A test before being given the vote.

[Faustus]

Do you think people of voting age should have to sit a series of tests before being allowed to vote?

I am often staggered by the public's responses when asked political questions on the news. The lack of general knowledge or knowledge concerning world events I find quite disturbing.

 

[Faustus]

Good idea. I think you have to disguise it a little better. Give the test subject an excerpt from the Daily Mail and see if they agree with it.

Don't forget the Sun too. Why you even get diagrams in the Sun to help you.

 

[Faustus]

Yeah, let's limit representation and democracy to the educated politically astute only. Long live the Class System.

But aren't we all supposedly better educated now? Surely with all the A+ or stars or whatever it is now there should be no excuse. In reality that's not the case. I sit on interview boards where the candidates have a string of paper qualifications but their lack of common sense has to be seen to be believed.

 

[Faustus]

Anyone who owns an apple product should be banned

Mmm! productism - that needs legislating against.

 

[Faustus]

So they should be disenfranchised? Is that it?

That wasn't what I alluded to.

I think it was reported on HIGNIFY on Friday that 38% of the public were not even aware there were elections on Thursday - given the amount of press coverage for weeks now where have these people been?

To add to this we have a press that is very much anti-europe especially the Murdoch press. They must spend hours looking for/inventing stories such as French poodle bites Brit, then it's down with the French etc.

We also have the spectre of both UKIP and a significant number of Tory MP's still playing at 'Little Englanders' thinking Britain is still great, we can go it alone and wishing the world map was still 'pink' (British Empire).

Europe has suffered two devasting wars in the last century due to petty tribalism. The idea behind the EU was to try and ensure it never happens again.

Given the above is it any wonder that the likes of UKIP are doing well in the polls. We need an honest debate and yes, people do need some 'unbiased' education when it comes to politics and world events.

 

[Faustus]

You said in your OP people should be given a bank of tests before being allowed to vote, not that the system should engage and inform the public better. I agree with the latter, but your proposition only disenfranchises people, it doesn't address the issues you have just introduced above.

Perhaps you need to decide what you actually want to say prior to actually saying it.

I did not say that people should be given a bank of tests before being allowed to vote - I asked the question 'should they' thus inviting comment. Please quote me correctly.

Actually what could be cool is if you had a short multiple choice questionnaire which was made up of the political standpoints of each candidate.

My answer to the above would be an emphatic NO NO NO! Multiple choice questions destroy good quality education and learning. Do things for yourself i.e. learn, absorb, think, then decide.

 

[Faustus]

I think the voting across Europe has to be a worry for everyone. The seeds are being sown which led to near world destruction twice last century. If you think that's alarmist then do a bit of reading - it's not.

 

[Faustus]

No
Tests would/could be skewed to penalise certain groups and goes against the whole principle. As long as you are over 18 and of sound mind and not currently in jail you should be free to vote, curtailing peoples right to vote is abhorrent.

Define sound mind? I also did not advocate curtailing peoples right to vote. I asked the question should they first have to sit an educational competency test.

 

[Faustus]

yes it is alarmist stop believing all the bs !

I think Neville Chamberlain said something along those lines too. How did that end?

 

[Faustus]

You could argue that the MP's who give us pathetic political answers are no worse, politics in this county is broken with greed and lies.

The information is out there, all you have to do is let it in. Don't listen to what others say or what you are told as being gospel, find things out for yourself. My father taught me that as a young boy and that is what I have done the rest of my life.

 

[Faustus]

Semantics. You asked a specific question with an addendum in the OP which implies a validation of the question as a proposition. If you simply wanted a discussion on the question of increasing knowledge and political awareness then why not ask that question rather than the proposition you did ask.

In any case, the answer to your question remains No, for the reasons I gave...if you are not invested in the proposition in the OP then may I ask why you are attempting to defend it?

Semantics nothing - I asked a question. The premise being concern over the apparent lack of knowledge of all things political in the wider population. As people are asked to cast their vote for a political appointee surely a proper knowledge of the subject should be a given?

I offered a possible solution i.e. some form of political tests before casting a vote. Others have said inclusion in the curriculum. Whilst I think that may be a good thing what do we do about all those past full time education?

 

[Faustus]

Exactly, you offered a solution to the question (i.e a proposition). Which is what I said originally.

Thanks for validating my point.

I need to correct myself - I proffered a possible way forward/solution couched in the form of an open question to a vexed problem, so NO your point is not validated - sorry.

 

[Faustus]

Prefer a breeding licence to be brought in ahead of a test to enable someone to vote....

I read an article quite some years ago now that espoused a theory that the less intelligent you were the easier it became to conceive. This was a serious article, though I have no idea what data set had been used.

 

[Faustus]

As much as Faustus does utter his fair share of nonsense in this case there seems to some validity in what he says. Fertility and Intelligence do appear to be inversely correlated, at least according to some scientific sources. the veracity and/or causes of such I cannot say, but it is there nonetheless.

If you can lead me to where I have uttered nonsense I am quite happy to debate that assertion with you.

 

[Faustus]

What utter nonsense.

Well that seals it then - your succinct well reasoned argument closes that one down.

 

[Faustus]

Maybe the theory is that: the less intelligent the female is, the easier it is you're going to get laid.

Or that on the male side the brains are in his pants.

 

[Faustus]

Quite, you offered a proposition to which I responded, however you wish to word it that is what you did, you admit that is what you did and I am glad you now admit that you now have had to correct yourself. Thank-you once again for the validation.

Nice try but don't try to out-kid a kidder.

 

[Faustus]

As they say you can lead a fool to knowledge, but you can't make him think. I'm sure you know where you are guilty of uttering nonsense, you don't need me to debate it with you.

And you know what they say about an empty vessel. You have my point.

 

[Faustus]

There was an interesting statistic on the early evening news. It appears pro-Europe voters are increasing among the intelligencer, broadsheet readers and higher earners whilst the less well educated sun reader types are voting anti- Europe.

That's from the news not me, illuminating though it is.

 

[Faustus]

And you illustrate that point eminently well.

Yes, you taught me well!