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Voter tax

Rainman05

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So I was thinking of the following thing.

A minimal tax when you go to vote. Normally I would be against this idea but today it it hit, what it is needed to be done to make it a viable option.

What is the minimal amount of money one person would be interested in paying in order to participate to something important? The act of paying for things in general drives people to be more aware of what they are paying for. It's psychological really. Now of course, for people who have a lot of money this isn't a problem, but the vast majority of the people in any given country don't have a lot of money and don't spend money idly.

So a minimal tax. Say, 10eurocents. Or 1euro. The sum is not important, the psychological effect is. By demanding that people pay a small fee before going in the voting booth you increase the chance of those people tuning into the news and being informed about the product they are "buying" before they buy it , i.e., the vote. Even more so since you only get to 'buy' 1 vote. No more.
But still, if we leave it at this, it's a bad idea and I would be against it. The way that I wouldn't be against it is if it were tax deductible 100%. So next month, after you paid (say...) 1 euro for your vote, you pay X sum taxes - 1euro. So you don't lose money. You just create the psychological effect that makes people pay more attention on what they do with the vote.

It's an overall win situation. What do you guys think?
 
So I was thinking of the following thing.

A minimal tax when you go to vote. Normally I would be against this idea but today it it hit, what it is needed to be done to make it a viable option.

What is the minimal amount of money one person would be interested in paying in order to participate to something important? The act of paying for things in general drives people to be more aware of what they are paying for. It's psychological really. Now of course, for people who have a lot of money this isn't a problem, but the vast majority of the people in any given country don't have a lot of money and don't spend money idly.

So a minimal tax. Say, 10eurocents. Or 1euro. The sum is not important, the psychological effect is. By demanding that people pay a small fee before going in the voting booth you increase the chance of those people tuning into the news and being informed about the product they are "buying" before they buy it , i.e., the vote. Even more so since you only get to 'buy' 1 vote. No more.
But still, if we leave it at this, it's a bad idea and I would be against it. The way that I wouldn't be against it is if it were tax deductible 100%. So next month, after you paid (say...) 1 euro for your vote, you pay X sum taxes - 1euro. So you don't lose money. You just create the psychological effect that makes people pay more attention on what they do with the vote.

It's an overall win situation. What do you guys think?

Better to fine people who don't vote.
 
Better yet to provide candidates that people will actually vote for. ;)

Get's old after awhile, going out just to vote against someone, don't it.
 
The sum is not important, the psychological effect is.

I love it. But parting with 1 euro is just not psychologically-effective enough.

I have a better idea: A slap in the face. Before handing you the ballot, a uniformed state official has to smack you, open palm (in a disposable glove, of course, safety first - we are not barbarians), on the cheek.

I mean, here you are, all ready to vote for one of two or three professional sociopaths grasping for power they cannot possibly handle properly, in the modern complex and chaotic world, your choice based on some half-truth he (maybe) said at some point that resonated with something you think you believe, though you had never given it much thought....

SLAP!!!

Could wake some people up....not many, probably.
 
I love it. But parting with 1 euro is just not psychologically-effective enough.

I have a better idea: A slap in the face. Before handing you the ballot, a uniformed state official has to smack you, open palm (in a disposable glove, of course, safety first - we are not barbarians), on the cheek.

I mean, here you are, all ready to vote for one of two or three professional sociopaths grasping for power they cannot possibly handle properly, in the modern complex and chaotic world, your choice based on some half-truth he (maybe) said at some point that resonated with something you think you believe, though you had never given it much thought....

SLAP!!!

Could wake some people up....not many, probably.

a jikijitsu with his keisaku.....:yes:

I like this idea...very much...
 
I love it. But parting with 1 euro is just not psychologically-effective enough.

I have a better idea: A slap in the face. Before handing you the ballot, a uniformed state official has to smack you, open palm (in a disposable glove, of course, safety first - we are not barbarians), on the cheek.

I mean, here you are, all ready to vote for one of two or three professional sociopaths grasping for power they cannot possibly handle properly, in the modern complex and chaotic world, your choice based on some half-truth he (maybe) said at some point that resonated with something you think you believe, though you had never given it much thought....

SLAP!!!

Could wake some people up....not many, probably.

Well all right then.
 
I love it. But parting with 1 euro is just not psychologically-effective enough.

I have a better idea: A slap in the face. Before handing you the ballot, a uniformed state official has to smack you, open palm (in a disposable glove, of course, safety first - we are not barbarians), on the cheek.

