One problem with concentrating the wealth

[wmw999 2,452]

Is that in the US, the poor as well as the wealthy can vote. Once enough people are poor, it doesn't really matter how much more publicity the wealthy can buy, because there will, in fact, be protests. Unless the wealthy just take over the government and we end up with a real (i.e. defined by law) oligarchy, rather than a de facto one, this can happen. It takes more poor people, because they can't buy congresscritters, or publicity, or PACs. But they can still vote.

I don't want a revolution. I really do want to continue to change the government via the vote -- our trust in our government to change when enough of us want it to is one of the best things about the US.

And that's why I'm totally against land ownership requirements for voting. It'd be nice if only smart people (i.e. who agree with me ) voted, but until then, the best protection for our government's continuity is that if enough people get pissed off, we really can have a change, and we trust our government to change when we vote it to.

Now if we could just get more people actually voting

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[jclalor 12]

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Now if we could just get more people actually voting

Why? people that need to be convinced to vote are likely not to be very educated on the issues. I'm way more in favor of less voters if they are more educated on the issues.

[DrewEckhardt 0]

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Is that in the US, the poor as well as the wealthy can vote.

It's a real problem with the resulting political pandering allowing 47% of working Americans to pay no federal income tax and have no skin in the game when it comes to out of control government spending. America has the most progressive income tax system out of the OECD 24. The ratio between share of tax burden and share of income is higher among working professionals here than in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, The Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, The Slovak Republic, Sweden, Switzerland, and The United Kingdom.

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And that's why I'm totally against land ownership requirements for voting.

In many situations renting is the smart move, like when it costs twice as much to rent the money to buy a property as it does to rent the property directly, or in careers where mobility helps advancement. People shouldn't be punished for that and I wouldn't support land ownership as a pre-requisite for voting.

I do think that only people paying income tax should be allowed to vote for the politicians spending the money collected from them and their fellow voters.

You work a minimum wage job as a single person with no dependents and you get to vote as a productive member of society.

You earn a middle class wage, breed a lot of expensive exemptions, become a debt slave to a huge mortgage with its deduction, don't have a federal income tax liability, and don't vote.

[wmw999 2,452]

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You work a minimum wage job as a single person with no dependents and you get to vote as a productive member of society.

Isn't that what we tell poor people is a road to wealth?

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You earn a middle class wage, breed a lot of expensive exemptions, become a debt slave to a huge mortgage with its deduction, don't have a federal income tax liability, and don't vote.

That's a choice. I'd rather people not make that choice, but it's most definitely a choice.

We do have a welfare problem. The welfare problem is, in part, a reflection of wealth concentration, and in part a reflection of generations that have received welfare. As long as we don't want to coerce people into working, but just want to hope they do the right thing, that's going to continue.

We also have a health care problem, on the cusp of being a MUCH larger health care problem. And as long as we don't want to coerce people into making healthier lifestyle choices, that's also going to continue.

Everyone wants it to get worse for people besides themselves. It won't happen that way, unless, of course, you're rich enough to insulate yourself from it all, or healthy enough not to care about the health care part.

People who don't want things to change should make it possible for those who might get angry enough to revolt to actually have enough pie to care about the pie, rather than being willing to fuck it up because they have no chance.

Having enough people happy with the way things are to vote it that way is how things stay the same. Pissing off enough people is how it changes. And right now there are enough middle-class people who think they have a chance at getting rich to vote with them. Once that stops, then they're going to vote differnetly.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[rhaig 0]

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Why? people that need to be convinced to vote are likely not to be very educated on the issues. I'm way more in favor of less voters if they are more educated on the issues.

I've long held that if you can't pass a test on the current platform of your candidate, then you should be turned away from the polls. Those who vote based solely on party affiliation or name recognition, are ignorant voters and should be required to understand what they're voting for. But apparently that's racist. (or so I've been told)

--
Rob

[lawrocket 3]

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And that's why I'm totally against land ownership requirements for voting

Wendy - I love you.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[Amazon 7]

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Is that in the US, the poor as well as the wealthy can vote. Once enough people are poor, it doesn't really matter how much more publicity the wealthy can buy, because there will, in fact, be protests. Unless the wealthy just take over the government and we end up with a real (i.e. defined by law) oligarchy, rather than a de facto one, this can happen. It takes more poor people, because they can't buy congresscritters, or publicity, or PACs. But they can still vote.

