I’ll take it one step further. Anyone on government welfare should not be allowed to vote. It’s an obvious conflict on interest. They will vote for whoever promises the most money.
Extending the franchise to every warm body was a mistake; It among other things made welfare programs merely a legalized vote-buying scheme. I seem to remember a certain someone way back in history saying something about the masses being able to vote themselves largess from the public treasuries being the death of democracy.
Exactly. I think about that quote often. I’ve seen it attributed to several people, but the message is true.
I’ve often wondered why voting rights weren’t given to women early on. Then I read that, at the time, one of government’s few roles was to wage war - which women could not fight in. It would be a conflict of interest for women to vote for/against a warmongering administration - since they wouldn’t be put on the front lines. Same idea for only landowners being allowed to vote since their property taxes was one of the few ways government was funded. They naturally ought to have a say in what the government spends it on.
The point is, conflicts of interest should be identified and eliminated as best as practical. Starting with welfare recipients.
I’ll take it one step further. Anyone on government welfare should not be allowed to vote. It’s an obvious conflict on interest. They will vote for whoever promises the most money.
Extending the franchise to every warm body was a mistake; It among other things made welfare programs merely a legalized vote-buying scheme. I seem to remember a certain someone way back in history saying something about the masses being able to vote themselves largess from the public treasuries being the death of democracy.
Exactly. I think about that quote often. I’ve seen it attributed to several people, but the message is true.
I’ve often wondered why voting rights weren’t given to women early on. Then I read that, at the time, one of government’s few roles was to wage war - which women could not fight in. It would be a conflict of interest for women to vote for/against a warmongering administration - since they wouldn’t be put on the front lines. Same idea for only landowners being allowed to vote since their property taxes was one of the few ways government was funded. They naturally ought to have a say in what the government spends it on.
The point is, conflicts of interest should be identified and eliminated as best as practical. Starting with welfare recipients.