4 ms·

Because it's the people that matter, not the area of land. Or do you believe Siberia and the Australian outback should dominate a hypothetical democratic world-

Because it's the people that matter, not the area of land. Or do you believe Siberia and the Australian outback should dominate a hypothetical democratic world-state? Anyway, the electoral college is a 200+ year-old compromise meant to get the individual states to sign up for the union. At some point we should realize that 18th century geopolitics is not really relevant any more.

malvosenior 8y ago
It's doing a fine job keeping at least a minimum of diversity in our political system. Everyone knows we'd move to a monoculture if we eliminated the electoral college. That people are complaining about it means it's working as intended. And yes, people living in Siberia should have a say in politics and not have their opinions nullified by Moscow. Not everyone will or wants to live in an urban area and it's a feature of the system that their will is equally represented.
- killjoywashere 8y ago
  Something to consider: large states (e.g. Texas) have more small, remote towns that small states (e.g. Utah) do. If you're worried about making sure roads, water, education, power, and postal services make it to the outback, the large states have more people voting in that direction than the small states do. Those interests are still represented. And there are businesses on the coasts (e.g. shipping firms) which are keenly interested in the care and feeding of the families of workers managing grain mills and rail lines in South Dakota.
  - malvosenior 8y ago
    I think people are always going to vote in their own best interest (even if outsiders don't think they are) so it's more important to have equal representation for every state than it is to "trust" that some states (or companies) will look after others. Btw, I don't think Utah is a small state :) It's the 13th largest by land mass.
    - killjoywashere 8y ago
      > I think people are always going to vote in their own best interest How many railroad workers, miners, and other working class laborers in Utah vote Republican, despite the fact that they would stand to benefit far more from Democratic policies? Why do they do that? Is it possible that certain well-funded actors with access to media markets have exerted "nudge"-like influence over their thinking for decades? Is it possible they're relatively isolated from the world and operate to a degree in the fearful state of being that isolated humans tend to develop?
      - malvosenior 8y ago
        Is it possible that they're actually smarter than you think they are and vote in their own interests which you don't happen to agree with? Do you really think it's well-funded actors and the media making conservatives vote against the party that supports abortion? Nope, they're voting in their own interests to see policies that are meaningful to them get enacted. It doesn't matter if you or I disagree with them, they're not brainwashed by the media, they're just living by their own code of ethics.

malvosenior 8y ago

It's doing a fine job keeping at least a minimum of diversity in our political system. Everyone knows we'd move to a monoculture if we eliminated the electoral college. That people are complaining about it means it's working as intended. And yes, people living in Siberia should have a say in politics and not have their opinions nullified by Moscow. Not everyone will or wants to live in an urban area and it's a feature of the system that their will is equally represented.

killjoywashere 8y ago
Something to consider: large states (e.g. Texas) have more small, remote towns that small states (e.g. Utah) do. If you're worried about making sure roads, water, education, power, and postal services make it to the outback, the large states have more people voting in that direction than the small states do. Those interests are still represented. And there are businesses on the coasts (e.g. shipping firms) which are keenly interested in the care and feeding of the families of workers managing grain mills and rail lines in South Dakota.
- malvosenior 8y ago
  I think people are always going to vote in their own best interest (even if outsiders don't think they are) so it's more important to have equal representation for every state than it is to "trust" that some states (or companies) will look after others. Btw, I don't think Utah is a small state :) It's the 13th largest by land mass.
  - killjoywashere 8y ago
    > I think people are always going to vote in their own best interest How many railroad workers, miners, and other working class laborers in Utah vote Republican, despite the fact that they would stand to benefit far more from Democratic policies? Why do they do that? Is it possible that certain well-funded actors with access to media markets have exerted "nudge"-like influence over their thinking for decades? Is it possible they're relatively isolated from the world and operate to a degree in the fearful state of being that isolated humans tend to develop?
    - malvosenior 8y ago
      Is it possible that they're actually smarter than you think they are and vote in their own interests which you don't happen to agree with? Do you really think it's well-funded actors and the media making conservatives vote against the party that supports abortion? Nope, they're voting in their own interests to see policies that are meaningful to them get enacted. It doesn't matter if you or I disagree with them, they're not brainwashed by the media, they're just living by their own code of ethics.