BS: stigweard's new voting system

Subject: BS: stigweard's new voting system
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Sep 04 - 07:47 AM

Stigweard's new voting system.

As I hold the good people of Mudcat in high esteem, I have decided to announce my idea for a new voting system on this forum.

Our leaders are telling us that they are working for the good of their citizens. They spend our money how they want, start wars without our permission, refuse to give straight answers to our questions etc etc.

Here in the UK (though this will work anywhere), at election time votes are often cast on a single issue i.e. agree with NHS policy, disagree with education policy. Votes are decided on which one is the most important, not on the merits of each issue. Hence governments can do unpopular things if they cut taxes etc.

So, I propose touchscreen terminals are set up in public places i.e. supermarkets, librarys etc. Each person is given a pin number - it could be your NI number or whatever. When policy decisions are being made in Parliament, the people get to vote on the terminals first. That way the politicians will know the feelings of their constituents and the country as a whole. You would have a five day period to vote prior to the Commons debate.

Imagine it! The big money men no longer dictating policy, and avoiding the squalid quagmire of US-style big-money-sod-the-people politics! People all over the world, in countries that adopt the new system will be able to guide their countries national and local policies.

This is NOT a money-making idea - it is about true democracy (not the pseudo version we have in the west these days)

You heard it hear first.

Subject: RE: BS: stigweard's new voting system
From: DMcG
Date: 09 Sep 04 - 07:53 AM

There was a play many years ago - I forget almost all the details, but Peter Cook was the PM - which was based on exactly this idea. He won power by proposing to introduce it, which he did. He then bombarded people for a couple of years getting them to vote on every piece of trivia until they were exhausted. Then he gave a broadcast asking them to vote whether to abandon the idea and let him make all the decisions.

He won absolute power handsomely.

Subject: RE: BS: stigweard's new voting system
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Sep 04 - 08:51 AM

There are flaws, I admit.

I thought voting would be voluntary - if the public become so disinterested then that's their fault.

Sounds like a great play though - especially if Peter Cook was in it.

Subject: RE: BS: stigweard's new voting system
From: Wolfgang
Date: 09 Sep 04 - 09:11 AM

Is it a poll for informing the politicians or a decision binding them?

If it's a poll, well, they already know what the voters think and they are reading the weekly polls. If it's a decision I'm against it, for I've never trusted the instincts of the common people. We'd have capital punishment, throw out all foreigners and all that soon.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: BS: stigweard's new voting system
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Sep 04 - 09:13 AM

Heck - where has my cookie gone?

Subject: RE: BS: stigweard's new voting system
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 09 Sep 04 - 10:19 AM

Where, oh, where has my cookie gone?
Where, oh, where can it be?
With it's coat cut short and it's tail cut long...

Subject: RE: BS: stigweard's new voting system
From: Stu
Date: 09 Sep 04 - 11:44 AM

It's back!

Subject: RE: BS: stigweard's new voting system
From: beardedbruce
Date: 09 Sep 04 - 12:49 PM

actually, the best system I ever heard of was in a sci-fi story..

When a person took office, a collar was placed around their neck. People could vote ( negative/positive) and when the negatives exceeded the positives by some number, the explosive charge in the collar went off, and the next person who wanted the job got a chance...