I mean, here you are, all ready to vote for one of two or three professional sociopaths grasping for power they cannot possibly handle properly, in the modern complex and chaotic world, your choice based on some half-truth he (maybe) said at some point that resonated with something you think you believe, though you had never given it much thought....

SLAP!!!

Could wake some people up....not many, probably.

This is the greatest idea I have ever heard.
 
This is the greatest idea I have ever heard.

That would do if the political class were only inflicting minor harm upon the sheeple; for a more apt reminder, of the real situation, perhaps they would have you drop your trousers, bend over and really drive the point home. ;)
 
That would do if the political class were only inflicting minor harm upon the sheeple; for a more apt reminder, of the real situation, perhaps they would have you drop your trousers, bend over and really drive the point home. ;)

"really drive the point home"

The Images! Make them stop! :boohoo: :D
 
So I was thinking of the following thing.

A minimal tax when you go to vote. Normally I would be against this idea but today it it hit, what it is needed to be done to make it a viable option.

What is the minimal amount of money one person would be interested in paying in order to participate to something important? The act of paying for things in general drives people to be more aware of what they are paying for. It's psychological really. Now of course, for people who have a lot of money this isn't a problem, but the vast majority of the people in any given country don't have a lot of money and don't spend money idly.

So a minimal tax. Say, 10eurocents. Or 1euro. The sum is not important, the psychological effect is. By demanding that people pay a small fee before going in the voting booth you increase the chance of those people tuning into the news and being informed about the product they are "buying" before they buy it , i.e., the vote. Even more so since you only get to 'buy' 1 vote. No more.
But still, if we leave it at this, it's a bad idea and I would be against it. The way that I wouldn't be against it is if it were tax deductible 100%. So next month, after you paid (say...) 1 euro for your vote, you pay X sum taxes - 1euro. So you don't lose money. You just create the psychological effect that makes people pay more attention on what they do with the vote.

It's an overall win situation. What do you guys think?

Sadly, nothing will change how people treat the vote now. Also, at least in America, if you try any funny business like what you propose there will be hell to pay with the ACLU.

I think the real question here is, why do we have to have one president when the country is nearly split evenly in their votes. Why not two? Let people live under the system they prefer, then the vote will matter again.
 
Sadly, nothing will change how people treat the vote now. Also, at least in America, if you try any funny business like what you propose there will be hell to pay with the ACLU.

I think the real question here is, why do we have to have one president when the country is nearly split evenly in their votes. Why not two? Let people live under the system they prefer, then the vote will matter again.

Well, in the case of the US, USA= UNITED states of america. Not divided. That's why 1 president (exec branch), 1 legislature (congress), 1 judicial branch at a federal level.
 
Well, in the case of the US, USA= UNITED states of america. Not divided. That's why 1 president (exec branch), 1 legislature (congress), 1 judicial branch at a federal level.

Yes, I'm familiar with the system. More a question to stimulate some thought than a real suggestion.
 
So I was thinking of the following thing.

A minimal tax when you go to vote. Normally I would be against this idea but today it it hit, what it is needed to be done to make it a viable option.

What is the minimal amount of money one person would be interested in paying in order to participate to something important? The act of paying for things in general drives people to be more aware of what they are paying for. It's psychological really. Now of course, for people who have a lot of money this isn't a problem, but the vast majority of the people in any given country don't have a lot of money and don't spend money idly.

So a minimal tax. Say, 10eurocents. Or 1euro. The sum is not important, the psychological effect is. By demanding that people pay a small fee before going in the voting booth you increase the chance of those people tuning into the news and being informed about the product they are "buying" before they buy it , i.e., the vote. Even more so since you only get to 'buy' 1 vote. No more.
But still, if we leave it at this, it's a bad idea and I would be against it. The way that I wouldn't be against it is if it were tax deductible 100%. So next month, after you paid (say...) 1 euro for your vote, you pay X sum taxes - 1euro. So you don't lose money. You just create the psychological effect that makes people pay more attention on what they do with the vote.

It's an overall win situation. What do you guys think?

Doesn't really strike me as a practical or good idea.
 
Doesn't really strike me as a practical or good idea.

Well, it was just a thought. I wasn't putting money on it.

For me, it seems like a pretty good idea. But I'm biased since I thought of it.
 
Well, it was just a thought. I wasn't putting money on it.

For me, it seems like a pretty good idea. But I'm biased since I thought of it.

Nothing wrong with thinking. Too few people do it.
 
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