The Reason for Voting--I can't find a reason to vote.

[Jagella]

I've heard many times that we should vote in an election. Democracy won't work unless the voters get to the polls and cast their ballots! Or so we are told. In my opinion, voting is a waste of time.

Let's take a look at democracy or "majority rule." In what way is the majority fit to rule? I often disagree with the majority and find the majority's opinion to be foolish or even dangerous. The support for capital punishment is one example of such majority barbarism. The mob rules is no basis for sound government.

Even if I accepted democracy as a good basis for government, I should point out that we don't have a democracy. We have what's supposed to be a republic and a republic in name only. Who really rules America isn't the majority or those who are supposed to represent the majority. The wealthy rule America. Our current president is a billionaire, for example.

In any case, I don't vote and haven't voted since I voted for Obama in 2008. I've found that who is president makes no difference for me or anybody else I know. And if you want to tell me that I have no right to complain if I don't vote, then that's not a problem for me because I don't complain. Why complain about the jerks in office who were put there by the voters? Actually it is the voters who have no right to complain. They put the jerks in office, after all.

So what would I like for a government? I think we should rigorously train and educate our nation's leaders. Those interested in a leadership position would need to attend courses in which they are taught how to govern. They would take exams and those that make the best scores would be chosen to lead. They would be tested for physical and mental health, general intelligence and problem solving abilities, and the technicalities of government.

Anyway, that's the way I look at it.

[Jagella]

...they are loathe to admit that their party made a mistake in nominating an inexperienced fraudulent womanizing rube to the presidency.

As you may know, we Americans like to toot that any American-born American citizen can become president. So we now have Trump who might be described as an "inexperienced fraudulent womanizing rube." So we're right--anybody can become president. I've joked that Donald Trump proves that anybody can become president providing you're a billionaire playboy.

Who would you propose should establish such tests?

Tests for leadership should be developed by American universities.

Not much chance of that happening is there?

It's too early to tell how Trump will be remembered. He will no doubt be remembered! A major motion picture starring Alec Baldwin as Trump and directed by Steven Spielberg may be in order.

Yes. A few things. He did not take more votes than his opponent. There is something wrong with a system that elects the second place candidate. Gerrymandering is a peculiarly American problem. Other democracies do not have that problem. The solution is both simple and obvious. The electoral college could be reformed without a constitutional amendment to be more representative. Two parties? There is no other significant western democracy that operates as if the complexity of views and interests of its people can be adequately represented by merely two parties. My country has five parties represented in parliament.

Now that Donald got elected courtesy of the electoral college, many democrats complain about it. Democrats need to realize that if the electoral college is abolished, then some democrats who might win elections via the electoral college will lose if the republican wins the popular vote. The pendulum swings both ways, and it isn't fair to change the rules of a game simply because you've lost that game.

I don't like the incendiary rhetoric that many Americans fling at the members of the opposite political party. It's too divisive.

Jagella

[eldios]

I've heard many times that we should vote in an election. Democracy won't work unless the voters get to the polls and cast their ballots! Or so we are told. In my opinion, voting is a waste of time.

Let's take a look at democracy or "majority rule." In what way is the majority fit to rule? I often disagree with the majority and find the majority's opinion to be foolish or even dangerous. The support for capital punishment is one example of such majority barbarism. The mob rules is no basis for sound government.

Even if I accepted democracy as a good basis for government, I should point out that we don't have a democracy. We have what's supposed to be a republic and a republic in name only. Who really rules America isn't the majority or those who are supposed to represent the majority. The wealthy rule America. Our current president is a billionaire, for example.

In any case, I don't vote and haven't voted since I voted for Obama in 2008. I've found that who is president makes no difference for me or anybody else I know. And if you want to tell me that I have no right to complain if I don't vote, then that's not a problem for me because I don't complain. Why complain about the jerks in office who were put there by the voters? Actually it is the voters who have no right to complain. They put the jerks in office, after all.

So what would I like for a government? I think we should rigorously train and educate our nation's leaders. Those interested in a leadership position would need to attend courses in which they are taught how to govern. They would take exams and those that make the best scores would be chosen to lead. They would be tested for physical and mental health, general intelligence and problem solving abilities, and the technicalities of government.

Anyway, that's the way I look at it.

I quit voting for all liars who are running for U.S. government offices after the last liar i voted for said he wasn't going to raise taxes or get us into a war. Guess what that liar did?

[Jagella]

[Replying to post 22 by eldios]

Well, if you're not going to vote for a liar, then you're not going to vote at all.

[eldios]

[Replying to post 22 by eldios]

Well, if you're not going to vote for a liar, then you're not going to vote at all.

That's correct.

[McCulloch]

[Replying to post 24 by eldios]

It would be inaccurate to say that all politicians lie equally. Yes, they all exaggerate and get their facts wrong. Many can be shown that they should have known better. But one American party has taken lies, obfuscation and deception to a new level. Their leader, the president, cannot seem to open his mouth without lying.

[eldios]

[Replying to post 24 by eldios]

It would be inaccurate to say that all politicians lie equally. Yes, they all exaggerate and get their facts wrong. Many can be shown that they should have known better. But one American party has taken lies, obfuscation and deception to a new level. Their leader, the president, cannot seem to open his mouth without lying.

I blame everything that happens on the Creator so I don't need to vote anymore for liars who have no idea where they get their thoughts from.

[Jagella]

[Replying to post 26 by eldios]

I honestly admit that I sometimes lie. For example, some current government rules, if I always obeyed them, would result in my running out of badly needed medical supplies. I will let you judge if I tell the truth and end up running out of those supplies.