or stupidity is a slippery slope. People calling for restrictions always see themselves as on the 'right side. It is other people that will be excluded. Which is all well and good until someone gets in power who redefines who is the right type of person to vote and now you are excluded too.... it's the same with people on Covid threads wishing the UK was more like China. The assumption is that other people are the ones being punished. Again all very well until you find yourself in a persecuted group or reported because you fell out with your neighbours.
When voting was restricted, politicians may have felt they were thebright people to rule and that they were acting benevolently in the interests of those less suited to politics but poor people and women didn't agree! Hence fighting to get the vote...
As for whether politicians need psychological scrutiny to take office. In principal I agree that checks and balances on suitability is not a bad idea. But who defines suitability? What traits or conditions rule you out? Who appoints the doctors who make the assessment? You don't want to rush a system that could be manipulated to exclude people spuriously/accept people who are 'unsuitable.