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From: mmt@dciem.UUCP (Martin Taylor)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: voting - (nf)
Message-ID: <722@dciem.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 18-Feb-84 17:10:23 EST
Article-I.D.: dciem.722
Posted: Sat Feb 18 17:10:23 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 18-Feb-84 18:24:36 EST
References: <5655@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Organization: D.C.I.E.M., Toronto, Canada
Lines: 32

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In general, it excludes that section of the population with a financial
interest in government schemes that take wealth from those who produce
it and give it to those who do not.  I suggest that such a scheme is the
only way, short of financial collapse, that the US can control the
out-of-control "entitlement" programs.
Scott Renner
================
The above was part of a proposal to limit voting rights according to
a person's contribution to the Government's finances.  There seem to
be two problems (apart from the moral one):
	(1) Whose economic theory do you use to determine which people
create wealth?  According to some, the underpaid working slaves create
the wealth in which the capitalist pigs wallow.  According to others,
only the accumulation and management of capital allows the masses to
enjoy even the meagre standard of living they have. So who chooses
the theory?
	(2) Even if the theory could be agreed, what do you do about
people who believe that a change of government would put them into a
plus position and therefore entitled to vote, wheras the present
Government keeps them in a minus position?  Do you tell them that
armed rebellion is their only recourse? (Sounds like quite a lot of
the world, righ now).

[I realize that Renner's article doesn't read this way in its literal
sense, but it carries the implications to which I respond.  If Renner
doesn't intend those implications, I apologise, but people often do
argue that voting should depend on contribution.]
-- 

Martin Taylor
{allegra,linus,ihnp4,uw-beaver,floyd,ubc-vision}!utzoo!dciem!mmt