4 ms·

Next in line : voting at elections. My dream of having people answer 5 simple questions to be allowed to get a voting card would come true. Example of questio

Next in line : voting at elections. My dream of having people answer 5 simple questions to be allowed to get a voting card would come true. Example of questions: name three neighbour countries, who is the current president, is France in Europe or Asia, what was the last world war,... I understand that this will unfairly remove people who are illiterate, or had a difficult childhood, or are simply dumb but they are expected to make a choice which will impact the whole country. If they do not know anything about this country and the world it is in then sorry, they are not in a poisition to choose.

munchbunny 9y ago
Unfortunately, in the US, there's a pretty ugly historical precedent for this practice, and it doesn't leave much faith in people's ability to actually write the questions fairly.
- jessaustin 9y ago
  Everywhere anything like this has been done, it has been a travesty. Elitists should have the courage of their convictions, like e.g. ancient Athens had. At least there's less bullshit that way.
  - BrandoElFollito 9y ago
    Is it being elitist to require someone to know wher your country is located? Or who your president is? It is not a shame to be illiterare or dumb, or mentally unfit. This does not mean that the future of a country should be put in these people hands. I will never be a pilot because of health issues. I do not see it as discrimination but just the pragmatic reality of this world.
    - jessaustin 9y ago
      Everyone knows where my country is located and who "my" president is. (I didn't vote for him!) Which country's location and/or president concerns you? If you say "Slovenia" or "Bhutan", then yes it is elitist to think any voter should have to know that location or person.
xorcist 9y ago
Stupidity has very little political bias, fortunately. Such questions are rarely useful. They tend to be either trivial to the extreme (such as the continent of France or the first letter in the alphabet), politically opinionated, or more complex than you think. (What was the last world war? You and I might think it was the Cold War but with in depth knowledge would have more nuances to their answer.)
- BrandoElFollito 9y ago
  This is not a matter of political biais. If someone wants to vote extreme left or right and knows who is the current president - fine. I do not want biais, I want people who get to vote know the very basics of the world they live in. Someone who voted X because yeah, the current president is wrong, but this "current president" happens to be a TV celebrity and not the president - such a person does not deserve to have voting rights. You would be surprised where people put France...
  - nsgi 9y ago
    I doubt that a significant number of people wouldn't be able to name the current president. The problem is that anything more complex than that is prone to bias.

munchbunny 9y ago

Unfortunately, in the US, there's a pretty ugly historical precedent for this practice, and it doesn't leave much faith in people's ability to actually write the questions fairly.

jessaustin 9y ago
Everywhere anything like this has been done, it has been a travesty. Elitists should have the courage of their convictions, like e.g. ancient Athens had. At least there's less bullshit that way.
- BrandoElFollito 9y ago
  Is it being elitist to require someone to know wher your country is located? Or who your president is? It is not a shame to be illiterare or dumb, or mentally unfit. This does not mean that the future of a country should be put in these people hands. I will never be a pilot because of health issues. I do not see it as discrimination but just the pragmatic reality of this world.
  - jessaustin 9y ago
    Everyone knows where my country is located and who "my" president is. (I didn't vote for him!) Which country's location and/or president concerns you? If you say "Slovenia" or "Bhutan", then yes it is elitist to think any voter should have to know that location or person.

xorcist 9y ago

Stupidity has very little political bias, fortunately. Such questions are rarely useful. They tend to be either trivial to the extreme (such as the continent of France or the first letter in the alphabet), politically opinionated, or more complex than you think. (What was the last world war? You and I might think it was the Cold War but with in depth knowledge would have more nuances to their answer.)

BrandoElFollito 9y ago
This is not a matter of political biais. If someone wants to vote extreme left or right and knows who is the current president - fine. I do not want biais, I want people who get to vote know the very basics of the world they live in. Someone who voted X because yeah, the current president is wrong, but this "current president" happens to be a TV celebrity and not the president - such a person does not deserve to have voting rights. You would be surprised where people put France...
- nsgi 9y ago
  I doubt that a significant number of people wouldn't be able to name the current president. The problem is that anything more complex than that is prone to bias.