Legal Voting Age

[Tsuki]

What? You having a go at me because I think everyone should have the right to vote regardless of education, beliefs and background? You are being rather harsh you know. I'd take it easy and stop having a go at people for what they think/believe. This is a discussion for people to express their thoughts and opinions and I get the impression you are just having a go at people who don't think along the same lines as you. Everyone has a right to their own thoughts and opinions without being insulted (You have insulted me by some of the things you have said and others). I'd give it a break now neh?

[Woeler]

I say as I think and I do as I say.

[quote="Tsuki"]Everyone has a right to their own thoughts and opinions without being insulted[/quote]
No, they don't.

I've stated my opinion on the education topic without directly addressing anyone. Other people felt the need to question it. Don't argue with me and then tell me to stop.

Yes, my opinions are offensive to some people, and no, I don't care. I honestly don't give a damn

I'm having a go at you? By doing what? By saying you look like a modern democrat and therefore fall within the boundaries of my statement?

You have the right to believe, think and say whatever you want, and I have the right to believe, think and say it's completely ridiculous.

What offends you? That I go beyond the boundaries of morality, political correctness and niceness? Does it bother you that I think electoral democracy is a total failure?

I've been called ignorant. Do I get offended? No, why should I? If people want to call me that, they have that right, and I will defend to death their right to say it.

[Tsuki]

[quote="Woeler"]I say as I think and I do as I say.

[quote="Tsuki"]Everyone has a right to their own thoughts and opinions without being insulted[/quote]
No, they don't.[/quote]

Wow. I'm no longer going to discuss this.

[Regulus]

Some of the other mods may think differently, but:

1. Woeler has not insulted anyone in this topic, nor has he tried to do so. This is purely a logical argument regarding democratic beliefs. As he specifically stated, you have the right to your own opinion, and he has the right to defend his.

2. This is the world issues subforum. Arguments are permitted here, as long as it remains civil. As long as the rules aren't being broken, it's fine.

If this escalates into an argument containing insults, I will lock this thread. But that's not what this is.

---

Now, with that in mind:

[quote="Tora"]My take is that if you're old enough to serve your country. You are old enough to vote. So it should remain the same.[/quote]

As much as I would support the idea of a diplomademocracy in a revamped country, I have to admit that this is a pretty good point, actually. It would be rather unreasonable to have to sign up for selective services in a country in which you cannot vote. Ideally, we wouldn't have such a military to begin with, but it does demonstrate the moral infeasibility of such a concept, on a level that I had not originally considered.

On a similar note, providing free education to everyone and enticing the population to use it with the diplomademocracy idea would probably end badly. On economical grounds, and as a civilization as a whole, we still need uneducated people to work the dirty, blue-collar jobs that no one else is willing to do. Maybe sometime in the near future it could work, once such jobs can be performed autonomously, by machines. But until that day, the system just can't work.

I originally promoted the idea because it would encourage people to get an education, who would not normally do so--which should be humanity's main focus for this century, in my opinion. But the problem with that is simple: we still need uneducated workers in society. Likewise, it is also unethical to deny the uneducated of the right to vote, even though it may lead to a desirable outcome for the greater good.

[Woeler]

[quote="Regulus"] it is also unethical to deny the uneducated of the right to vote, even though it may lead to a desirable outcome for the greater good.[/quote]

Just a fun note I happen to know:

This is exactly the situation Friedrich Nietzsche predicted. The human being is nothing more than a bridge from animal to übermensch and society is no more than a bridge from anarchy to übergemeinschaft. To achieve perfect harmony the concept of morality needs to be rejected. It holds us back and limits our thinking.

[KingKivuli]

OK i am locking this topic it has gotten to far out of hand. It was a simple honest question turned unto a full blown debate which has resulted in a member getting upset