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[helmacon]

Influence is fine, but when it's stuff like sending black neighborhoods voting information that has the wrong date on it, that stuff is definitely over the line.

However, the idea that the entire point is to "influence the election" is kind of one of the things that's lead to a toxic situation. Things like campaign finance laws, equal time laws, and removing gerrymandering and voter suppression would have positive effects, but they'd be more noticeable over longer timespans.

In the ideal situation, the populace has both side's policy statements and commitments to compare, objectively, and they make an informed decision through debate between citizens over the issues. Not the opinion poll driven, emotional, character assassination, vote-rigging stuff that's considered "normal" ways things are "influenced".

I'd actually like there to be a set of literature about current policy issues created by politically neutral third parties which citizens would be tested on before being allowed to vote.  That way, you would have to be informed before you could make a decision that affects millions of other people.

maybe a decent idea in theory, but it is ripe with opportunities for abuse. See; Jim crow era "literacy" tests used for voter suppression.

[scriver]

TL;DR: It's the principle of shouting "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone!" only when you yourself are under threat, and being the most zealous slinger of stones the rest of the time.

That Bible verse was mistranslated, it's supposed to be "let other people who are without sin throw the first stone at me".

It must be by the way that everyone applies it to their lives.

I don't see how your variant makes any meaningful difference from the meaning of the original translation.

(it was a joke)

What was a joke?

[Kagus]

TL;DR: It's the principle of shouting "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone!" only when you yourself are under threat, and being the most zealous slinger of stones the rest of the time.

That Bible verse was mistranslated, it's supposed to be "let other people who are without sin throw the first stone at me".

It must be by the way that everyone applies it to their lives.

I don't see how your variant makes any meaningful difference from the meaning of the original translation.

(it was a joke)

What was a joke?

The Bible.

[JoshuaFH]

It would be practical to do that, with a few tweaks. Say you're elected to state-level Citizens Assemblies, like Jurors, and shorten the time-frame a little. 4 years might be too long, 2 years too short. And you want overlapping intakes, like the Senate. So ... make it three years, with 1/3rd replaced every 12 months.

The Assemblies then select people to represent them at the state-executive and federal levels. You'd have the regular Assembly members who are appointed for their single-term, but make it so that if you're chosen to serve in the Executive or Federal level, you can serve longer with a vote of support from the regular Assembly members - this way truly talented and dedicated people can be held onto for longer. However, since the state Assemblies are refreshed by lottery on a frequent basis then the chosen Federal or Executive-level people must keep proving their worth: they can't just rely on cronies to keep them in power.

This certainly couldn't be worse than what happens now.

The main virtue I'm thinking of is incorruptibility. With someone chosen randomly and thrust into the position of power, they could perhaps be corrupted after-the-fact, but it sure removes most of the mechanisms that incentivize corruption, or allow it to happen at all.

Actually, scratch all that, how about this: We keep our democracy exactly how it is now, but we add one rule: after the President's term is over, they're mandatorily executed regardless of how bad or successful they were. Perhaps pointlessly cruel, yes, but now the position is one of pure self-sacrifice; and even the greediest, most corrupted narcissists won't want to be elected, it'll be one of selfless civic duty to your fellow citizens.

I'm obviously joking, but it seems we live in an age of extremism where things like this seem sane and sensible.

[Maximum Spin]

I'm obviously joking, but it seems we live in an age of extremism where things like this seem sane and sensible.

That miiiiiiiight just be you.

[JoshuaFH]

Yeah probably.

[Reelya]

The suicide president idea is pretty bad. You'd get types you don't want:

- anyone with a termnial illness with less than 4 years to live would be highly attracted to the position. You could exploit it to feather the nest of your family, knowing you won't be around to be held accountable.

- people with a low desire to live, but a desire for fame or going out in a blaze of glory. They might just push the nuclear button before their term is up.

-"i'll do my best for my country, then be executed" yeah, right. You'll get exactly 0% of these types. Unless they also have a terminal disease, or are very old.

So that would cause a skew towards the old, sick, and crazy for president.

[sluissa]

It's not the worst idea I've ever heard.

[JoshuaFH]

It's not the worst idea I've ever heard.

Guess I gotta try harder then.

[Reelya]

It's not the worst idea I've ever heard.

Guess I gotta try harder then.

How about Chucktinglearchy?

Rather than explain that, I'll leave the details up to each forumite, so we can have different flavors of Chucktinglearchy.

[JoshuaFH]

It's not the worst idea I've ever heard.

Guess I gotta try harder then.

How about Chucktinglearchy?

Pounded in the Butt by my own Government... oh wait, that's real life.

[helmacon]

I mean, purple literally blow themselves up for no better reason than to kill people for their ideology. You don't think similar extremists would just as readily take a presidential position with such stipulations.

A better way would just to have all assets seized after their term is up. Make it so they can't keep anything they might gain from it. Eliminates the problem I think.

[redwallzyl]

https://www.npr.org/2018/07/25/632191533/ga-lawmaker-resigns-after-dropping-pants-shouting-slurs-on-sacha-baron-cohen-sho

This is just too strange for me to even understand what happened.

[helmacon]

I've been seeing it for the past few days and I feel like I still haven't really processed it yet.

[Rowanas]

https://www.npr.org/2018/07/25/632191533/ga-lawmaker-resigns-after-dropping-pants-shouting-slurs-on-sacha-baron-cohen-sho

This is just too strange for me to even understand what happened.

"our Founding Fathers did not put an age limit on the Second Amendment."

I'm sorry America, but you need to go away.  Your laws are ridiculous, your cultural imperialism is ridiculous, your religious fanaticism is ridiculous, your leaders are... you get the point.

The Romans fell, the Ottomans fell, the Aztecs fell. I reckon we're well overdue a collapse of civilisation.