Politics

[Andrew62]

So how do the sick or elderly or heavily pregnant or disabled or too busy or absent or unable-to-leave-work-on-Tuesday people get to vote? You're OK with them not being able to vote?

If you're not much interested in making elections as fair as possible, then you're not much interested in fair elections.

Could it be that many/most of the problems we see in the US, reflected in the tone of discussion in this thread, arise from the country's inequitable election processes? I have the view that if your elections worked better, your society would work better.

So how do the sick or elderly or heavily pregnant or disabled or too busy or absent or unable-to-leave-work-on-Tuesday people get to vote? You're OK with them not being able to vote?

If you're not much interested in making elections as fair as possible, then you're not much interested in fair elections.

Could it be that many/most of the problems we see in the US, reflected in the tone of discussion in this thread, arise from the country's inequitable election processes? I have the view that if your elections worked better, your society would work better.

In North Carolina there is a 2 week early voting period, a greater number of people vote during this time frame.

You can still mail in ballots in NC, they just have to be in on or before Election Day. Some states allow mail-in ballots to be counted even if they show up 5 days after the election so long as they were postmarked on or before Election Day. I believe you’ll find this is what conservatives would like to see stopped. I can think of zero reason to not have your ballot in by Election Day, it’s not like you haven’t had 2 years to know that day is coming.

 

[SaintPanzer]

How interested in reform are you?
- rank-choice voting? You get to show who you want the most and who you want the least.
- independent electoral commissions? No more gerrymandering.
- voting on Saturday? Much easier for everyone to vote.
- postal voting? Much easier for everyone to vote, whether sick or busy, etc.
- absentee voting? Much easier for everyone to vote, even if travelling.
- compulsory voting? Everyone votes, meaning the result truly represents the peoples' preference.

Are you game?

Well, how exactly are you defining reform? Are you reforming, or deforming? The examples you listed can be considered problematic.

Alaska has tried rank-choice voting. To put it politely, there were many unintended consequences.
Independent electoral commissions? Well, if truly independent. But there's a human nature part of that I don't think has been fully discussed.
Saturday voting? Is "easier" really a selling point? At what point does "easy" trip into "uninformed", or "demagogic?
Postal voting? Ripe for fraud.
Absentee? Ditto. And I've absentee voted quite a bit. As overseas military deployed, I can tell you of elections where my vote wasn't even counted.
Compulsory? No, I want the opposite. I want you to prove you've actually done some research before you're allowed to vote.

Pet peeve: "Get out and vote" campaigns. No. Don't just vote so you can say you voted. Be educated. Do research. Understand the issues. If you can't do that, then please stay home. If you're only playing a popularity game, you're part of the problem, not the solution. The "problems" with the US system that we seem to be debating seem to be a result of previous reforms. It may be better to go backwards, not forwards.

Here's the thing about being conservative. It's not that you're against change. It's that you want the change to make sense, understanding that there may be unintended consequences, with some idea what they might be, and how those consequences may be addressed. Think Chesterton's Fence.

So reforms? Sure. How about we go back to property owners (they have the most to lose), literacy, show up in person (with limited... and I do mean limited exceptions) prove who you are, and vote only once. Add "None of the Above" to the ballot, and if that candidate wins, do it again. There. There's a bunch of reforms for you. But I bet they are not as popular as the ones mentioned that all make it easier to cheat.

Oh, one more point about the US. We're not a democracy; we're a republic. It's important to know the difference.

 

[Scott CWO]

Justice was served. Try me.

 

[MauserM03Blog]

Pet peeve: "Get out and vote" campaigns. No. Don't just vote so you can say you voted. Be educated. Do research. Understand the issues.

A problem we all face with voluntary voting is the susceptibility to 'Get out and vote' campaigns. Bad actors can leverage this and have. Compulsory voting acts as a buffer.

