I was thinking if congress passed a law saying all citizens above the age of 18 must vote, it would be instrumental in moving towards a brighter future. I think this would initiate a civil war thus eliminating the republican party. Geesh if all americans voted it would be a sad day for the social elite and wealthy. What do you think?

I would say America has and will do more stupid things compared to this

It does not help to pass laws, what has to change is the attitude. As long as in certain states 14% of the voting population bother to register, and of those less than 40% vote it does not matter what laws you pass. They'll just go to the booth and drop in an empty ballot ... like in all other countries that have mandatory voting.

you dont know that, especially if your ballot had a name on it. it could be encouraged in schools and with it mandatory why would there be shame in acknowledging who and what you voted for. No need for anonymity

I don't think this is an ancient mystery so I am going to move it...

How would you ensure a free and fair election if you knew who voted what? Not even the communist countries dared to go that far with their sham voting.

I don't think you could mandate compulsory voting in a 'democratic' country.

im not sure what you mean? Fair election, ballots with names and choices on them are far more exact than ballots done by computer and anonymity. They can be manipulated. It is always best to have a paper trail. So do you believe the media? How could 110 million ballots be counted in one day. And why does the electoral college choose the winner and not the moral majority. That is exactly my point fair elections. Governed by a game of chess. If hilliary clinton wins new york, california, and florida she wins the presidency even if the population of the three states is smaller than the other 47.

The secret ballot system is there for a reason. Anonymity helps prevent bribing and threats.

Suppose Politician X, who is apparently extraordinarily corrupt, tells you, John Doe, to vote for him or he will kill you.

You go in to the polling station, write your name at the top of your ballot, and decide to vote for Politician Y.

Politician X finds out somehow, possibly by having sources in the ballot counters.

He then kills you.

a good theory, but one out a hundred million will not decide to choose the presidency. Politician x would have to threaten alot of people to have a sustancial foothold in his or her scheme and out of those some are bound to notify the authorities. Thus creating negative capaign slogans you know the deal. he did this and she did that.

Voting is already encouraged in schools ... only about 20% listen

And they have in the past



And they did. Hence secret ballots.

He does not have to kill you. All he has to do is simply only serve the interest of those who voted for him and ignore the rest. The secret ballot was invented because the official was elected to serve all regardless if they voted for him or not.

Yes, but killing is way more interesting to read about.

I think the Republicans own a much larger share of the public guns in the US.

I've talked to my wife's younger sisters and they don't vote. They told me that if they were forced to vote they would just fill the dots to make a Christmas tree or zigzag or something. We have mailin voting here in Oregon and the turnout is still 50% of the resistered voters, and most young people aren't registered to vote!! Do you really want people who couldn't give a flying f--k voting for your leaders?

What we ought to do is make election day a national holiday. Tear down the barriers to voting that exist, be they work/time constraints, several hour waits in urban precincts, the recent photo ID laws in some areas, etc. It's already well-known there are no rational incentives to vote so let's try to not throw in rational disincentives to voting. It'd be nice to make the process more of a social institution, a real civic duty that one is ashamed to not "give a flying f--k" about. Without an educated and engaged populace, the system can't possibly live up to its full potential. People always talk about the crappy choices they often have in candidates and yet there's no surge in grassroots efforts to build support for someone else (well, sometimes there is). We get the government we (collectively) deserve.

So should we pass a law requiring voting? My take is that we shouldn't have to. A bottom-up grassroots approach to getting people engaged and involved is harder but a thousand times better than a top-down mandating of voting. Because there's more to democracy (even if it is republicanism) than voting once every two years, isn't there?

Yah. Well. I'm not convinced about the gun thing; in fact, I'd be more inclined to think the other way.
But one thing you say is essentially true, that others on this thread haven't mentioned, that being people who don't give ..... etc.
Which brings on another point. That is that the general education of the population of the US is substantially less informed than it was. That is an observation, not just something I think or believe. History is, to a degree, unknown; the sciences are simply accepted, and the ones who theorize (the scientists) more or less simply bark what they've been taught (only a few sciences actually continue to think, innovate, and invent); politics is generally unknown, as is government.
Now, you people can damn me all you want, but find a video of Jay Walking; listen to the questions, the answers, and think about it.
The pathetic lack of knowledge and education, the lack of coherent thought, really discourages me, for one.
Someone here said something about Republicans disappearing: what nonsense. I'd wager that he/she doesn't have a clue what the platform really is, nor any idea what the Democrat platform is. For instance, the Demos have been crying for a few years about Republicans shipping jobs out of the US, but how many know that NAFTA was signed by the illustrious Democrat that last occupied the office? I saw first hand jobs leaving the country for Mexico during that administration, and I also saw the product coming into this country, but labor there is cheap, isn't it? Yes, folks, it was Clinton that got the ball rolling, and Bush (much as I dislike this joke of a president) simply inherited it.
There is a distinct lack of consideration for other people among this coming and the current generation, and frankly, I'm not terribly unhappy about passing to the next stage, whatever that may be. I'm 62, and have quite a few years left, I think, during which time I will continue to vote, I will continue to scream and holler at people being stupid and inconsiderate, old or young. But I have little hope (based on experience) that anything major will occur, such as the public reclaiming their RIGHTS, and telling the governments (here or elsewhere) to do what the people want.

You can't make idiots vote. People don't obey laws now. What makes you they would then? Not.

Not true. Bush I got the ball rolling (i.e. negotiated it and initially signed it after fast-tracking it) and Clinton then signed it as part of his "New Democrat" shtick. There's lots of blame to go around for that one but in a rant about how no one knows anything about history or politics an error like that is glaring.

There was none of that which happened, in reality, until the bill was signed by Bill. Whatever your records may say, the fact is that it began after Clinton's signature was made. At that point, shortly thereafter, the influx of Mexican made parts began, and also the public outcry, which was quickly squashed. Whether your 'records' say Bush did it is not material: what happened is what happened, and that previously stated is what we saw and experienced. The company I worked for at the time began to manufacture parts in Mexico at a far smaller cost (and our product showed it). At a slightly later time, there was another small public outcry which was stifled.
History is written by the ones who have the power to write it, or rewrite it. What may be in the books does not change the FACTS of what happened when. As one who lived it, and dealt with it daily, I speak with that authority, and unless you were there and experienced the same things, perhaps you should research more before you speak of something about which you apparently know little in fact.

oh boy i love fishing, i new you would nibble.

Especially when you throw out stink bait.