Posted on 10/20/2013 7:55:00 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
They said it would take a black man to bring back slavery to America.
Didn’t you pay in to Social Security and Medicare? That’s not true of TANF, SNAP, farm subsidies and the rest, at least not directly.
My bumper sticker say: Only Taxpayers Should Be Allowed To Vote
“The founding fathers didn’t believe that every Tom Dick and Harry should vote — there were eligibility requirements. “
I’d say, right off the top, they were about at least 50% more restrictive...
I don’t see what was wrong with testing requirements. Certainly, an understanding of government, local and national should be required. You might say that public schooling should do this, and I would just laugh. And the test should be periodic and available in English only.
These days, I don’t think we are too far away from Africa, where they put a photo of the candidate with the symbol of the party on the ballot. For example, here, we would have put a drawing of an ass next to a photo of every Democrat.
It’s not ideal, but it’s a way to move forward.
Takers shouldn’t have a say.
Exactly.
Bottom line is people make choices in their own self interest - to serve (get promoted, get honor, larger command, etc) or not to serve but do other things. They accept the risks associated with their choices. Lots of non-military roles are dangerous and high-risk.
There was no right to vote in the original as-written U.S.Constitution. Those had to added later in the 16th and 17th Amendments.
The vote is bestowed only to those who “choose” to spend time as a slave of the fascist state.
No thanks
How’d you like to serve under someone worse than Obama? Look how he’s made fed employees jump through hoops and embrace their inner asshole (park rangers, etc).
I don’t think so either.
bump
Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!
Wouldn't that make it "Privilege"?
They do, but it's a bit different than the FFL. In it's modern incarnation, it's only open to Spanish citizens or citizens of former Spanish colonies. It's not wide open to any foreigner who wants to join...
NOBODY EXPECTS THE SPANISH FOREIGN LEGION!
yup
Instead of “I vas following zee orderz”
it’d be “I vas just urning my vote”
The point in ST was not that the military was dangerous, but rather that serving showed that a person was willing to subordinate his own personal survival to the survival of the community.
If a war came along, of course. In times of peace many military jobs are less dangerous than many military ones. It’s not the degree of danger in question, it’s the willingness to face that danger to protect the community.
Be careful what you wish for....Who gets to determine just exactly what constitutes "earning" the vote?
Heinlein’s novel both encouraged and reinforced my decision to join the Army right out of high school. I’ve read the novel closely at three different points in my life and I learned something new every time I read it.
I agree with the article’s author that Heinlein made it abundantly clear that you didn’t have to be a combat veteran—nor even a member of the armed services—to receive the franchise. And more than that, you didn’t receive the franchise until you were honorably discharged or retired from Federal Service. So, while you were in, no vote, no matter your length of service or pay grade.
There were times when I thought such a system would work in our country. Basically, if you want the authority to make important decisions, you had to have prove that you are capable and responsible to make them. No free lunches. You have to give to get and trade value for value.
I don’t know if would work now. Heinlein himself warned of the problems with such a system. Just because you’ve served doesn’t mean you’ll make stellar decisions or do what’s in the best interest of all citizens or even be resistant to the pressures of influence. John McCain I will offer as exhibit A.
Though, on balance, it might still be better than the creaking system we have now.
There’d be no “President Barack Hussein Obama, Jr.” though, so you have to give it that.
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