I chuckled when you wrote that rank-choice voting in Alaska led to unintended consequences. To whom were the outcomes unintended? The people who didn't like them? LOL!

Edit: I will admit that when confronted with the stupidity of some folk in my neighbourhood I have been heard to say things like, 'And these people are allowed to vote?!' Still, I'll continue to support compulsory voting. It helps with building a national community which has a reasonably healthy level of respect for our political processes. We don't all agree, but we're comfortable that the process is sound.

 

[wesheltonj]

Yeah no one should trust data only ones imagination. and emotions. Personally I will stick with data and a jury.

Data can say whatever the person want it to say. You know - liars, damn liars, statisticians.

As to juries, they can and do get it wrong sometimes. If my choice was tried by 12 or carried by six, I would certainly take the tried 12.

 

[Altitude sickness]

9.4M views · 307K reactions | FLASHBACK: Then-Senator Marco Rubio tears into President Obama’s proposed Iran nuclear deal, predicting the threat it posed to America and future generations: “I want to be recorded for history’s purposes, if nothing el

FLASHBACK: Then-Senator Marco Rubio tears into President Obama’s proposed Iran nuclear deal, predicting the threat it posed to America and future generations: “I want to be recorded for history’s...

www.facebook.com

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

Well, how exactly are you defining reform? Are you reforming, or deforming? The examples you listed can be considered problematic.

Alaska has tried rank-choice voting. To put it politely, there were many unintended consequences.
Independent electoral commissions? Well, if truly independent. But there's a human nature part of that I don't think has been fully discussed.
Saturday voting? Is "easier" really a selling point? At what point does "easy" trip into "uninformed", or "demagogic?
Postal voting? Ripe for fraud.
Absentee? Ditto. And I've absentee voted quite a bit. As overseas military deployed, I can tell you of elections where my vote wasn't even counted.
Compulsory? No, I want the opposite. I want you to prove you've actually done some research before you're allowed to vote.

Pet peeve: "Get out and vote" campaigns. No. Don't just vote so you can say you voted. Be educated. Do research. Understand the issues. If you can't do that, then please stay home. If you're only playing a popularity game, you're part of the problem, not the solution. The "problems" with the US system that we seem to be debating seem to be a result of previous reforms. It may be better to go backwards, not forwards.

Here's the thing about being conservative. It's not that you're against change. It's that you want the change to make sense, understanding that there may be unintended consequences, with some idea what they might be, and how those consequences may be addressed. Think Chesterton's Fence.

So reforms? Sure. How about we go back to property owners (they have the most to lose), literacy, show up in person (with limited... and I do mean limited exceptions) prove who you are, and vote only once. Add "None of the Above" to the ballot, and if that candidate wins, do it again. There. There's a bunch of reforms for you. But I bet they are not as popular as the ones mentioned that all make it easier to cheat.

Oh, one more point about the US. We're not a democracy; we're a republic. It's important to know the difference.

I think your on to something with the property ownership , then make it mandatory you show government id that matches your name and residence on the deed.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

 

[mark-hunter]

It seams, Ukraine no 2 unfolding. Major global power entangled in asymmetric war. I wonder when and how this will end.

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

 

[Altitude sickness]

Thank goodness he isn’t in charge of anything in the U.S.

He leaves out all context. Under Obama and Biden the Iranian sanctions were removed. The U.S. sending cash to the Ayatollahs. China, India, North Korea and Russia supporting and supplying Iran.

Hezbollah, Houthis and Hamas creating havoc and mayhem at will on anyone and anywhere.

Iran building and gathering intermediate and long range weapons.

Enriched Nuclear material for 11 missiles. (Irans claim)

The 1st Gulf war is viewed as a huge success in shortness and casualties.

Iran is a far more lethal adversary. And they are now a broken toothed tiger in 3 weeks. (Still a Tiger, but less lethal)

Hezbollah, Hamas are all but decimated on the run and hiding.

