• MindTraveller@lemmy.ca
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    3 months ago

    I don’t care. No taxation without representation! No country is a democracy unless it allows ALL of its people to vote. This is a matter of equal rights. I also defend the right of mormons and scientologists to vote, and I’ll defend the right of children to vote, consequences be damned. If the human species can’t raise kids well enough to participate as equals in the electoral process, it deserves to go extinct.

          • MindTraveller@lemmy.ca
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            3 months ago

            From pocket money and birthday money, obviously. A lot of kids also get lunch money, and some 15 year olds even work at McDonald’s

            • WindyRebel@lemmy.world
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              3 months ago

              Buddy, you said ALL of its people. You realize there are pre-k kids with opinions that can write and fill in circles or press buttons? You want them voting?

              Just trying to figure out what your end game here is. There’s something called experience and even brains are still developing into their 20s.

                • michaelmrose@lemmy.world
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                  3 months ago

                  But they can’t vote and up to a certain point kids don’t really differentiate from parents so you are effectively giving adults more votes for popping out kids.

                  If you were stranded on an island with 28 5-6 year olds, an adult teacher, and yourself would you run it like a democracy and let the kids vote?

                  • MindTraveller@lemmy.ca
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                    3 months ago

                    If I were on a deserted island I’d run it anarchically. I wouldn’t erect a state, democratic or not. But if we must have states, then we must also have democracy.

          • MindTraveller@lemmy.ca
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            3 months ago

            Well I’m not American, I’m talking about my own country when I say no taxation without representation. The rest of what I said stands in America though

              • MindTraveller@lemmy.ca
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                3 months ago

                I think children have the right to own things, and if children own the goods they buy, children are taxed. What you’re advocating is total parental control over children. That would harm so many kids! Especially queer kids. What if a trans boy spends his birthday money on a binder and hides it from his parents because he knows they’d throw him on the street if they saw it. Are you going to say the goods and services tax on the binder is a tax on the parents? No, that boy has his own property!

                • michaelmrose@lemmy.world
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                  3 months ago

                  You are steady stuck on taxation. The actual point is that a baby that has just dropped out it’s mothers womb screaming and crying and shitting on itself isn’t capable of helping make decisions for their country. A 25 year old is clearly a fully capable adult at the height of their health and brain development if not maturity.

                  At some point between inception and 25 we pile increasing responsibility, rights, and privileges. A 3 minute old can’t drive, read or understand a voter pamphlet hold a job, decide where they would like to go today, decide what they would like to eat, or realistically anything whatsoever. They have no rights other than the right for their caregiver to perform their duties ably to protect the safety and health by making all decisions for them.

                  So we have to choose a point between A and B when we think people are capable of taking on that added responsibility. Arguments can be made for different points or even appointing some users those privileges early based on capability. Some are wiser and smarter at 16 than others will be ever. That said the most ridiculous position is to provide that privilege at year zero. This is functionally identical to giving their parents extra votes.

                  If you are going to argue for giving parents extra votes argue that position directly.

                  • MindTraveller@lemmy.ca
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                    3 months ago

                    Parents should under absolutely no circumstances be allowed to vote on their children’s behalf. Voting should 100% be the kid’s choice without any coersion or nonsense.

            • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
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              3 months ago

              Well I’m not American, I’m talking about my own country when I say no taxation without representation.

              You understand this is a post about American politics?

              In any case,

              Where are you going to draw the line? Neonatals literally cannot do anything other than eat, sleep and look around at a blurry world. Do they get a vote?

              What about toddlers? Who might be able to buy something with their parent’s money?

              You’re going to have to set the line somewhere, and there’s going to be people disenfranchised. It’s that simple.

              The age of majority, whatever that is in your country is usually the simplest and least offensive way to do it.

              • MindTraveller@lemmy.ca
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                3 months ago

                The minute a baby pops out of the womb, it has the right to vote. It will not be able to exercise that right until it can hold a pencil, but it theoretically has the right, and it can vote as soon as it’s decided it wants to participate in politics.

                • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
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                  3 months ago

                  When you say “hold a pencil”…. Do you mean simply holding it? Can some one help put it in their hand?

                  Do they have to scribble be able to scribble something? Can some one help with that?

                  What about the very old people who need some help with the pencil?

                  And this is ignoring the fact that a baby obviously cannot understand the implications of voting.

                  Same too with a toddler (most of whom can in fact “hold a pencil”

                  Edit, this is also ignoring the simple fact that children are represented; they simply cannot choose that representation.

                  • MindTraveller@lemmy.ca
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                    3 months ago

                    Utter nonsense. I already feel like I’m surrounded by children in this conversation.

    • michaelmrose@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      No society can raise 1 year olds sufficiently to participate in the political process. Clearly all citizens can’t participate so we in fact DO need to set an age limit. 18 seems pretty reasonable. Do you have a different suggestion?

      • MindTraveller@lemmy.ca
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        3 months ago

        1 year olds should vote if they want to. Most don’t want to, but it’s still important that they have the right.

        It’s like in Life Of Brian. Loretta has the right to have babies even though her body can’t do it.

        • michaelmrose@lemmy.world
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          3 months ago

          1 year olds can’t want to because they are only capable of saying mama or hungry. I’m trying to get you to understand their is a minimum amount of understanding one needs to actually participate.

          • MindTraveller@lemmy.ca
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            3 months ago

            Okay, suppose I buy your argument that we should restrict people’s rights to do things that they already physically cannot do. It seems pointless and absurd, but let’s say I buy your premise.

            Set the voting age to 3, then.

            • michaelmrose@lemmy.world
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              3 months ago

              3 year olds can use 2-3 word sentences, don’t understand people die (on average) or really most anything other than that they like candy and hate bed time. This is again just giving their parents extra votes. Would you like to argue directly for that position?