RoR: Forum

Considering the value of a buck, that sounds about right..... ;-)

Post 1

Saturday, March 8, 2008 - 1:08am

Are we going do this like the state lotteries? The minimum age is 18? Or is it still 35 to be president? Are we going to allow those with criminal records to play? What about naturalized citizens?
I honestly don't think that the American people are stupid enough to leave their lives in the hands of a lottery. Our political system may not be perfect, and is definately broken. But it is a system that works, for the most part.
Atleast it isn't a parlamentary system, where the people have no say so, at all.

Post 2

Saturday, March 8, 2008 - 6:38am

The Athenians used a lottery to elect their officials. It worked for 150 years.

Bob Kolker

Post 3

Saturday, March 8, 2008 - 7:40am

I appreciate these serious, perceptive comments on my important but no doubt controversial proposal for reform of our electoral system. Thanks you, all.

Post 4

Saturday, March 8, 2008 - 1:01pm

In Athens you had to be 18 to vote and 30 to serve, as I recall. I may be a little rusty on memory of these details but shouldn't be criticized for that -- after all, it was a couple thousand years ago, for Christ sakes!

Here's a semi-relevant quote:

"Frequent elections by the people furnish the only protection under the Constitution against the abuse of acknowledged legislative power."--Stephen J. Field, US Supreme Court Justice

Ed

Post 5

Saturday, March 8, 2008 - 11:01pm

Hey Robert K, How is that lottery doing now? In fact, how is Athens?

Post 6

Saturday, March 8, 2008 - 11:03pm

P.S. Whats your point, Bob?

Post 7

Sunday, March 9, 2008 - 4:23am

Reply to post 6.

it is possible to run a government like a raffle or a lotto game. Spin the arrow and see who shall be Maximum Leader -today-. There was something rather egalitarian about the system. -Anyone- in the qualified pool could win. It guaranteed maximal mediocrity and at the same time prevented the tyranny of the cult of personality.

There were some notable exceptions however. For example, Pericles. There was also a down side. The Jury de Jour put Socrates to death because he was a pain in the ass. Socrates had the ever loving gall to point out that Athens was ruled (by and large) by donkeys and asses. Socrates star pupil, Plato, showed there was one thing even worse than that: rule by philosophers. The Athenian system, like any other form of government did not work all that well. Aside from the rule of Asses there was the occasional pro-Spartan Fascist putsch, like the Rule of the Thirty. These Fascist eruptions came and went followed by the usual politics of Revenge. As Socrates found out.

Bob Kolker

Post 8

Tuesday, March 11, 2008 - 8:37pm