If given all the context. I prefer this level of Iran lethality to Obama‘s.

 

[mdwest]

It seams, Ukraine no 2 unfolding. Major global power entangled in asymmetric war. I wonder when and how this will end.

There is a huge difference in Ukraine and Iran.

Russia has taken ground and wants to hold it. That takes a lot more resources and long term commitment. Both Russia and Ukraine are involved in total war.

The US has taken no ground and can disengage literally any time it wishes. It is engaged in a limited war with only air and naval gunfire involved, while Iran is engaged in total war.

Iran has threatened asymmetric warfare, but hasn’t committed to it yet other than on the cyber front, which is arguably no longer asymmetric, but is now common warfare… and the Iranians suck at cyber, so the threat there is limited.. while the US is a dominant cyber player… they haven’t resorted to terrorism, using non state actors, sabotage, IEDs, and other common asymmetric tactics (yet)…

 

[Pondoro]

Irans coast line in the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman is 2440km..

Plenty room for assymetric warfare et all..

So the entire coastline has to be secured unless a deal can be struck with Iran..to open the Strait of Hormuz..

No no...it must be reopened..the world demands it..

 

[Mekaniks]

Looks like the Senate approved a funding agreement for TSA….

Senate approves funding for TSA and most of Homeland Security, but not immigration enforcement | Federal News Network

The Senate early Friday approved Homeland Security funds for Transportation Security Administration and most other agencies, but not the immigration operations at the heart of the budget impasse.

federalnewsnetwork.com

 

[Tanks]

1. Republicans control all 3 branches of the federal government so stop trying to blame the dems for TSA agents not getting paid.

You need a civics lesson. GOP needs 60 votes to pass the DHS funding, Hence, why it has been blocked by Democrats 8 times so far.

 

[mdwest]

Irans coast line in the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman is 2440km..

Plenty room for assymetric warfare et all..

So the entire coastline has to be secured unless a deal can be struck with Iran..to open the Strait of Hormuz..

No no...it must be reopened..the world demands it..

Every inch of the planet is room for asymmetric warfare..

Your statement makes it obvious that you have no clue what asymmetric warfare is..

Regarding the worlds demand… the world can kiss the US’s collective ass… as you’ve been told many times before.. no one cares about your demands..

Furthermore, Iran says the straits are open.. they have committed to not engage any ship not participating in the war against them..

So… sail right on through if you trust the Iranians…

Or.. if you don’t… once again, it sounds like your problem to solve…

Continuing to stamp your feet and cry isn’t impressing anyone.. you’ll get the same response tomorrow that you get today, that you got last week, and that you got the week before…

 

[mark-hunter]

The US has taken no ground and can disengage literally any time it wishes. It is engaged in a limited war with only air and naval gunfire involved, while Iran is engaged in total war.

There rests the risk and danger of situation in the long run, and in case of prolonged war.

This morning I've been reading US forces withdraw from bases to hotels.
Bases are under fire, by drones, and missiles, unsafe.
A video came out of one chopper being destroyed by FPV drone on tarmac.
(A common picture in Ukraine and Russia)

Not manning the bases, in long term, how shall we describe that?

On Russia, Ukraine, and EU front, with Baltic nations joining Nato, what happened there?
Baltic sea became Nato lake. And Kaliningrad once the asset, became liability.

Thats how I see it. But I can be wrong.

This situation is very dangerous. We need boots on the ground.
And we need boots in numbers.

 

[spike.t]

From drones to rocket fuel, China and Russia are helping Iran through supply chains

The US will need to confront China and Russia about their support for the Iranian regime and their schemes to evade sanctions and export controls.

www.atlanticcouncil.org

 

[spike.t]

I await some more north/south Cross border banter....

'Every Canadian is worth two Americans,' Los Cabos tourism officials say after surge in visits

Tourism data shows that Canadians are fastest growing group of visitors to the Mexican destination.

nationalpost.com