Quote:
Originally Posted by cacophony
the left said the same thing about republicans who voted against obama because they thought he was a muslim.
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Indeed some of us did (although I'll dispute the term left). In my case, only
half-jokingly: meaning that while I recognize it to be instinctively problematic, I have to admit I've occasionally asked myself whether there might be some benefit in making voters have to pass some sort of exam before they're allowed to vote.
I don't put that out as a concrete belief or wish to defend it as such - I've not spent much time seriously considering the implications or how we might resolve the likely resultant discrimination (economic, disability, etc) to do that. And I agree with bass in that that if Joe the Plumber believes that Roe v. Wade is actually about segregation, it doesn't automatically follow that he doesn't have an opinion about abortion. On the other hand.... aren't there correlations to be acknowledged here?
I recognize the draconian nature of it, as well as (for something intending to
improve democracy) the intrinsically
undemocratic nature of it. But no-one can deny that democracy isn't currently being ill-served by the downward pull from morons, and politicians having to mould legislation to appease the least informed - certainly in my country anyway, where the reactionary tabloid press seem to hold so much sway over Parliament, and stupidity (and sounding tough - on immigration, etc) is almost worn as a badge of honour.
I suppose, yet again, like just about everything else, it can only come down to improving education. It's just that I have this fear - perhaps it's unfounded - that people in the democractic western nations are gradually becoming more and more stupid.
