On 2006-Aug 05, at 02:16hrs AM, Tony Smith wrote:

>> Subject: Re: [OT] a definite blood.boiler Wheeeeee !
>>
>> The mob voted, you didn't, so you can't really complain!  :)
>>
>> Tony
>
> Do you say that jokingly or do you believe the members of the
> mob should rule ?


Well, by definition, democracy is mob rule.

The only way to stop mob rule is to out-vote the mob. ^1^  By not  
voting, you're
a non-participant. ^2^ You can either abolish voting (a meritocracy,  
perhaps?),
get political, stage a coup or sit about complaining ^3^.

You could try preference voting, like Australia has (although we  
borrowed it
from New Zealand).  Link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instant-runoff_voting.  This gives you the
chance to rank the candidates, rather than just picking one.  The  
pleasure
of putting people you don't like last on the bill...

This is fun, getting the majority of votes doesn't mean you win, like  
in the
USA, for example.  Say you have 4 candidates, one gets 40%, the  
others 20%
each.  Landslide win!  Well, not quite.  You need 51% of the total  
vote, 40%
doesn't cut it.

These elections are great when you have a candidate who polarises the
electorate, you either love 'em or hate 'em.  Australia had a fabulous
example recently, one Pauline Hanson
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pauline_Hanson) from Oxley, hencefore  
known as
the Oxley Moron, and her 'One Nation' party.  (Disclaimer - I  
encountered
these people on a profesional basis, and to say I disliked them is an
understatement).

Anyhoo, Pauline went after the redneck vote, (wogs go home, flat tax,  
jail
poofs etc).  So while a large chuck (up to 40%) of the electorate  
placed her
first on the ballot, everyone else placed her last.  She would have  
won in
the USA, despite over 60% of the voters absolutely loathing her.  She  
was
last seen heading off into the political distance complaining 'but I  
got the
most votes, I don't understand it'.

Australia has also compulsory voting, you get fined if you don't show  
up.  ^4^

This has the added bonus where you can laugh at people who put 'I
fish/shoot/play banjo and I vote' stickers on their vehicles.  In the
States, this is to encourage lazy fishing/shooting/banjoing people to  
get
off their arses & vote.  In Australia, it makes no difference, you  
need to
convince the non-fish/shoot/banjo people to vote for you, and that  
doesn't
happen much.

Tony

^1^  Oppose mob rule is another way.  Stop them every way you can from
making decisions for you or others.
^2^  Voting does not make you a participant.  Simple math  
demonstrates that
your vote is worth less than a plugged EURO.
^3^ Abolish voting for most things ( 98%)   Give representatives  
decision making
power over the remaining 2%.
^4^  So one might show up, punch a chad and wobble on home, proud to  
have
dodged a fine.
AGSC

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Denver, CO
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