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#361 |
Quester of Doglets
Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,031
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Just like in the USA, it's hard when the two major parties are both right wing.
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We would be better, and braver, to engage in enquiry, rather than indulge in the idle fancy, that we already know -- Plato. |
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#362 |
Observer of Phenomena
Pronouns: he/him Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Location, Location
Posts: 64,690
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No-one has claimed that compulsory voting always results in good policy. What we're claiming is that it results in better, fairer, and more inclusive elections.
Wouldn't it be nice for you, though, if you actually make arguments that address the claims rather than making **** up? |
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#363 |
Observer of Phenomena
Pronouns: he/him Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Location, Location
Posts: 64,690
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I wonder if theprestige even read the two articles I posted. What am I talking about? Of course he didn't.
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#364 |
In the Peanut Gallery
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 44,741
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A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject. Sir Winston Churchill |
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#365 |
Quester of Doglets
Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,031
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__________________
We would be better, and braver, to engage in enquiry, rather than indulge in the idle fancy, that we already know -- Plato. |
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#366 |
Philosopher
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 6,432
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As I asked previously: What makes you think they are linked? Voting gets you a government that comes with a set of policies that are a mix of good and bad. You get to vote on the package, not the line-by-line items. Offshore processing was one of those policies that has gone rotten and become a stinky mess for both parties here.
Well, let's look at it, shall we? We have offshore processing of refugees, a policy that is now irradiated troll-***** for all political parties. Our current government has been trying to say it is good and to make it work...and has failed abjectly because the person in charge is a ****-wit Brussels sprout. However if it was voluntary voting, there's a high probability this policy would continue. Because, like happens in the USA, if it is voluntary then the turnout is a lot lower, and there are still a bunch of sad people here who actually like Mr Brussels Sprout putting all brown Muslims in hell-holes, not just refugees, and would vote for him solely to keep that specific policy in place regardless of anything else. Fine people on both sides, don't you know. But the government WILL be voted out in the very near future based on this plus a myriad of other shortcomings. They will be voted out because ALL of the Australian voters will be letting them know because mandatory voting means about 95% of us will vote, not just the sad troll bigots. |
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...our governments are just trying to protect us from terror. In the same way that someone banging a hornets’ nest with a stick is trying to protect us from hornets. Frankie Boyle, Guardian, July 2015 |
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#367 |
Philosopher
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 6,432
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Incidentally, you need to be careful to say "offshore detention" as opposed to "offshore processing". Words matter. I've assumed (possibly mistakenly) that you meant the former. The latter is actually a potential solution.
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...our governments are just trying to protect us from terror. In the same way that someone banging a hornets’ nest with a stick is trying to protect us from hornets. Frankie Boyle, Guardian, July 2015 |
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#368 |
Observer of Phenomena
Pronouns: he/him Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Location, Location
Posts: 64,690
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#369 |
Gentleman of leisure
Tagger
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Flying around in the sky
Posts: 24,998
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The problem has nothing to do with the voting system. The actual reason for offshore detention camps is the fact that many Australians are racists. Politicians from all the major parties must not upset these racists or they may be voted out of office. It would not matter what voting system we have.
Remember between 1901 - 1972 Australia had the White Australia policy. |
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This signature is for rent. |
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#370 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 13,187
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"... when people thought the Earth was flat, they were wrong. When people thought the Earth was spherical they were wrong. But if you think that thinking the Earth is spherical is just as wrong as thinking the Earth is flat, then your view is wronger than both of them put together." Isaac Asimov |
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#371 |
Observer of Phenomena
Pronouns: he/him Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Location, Location
Posts: 64,690
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#372 |
Illuminator
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,430
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I need to point out that there's a lot more difference between voting in the USA and Australia than merely compulsory vs. voluntary. If you want to see the effect of the latter, compare countries that differ only in that aspect. Say, like Germany (which does NOT have compulsory voting) with Australia or Belgium.
My first gut instinct is that the effects of compulsory vs. voluntary are not very high compared to other differences in voting. |
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#373 |
Observer of Phenomena
Pronouns: he/him Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Location, Location
Posts: 64,690
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#374 |
Skeptical about skeptics
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: 31°57'S 115°57'E
Posts: 15,189
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"The process by which banks create money is so simple that the mind is repelled. Where something so important is involved, a deeper mystery seems only decent." - Galbraith, 1975 |
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#375 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 17,143
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I suspect that the demographics of those that don't vote leans Democratic Party. So compulsory voting will give the Dems a higher percentage of increase than letting illegals vote.
So, what do the two parties say about compulsory voting? Anybody ever hear of a poll "among those who have no intention of voting,....." ? |
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Great minds discuss ideas. Medium minds discuss events. Small minds spend all their time on U-Tube and Facebook. |
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#376 |
Observer of Phenomena
Pronouns: he/him Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Location, Location
Posts: 64,690
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Yes, that's a fair point.
If I was Founding Fathering a country, and I wanted it to look democratic but actually not be, America would be a great model. I think that if they wanted to really fix their system, they'd have to throw out pretty much everything from the Constitution down, and rebuild the lot. Which of course is impractical, and could never really be done, so the best they can do is patch it up with fair redistricting and campaign finance reform and so forth. |
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#377 |
Skeptical about skeptics
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: 31°57'S 115°57'E
Posts: 15,189
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__________________
"The process by which banks create money is so simple that the mind is repelled. Where something so important is involved, a deeper mystery seems only decent." - Galbraith, 1975 |
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#378 |
Philosopher
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 6,432
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__________________
...our governments are just trying to protect us from terror. In the same way that someone banging a hornets’ nest with a stick is trying to protect us from hornets. Frankie Boyle, Guardian, July 2015 |
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#379 |
Observer of Phenomena
Pronouns: he/him Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Location, Location
Posts: 64,690
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Note to our American friends. You don't always come across like this to us, but some of you do sometimes.
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#380 |
Observer of Phenomena
Pronouns: he/him Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Location, Location
Posts: 64,690
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So an election has been called. Government has "gone into Caretaker" which essentially means that the politicians stop governing and start campaigning. The campaign will last until election day, and then the new government will take over, and not have to worry about campaigning until right before the next election.
That's the other nice thing about Australian elections. Campaigns are limited. This campaign is going to be a nasty one, but it least it doesn't go on all year. |
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Self-described nerd. Pronouns: He/Him My mom told me she tries never to make fun of people for not knowing something. - Randall Munroe |
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