I don't want a revolution. I really do want to continue to change the government via the vote -- our trust in our government to change when enough of us want it to is one of the best things about the US.

And that's why I'm totally against land ownership requirements for voting. It'd be nice if only smart people (i.e. who agree with me ) voted, but until then, the best protection for our government's continuity is that if enough people get pissed off, we really can have a change, and we trust our government to change when we vote it to.

Now if we could just get more people actually voting

Wendy P.

Dont worry dear.. the republicans are all about votor suppression... they have it on the agenda in 37 states.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1zGZa8zkGg

[Amazon 7]

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Why? people that need to be convinced to vote are likely not to be very educated on the issues. I'm way more in favor of less voters if they are more educated on the issues.

I've long held that if you can't pass a test on the current platform of your candidate, then you should be turned away from the polls. Those who vote based solely on party affiliation or name recognition, are ignorant voters and should be required to understand what they're voting for. But apparently that's racist. (or so I've been told)

Of course you miss that point completely....

You did not do well in history in gradeschool did you

[grimmie 186]

The canidate should take a test on what the American people need. They should understand what they are voting for.

[kelpdiver 2]

it would be nice to require knowledge of the Constitution in order to run for office.

As for testing voters - it's hard enough to get an acceptable ballot (Florida), never mind come up with a suitable, fair test of important civics knowledge.

[StreetScooby 5]

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it would be nice to require knowledge of the Constitution in order to run for office.

+1

We are all engines of karma

[Belgian_Draft 0]

What is wrong with proper ID to vote? You need it to buy alcohol and smokes. You need it to drive a car.
It's just Moore and Co. to turn it into a racial issue.

HAMMER:
Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a
kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the
object we are trying to hit.

[Trafficdiver 8]

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And that's why I'm totally against land ownership requirements for voting.

Wendy P.

Land ownership requirements were eliminated in 1850.

Maybe I'm missing something here but what are you worried about?

[Amazon 7]

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What is wrong with proper ID to vote? You need it to buy alcohol and smokes. You need it to drive a car.
It's just Moore and Co. to turn it into a racial issue.

ID is one thing.. lack of voting machines in minority districts forcing very long lines in bad weather for low income people( nope no racism there bubba).. and all the other tricks the right wing is infamous for and are running all over the country likethey WON with in FL in Ohio ..... disgusting...

[Belgian_Draft 0]

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What is wrong with proper ID to vote? You need it to buy alcohol and smokes. You need it to drive a car.
It's just Moore and Co. to turn it into a racial issue.

ID is one thing.. lack of voting machines in minority districts forcing very long lines in bad weather for low income people( nope no racism there bubba).. and all the other tricks the right wing is infamous for and are running all over the country likethey WON with in FL in Ohio ..... disgusting...

So it was the Republicans that caused those problems?

HAMMER:
Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a
kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the
object we are trying to hit.

[mnealtx 0]

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So it was the Republicans that caused those problems?

In *her* universe, yes...

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[Amazon 7]

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What is wrong with proper ID to vote? You need it to buy alcohol and smokes. You need it to drive a car.
It's just Moore and Co. to turn it into a racial issue.

ID is one thing.. lack of voting machines in minority districts forcing very long lines in bad weather for low income people( nope no racism there bubba).. and all the other tricks the right wing is infamous for and are running all over the country likethey WON with in FL in Ohio ..... disgusting...

So it was the Republicans that caused those problems?

TSK TSK TSK.. of course you will not look at the things that reached up and slapped our democracy silly.... the ends justified the means.

