You know what keeps me up at night: How the hell do we let politicians choose their voters instead of voters choosing their politicians, and why does this democratic cancer keep metastasizing decade after decade?
Australia has compulsory voting. This makes people focus on politics for at least a few weeks during national federal elections. In January this year a Trump loving arsehole was tipped to win power. On polling day the AH lost with the vote going to his more moderate opponent. Compulsory voting is the ultimate weapon to safeguard democracy as no one can be removed from the voters roll and gerrymandering is not possible. Australia looked at the Trump chaos and rejected the local wanna be.
We also have a non partisan commission that ensures our elections are free and fair. We use paper ballots - there are no voting machines. This Australian hopes the US can get free of this fascist regime sooner rather than later.
Thank you for your very clear insight Wendy. As is usual with mankind, anything which could be used for good or bad purposes gets used for bad purposes, not because mankind is bad but because the minority that are get power over the rest of use by use of their cheating ways.
I don't think that 'playing fair' has been part of repug strategy for many decades. Their belief that they are the natural rulers and the rest of us are serfs makes fairness on their part a non starter. Also, it sadly means that the innate fairness of democrats actually works against them because it is used but not returned. The democrats need to learn to be intolerant of intolerance.
When tRumPutin is done taking his wrecking ball to the government, we will need to rebuild it. I'm pretty sure that gerrymandering will be one of the first things eliminated. Permanently.
Gerrymandering is hard, but doable. Alas it has to be state by state. Until the SCOTUS isn't packed with wads of fuck, it will never be handled at the federal level, and I would bet that it will be like this for the next 30 years.
The EC? It will require a constitutional amendment, and that frankly isn't ever going to happen.
Australia has compulsory voting. This makes people focus on politics for at least a few weeks during national federal elections. In January this year a Trump loving arsehole was tipped to win power. On polling day the AH lost with the vote going to his more moderate opponent. Compulsory voting is the ultimate weapon to safeguard democracy as no one can be removed from the voters roll and gerrymandering is not possible. Australia looked at the Trump chaos and rejected the local wanna be.
We also have a non partisan commission that ensures our elections are free and fair. We use paper ballots - there are no voting machines. This Australian hopes the US can get free of this fascist regime sooner rather than later.
Thank you for your very clear insight Wendy. As is usual with mankind, anything which could be used for good or bad purposes gets used for bad purposes, not because mankind is bad but because the minority that are get power over the rest of use by use of their cheating ways.
I don't think that 'playing fair' has been part of repug strategy for many decades. Their belief that they are the natural rulers and the rest of us are serfs makes fairness on their part a non starter. Also, it sadly means that the innate fairness of democrats actually works against them because it is used but not returned. The democrats need to learn to be intolerant of intolerance.
When tRumPutin is done taking his wrecking ball to the government, we will need to rebuild it. I'm pretty sure that gerrymandering will be one of the first things eliminated. Permanently.
Paula, you could not be more correct.
We need to get rid of gerrymandering and the electoral college.
Guaranteed for life positions need to be done away with as well.
Gerrymandering is hard, but doable. Alas it has to be state by state. Until the SCOTUS isn't packed with wads of fuck, it will never be handled at the federal level, and I would bet that it will be like this for the next 30 years.
The EC? It will require a constitutional amendment, and that frankly isn't ever going to happen.
You sound like a pessimist.
No, I am being a realist.
Pessimist for sure.
I know, because I am a realist.
I agree with you, utterly and totally.
Right??? I can’t believe this is still legal!