Vote now!
So, I'm going to tell you guys now. This will be a short blog post. But, I'm asking the question. What are your opinions on voting? Now, I seriously want to see comments for this one guys!
Do you think compulsory voting is the right way to go? Or should Australia change to a voting system similar to that of America? *shudders* Or possibly some other version of democratic voting.
What are your thoughts about the different political parties in Australia? Is voting even that important considering that both leading parties are more or less the same? How are they different?
So, let it all hang out on my comments here and help me discover everyone's opinion!
J.D.
You have 3 followers...if you wanted their opinion it'd be quicker to just call them =P
ReplyDeleteBut anyway I hate that voting is compulsory. It's just stupid. I'd like to choose if I would like to vote or not. But if this were the case I bet no one would really vote anyway, because let's face it, no one really cares and they're going to complain no matter what happens anyway.
I'm glad we have the system we have! Even if most people are too stupid to vote for the right party, at least we're getting an idea of what the people want and what kind of stupid they are!
ReplyDeleteAnd I think all the parties are just a delicate balance in which none should be in power too long or our country will go mad. But Family First should go die.
Jeremy,
ReplyDeleteI think that compulsory voting violates the basic principles of a free society. That is, the non-initiation of force. Yet, this principle is violated needlessly all the time. Though, if such a society still existed and I believe did exist for a small time in some specific States in the United States.
For the ordinary and the brilliant a concern with political matters in a free society (www.principlesofafreesociety.com) is not of the most importance. Political concern is a time consuming task and forcing those not interested to vote effectively rests the system on whatever cultural hype is spreading at the time. One might say that elections under compulsory voting are the combined interest of people apathetic to politics. These people, with no real idea or care to know what they are doing should stay at home and are quite welcome to do so without it.
I think that democracy itself however should be held together by a constitution. The biggest problem however with this is the revenue model of modern Federal Govenments. High Courts/Supreme Courts, perhaps I'll just use the term Constitutional Courts to not get confusing are essentially part of the Federal Government it is supposed to limit. When the Federal Government is responsible for its own financing its powers cannot be held in line once an election is finished and a Constitutional Court begins ignoring its duties the Federal Government is unlimited.
Originally the American system left the Federal Government as nothing more than a beggar to the states. This allowed the possibility of something known as a nullification where the states with their own separate democratic bodies can simple disable the power of a runaway Federal Government like America today. Robert P Murphy of the Ludwig von Mises institute still believes this can be a real possibility.
In Australia and particularly Victoria the state Governments are incredibly limited in what the can and cannot tax. This limits revenue considerably, already I believe the spirit of the separation of powers clause has been violated by injections of spending into state medical and education infrastructure. Before World War II in Australia the Federal Government had less for revenue but the centralization required for wartime economic planning had the States hand over many commerce and taxation powers to the Federal Government.
Because of this unfortunately our economy still mimics a wartime economy. Except instead of building bombs its sends Australia on a mission to install pink batts, and occasionally there are losses like a wartime economy: four people died because of that scheme. State Governments are no better, central planning of the NSW health system (in Vic ours is very decentralized in comparison) has led to rationing where doctors in some hospitals are simply not allowed to do anything for babies born around two weeks premature. They are ordered to leave them to die, not on a case by case basis but as a general and subordinate rule.
What bothers me is that taxation and public services in Australia are bloated. Most of the country works and the resources still exist regardless, these same people are willing to vote purely out of pragmatism for a system where the Government replaces what private charity could easily do, and with this people vote themselves higher taxes. I believe people would fund health for those few who need it. That itself is a long discussion indeed however, you have my thoughts on voting.
Jeremy,
ReplyDeleteI think that compulsory voting violates the basic principles of a free society. That is, the non-initiation of force. Yet, this principle is violated needlessly all the time. Though, if such a society still existed and I believe did exist for a small time in some specific States in the United States.
For the ordinary and the brilliant a concern with political matters in a free society (www.principlesofafreesociety.com) is not of the most importance. Political concern is a time consuming task and forcing those not interested to vote effectively rests the system on whatever cultural hype is spreading at the time. One might say that elections under compulsory voting are the combined interest of people apathetic to politics. These people, with no real idea or care to know what they are doing should stay at home and are quite welcome to do so without it.
I think that democracy itself however should be held together by a constitution. The biggest problem however with this is the revenue model of modern Federal Govenments. High Courts/Supreme Courts, perhaps I'll just use the term Constitutional Courts to not get confusing are essentially part of the Federal Government it is supposed to limit. When the Federal Government is responsible for its own financing its powers cannot be held in line once an election is finished and a Constitutional Court begins ignoring its duties the Federal Government is unlimited.
Originally the American system left the Federal Government as nothing more than a beggar to the states. This allowed the possibility of something known as a nullification where the states with their own separate democratic bodies can simple disable the power of a runaway Federal Government like America today. Robert P Murphy of the Ludwig von Mises institute still believes this can be a real possibility.
Continued...
ReplyDeleteIn Australia and particularly Victoria the state Governments are incredibly limited in what the can and cannot tax. This limits revenue considerably, already I believe the spirit of the separation of powers clause has been violated by injections of spending into state medical and education infrastructure. Before World War II in Australia the Federal Government had less for revenue but the centralization required for wartime economic planning had the States hand over many commerce and taxation powers to the Federal Government.
Because of this unfortunately our economy still mimics a wartime economy. Except instead of building bombs its sends Australia on a mission to install pink batts, and occasionally there are losses like a wartime economy: four people died because of that scheme. State Governments are no better, central planning of the NSW health system (in Vic ours is very decentralized in comparison) has led to rationing where doctors in some hospitals are simply not allowed to do anything for babies born around two weeks premature. They are ordered to leave them to die, not on a case by case basis but as a general and subordinate rule.
What bothers me is that taxation and public services in Australia are bloated. Most of the country works and the resources still exist regardless, these same people are willing to vote purely out of pragmatism for a system where the Government replaces what private charity could easily do, and with this people vote themselves higher taxes. I believe people would fund health for those few who need it. That itself is a long discussion indeed however, you have my thoughts on voting.
It appears in a matter of ten minutes I have written you a small essay.