OHIO

FLORIDA

Personally I think a lot more people should be voting... and trying to make sure LESS people vote... is SOOOOO PATRIOTIC.. well done PARTY Of NO

[Amazon 7]

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So it was the Republicans that caused those problems?

In *her* universe, yes...

YAWN

Different day.. same ole Mikeee delusions.. of course nothing happened... these are not the voting machines that Diebold "modified" that you are looking for

[mnealtx 0]

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these are not the voting machines that Diebold "modified" that you are looking for

No wonder reality is so difficult for you...there's no such thing as Jedi.

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[Amazon 7]

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these are not the voting machines that Diebold "modified" that you are looking for

No wonder reality is so difficult for you...there's no such thing as Jedi.

TSK TSK TSK

Your masters are very proud of you

[Trafficdiver 8]

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What is wrong with proper ID to vote? You need it to buy alcohol and smokes. You need it to drive a car.
It's just Moore and Co. to turn it into a racial issue.

ID is one thing.. lack of voting machines in minority districts forcing very long lines in bad weather for low income people( nope no racism there bubba).. and all the other tricks the right wing is infamous for and are running all over the country likethey WON with in FL in Ohio ..... disgusting...

Look at these racist republicans holding the black man down.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neGbKHyGuHU

[rhaig 0]

well rather than making uncorrected P's, why don't you tell me what the point is. because you would rather stir shit.

stir away.

--
Rob

[Belgian_Draft 0]

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What is wrong with proper ID to vote? You need it to buy alcohol and smokes. You need it to drive a car.
It's just Moore and Co. to turn it into a racial issue.

ID is one thing.. lack of voting machines in minority districts forcing very long lines in bad weather for low income people( nope no racism there bubba).. and all the other tricks the right wing is infamous for and are running all over the country likethey WON with in FL in Ohio ..... disgusting...

So it was the Republicans that caused those problems?

TSK TSK TSK.. of course you will not look at the things that reached up and slapped our democracy silly.... the ends justified the means.

OHIO

FLORIDA

Personally I think a lot more people should be voting... and trying to make sure LESS people vote... is SOOOOO PATRIOTIC.. well done PARTY Of NO

Evidently you either don't read or just ignore the articles you link to.
"Franklin County election officials -- evenly split between Republicans and Democrats -- say they allocated machines based on past voting patterns and their best estimate of where more were needed. But they acknowledge having too few machines to cope with an additional 102,000 registered voters."

I guess if it was the Republicans doing this then they had help from the Democrats.

HAMMER:
Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a
kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the
object we are trying to hit.

[Amazon 7]

Quote

Quote

Quote

What is wrong with proper ID to vote? You need it to buy alcohol and smokes. You need it to drive a car.
It's just Moore and Co. to turn it into a racial issue.

ID is one thing.. lack of voting machines in minority districts forcing very long lines in bad weather for low income people( nope no racism there bubba).. and all the other tricks the right wing is infamous for and are running all over the country likethey WON with in FL in Ohio ..... disgusting...

Look at these racist republicans holding the black man down.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neGbKHyGuHU

I knew one of you would post that.. Funny.. but the TEA BAGGERS rolled it out.. and it does not equal the systematic attempts of your party in thousands of precincts across America.

But that is ok right.

Is it better to be inclusive of ALL voters????

Or just the ones that foster a particular agenda???

[Trafficdiver 8]

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What is wrong with proper ID to vote? You need it to buy alcohol and smokes. You need it to drive a car.
It's just Moore and Co. to turn it into a racial issue.

ID is one thing.. lack of voting machines in minority districts forcing very long lines in bad weather for low income people( nope no racism there bubba).. and all the other tricks the right wing is infamous for and are running all over the country likethey WON with in FL in Ohio ..... disgusting...

Look at these racist republicans holding the black man down.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neGbKHyGuHU

I knew one of you would post that.. Funny.. but the TEA BAGGERS rolled it out.. and it does not equal the systematic attempts of your party in thousands of precincts across America.

No, it's not like they were let off the hook by the Attorney General Eric Holder either....Nothing to see here folks,..move along and go back to calling republicans racist.