16 and 17 year olds to vote?

[dougs]

As the population ages they will have more and more power to do what benefits themselves.....it is just reality they will see the world through their eyes. But they will not get to see what they create.

Why not let the youth decide the world they will inherit?

 

[denchomsky]

As the population ages they will have more and more power to do what benefits themselves.....it is just reality they will see the world through their eyes. But they will not get to see what they create.

Why not let the youth decide the world they will inherit?

Because Jay-Z would be the prime minister and Kanye West would be Chancellor of the Exchequer

 

[dougs]

I think you under estimate what youth can do....:

google
facebook

 

[martin-s]

Yeah, because Zuckerberg, Larry and Sergey were all 16/17 while at Stanford and Harvard

At that age you are generally relatively ill informed, crazily idealistic, completely inexperienced, lacking in empathy, unexposed to wisdom and NOT RESPONSIBLE for your way in the world.

 

[bonusmedia]

Give me 'crazy idealism' over destructive cynicism any day

 

[dougs]

16 year old with optimism OR 70 year old cynic.

Scotland allowed 16 and 17 year olds to vote at the referendum

http://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/votes-at-16

 

[EdwinEdwin is verified member.]

Although they may be rebellious at that age, they're also likely to be more willing to listen to experts. If it were up to me I'd give them the vote. After all, you can get married at 16 (albeit with parental permission) and that's a pretty serious undertaking! If they're ready for that, they're ready to vote.

 

[EdwinEdwin is verified member.]

Plus their BS detector will sniff through the lies in a heartbeat.

 

[MurrayMurray is verified member.]

I would go the other way, move it up to 21

 

[bonusmedia]

I'd suggest we bring in an upper limit

 

[dougs]

Over 65 no vote....

 

[grandwizard]

old enough to join the army but not old enough to vote?

 

[EdwinEdwin is verified member.]

I would prefer to see any change in parallel with the requirement to make voting compulsory. There could be an alternative for the really reluctant - say a couple of hours of community service or something - but everyone else HAS to vote.

Perhaps that would foster a new interest in politics since, whatever the result, everyone would "own" a piece of it.

 

[dougs]

When the Greeks started voting it was 18 to death. Generally you died in your 40's when the body died.....but your mind had not become old and cynical

How about 18-50
Or
16 to death

 

[bonusmedia]

I would prefer to see any change in parallel with the requirement to make voting compulsory. There could be an alternative for the really reluctant - say a couple of hours of community service or something - but everyone else HAS to vote.

Perhaps that would foster a new interest in politics since, whatever the result, everyone would "own" a piece of it.

We could cut out the personalities and the tribal loyalties and make people vote directly for (broad) policies - maybe 5-10 options every 5 years. I think a lot of people would be surprised to find out what they're actually voting for

 

[bonusmedia]

When the Greeks started voting it was 18 to death. Generally you died in your 40's when the body died.....but your mind had not become old and cynical

How about 18-50
Or
16 to death

To be fair in Athens only about 10% of people actually got the vote - no women, slaves etc

 

[EdwinEdwin is verified member.]

A lot of countries have respected (yes really) fact/stats checking organisations that vet manifesto commitments by all parties and provide a full "trust level" report.

Maybe there's a need for a cross-party recognised, similarly unimpeachable resource in this country to bust the lies at source.

 

[bonusmedia]

A lot of countries have respected (yes really) fact/stats checking organisations that vet manifesto commitments by all parties and provide a full "trust level" report.

Maybe there's a need for a cross-party recognised, similarly unimpeachable resource in this country to bust the lies at source.

Not sure how you would get people to trust it. Half of leavers believed there was a conspiracy to stop leave winning - people honestly thought MI5 would change their votes if they used a pencil

 

[EdwinEdwin is verified member.]

Not sure how you would get people to trust it. Half of leavers believed there was a conspiracy to stop leave winning - people honestly thought MI5 would change their votes if they used a pencil

If all parties fielding candidates had to sign an undertaking that they would honour its findings, that would pull the rug from under the worst excesses of disinformation.

 

[martin-s]

In the UK, balance should be the role of journalism. I don't think state-sponsored fact provision/verification would be a step forward.

I think you just have to accept that a black/white vote like this is divisive. The less we do it, the better.

Suggesting that older people don't deserve a vote is ridiculous. They have learned the most lessons. In other cultures elders have great respect and I think they deserve it here too.