Voting.
Well, election time is coming up again and we have to brace ourselves for a barrage of advertising of the ‘virtues of various candidates’ and of course their parties. We will be told of all of the wonderful things they will do for us, but will probably be less forthcoming on what they will do to us.
Interspersed among these in Australia will of course be some by the Electoral Commission warning us that voting is compulsory and that failure to do so, will incur fines.
Yes folks, in this great democracy of ours the right to vote has been taken away and replaced with a compulsion to vote. The reason I say that the right to vote has been removed is that a right is something that the individual can choose to do or not do as free will decides. I have the right to drink, but if I do not choose to do so I don’t.
No publican has the right to lay criminal charges, or sue me for failing to do so. Some of them may have a beef about this, but are not likely to be taken seriously. I will not be fined for failing to drink; therefore my right to drink is untainted.
Voting needs to be reformed, if for no better reason than that the disinterested people who go along to vote because they are compelled to, probably skew results. How many people have been voted in or out by people who essentially don’t care enough about the process enough to vote voluntarily.
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