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wbw
climber
'cross the great divide
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"Many of our founding fathers were concerned about democracy and voting, they feared that uneducated, poor people may vote only in their self interest and not that of society as whole. When I see Sarah Palin, Nancy Pelosi, Gavin Newson, Rand Paul and Barak Obama in office, I understand their fears and want to insist on a basic voter competency test."
Fattrad, we have a basic voter competency test in the USA. It's called a high school diploma, and it's based on the free public education that is so important to our democracy. Many poor countries around the world don't have this basic and minimal standard for educating their population, and it's one reason democracy simply will not work in some countries.
Wait: you Republicans would like to dismantle public education, or at least farm it out to private organizations . . .
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Brandon-
climber
Done With Tobacco
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Fattrad, we have a basic voter competency test in the USA. It's called a high school diploma
Huh? Since when was a HS diploma a mandate for voter registration?
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 8, 2011 - 04:21pm PT
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I agree.
No such requirement.
(good thing for me I got one in the mail just in case,..)
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Anastasia
climber
hanging from an ice pic and missing my mama.
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Gary
climber
Desolation Basin, Calif.
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"Many of our founding fathers were concerned about democracy and voting, they feared that uneducated, poor people may vote only in their self interest and not that of society as whole. When I see Sarah Palin, Nancy Pelosi, Gavin Newson, Rand Paul and Barak Obama in office, I understand their fears and want to insist on a basic voter competency test."
The opposite seems to be the case in reality. Uneducated, poor people in the USA vote in the interests of the rich and against their own self-interest. So it goes.
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wbw
climber
'cross the great divide
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I'm just saying that if you think our voters are misinformed, go to a place like Peru. Alan Garcia was the president during the 80's; during the time when the economy tanked and the Sendero Luminoso terrorized the country. (It took a ruthless near-dictator to return the country to a semblance of stability.) When I first started going to Peru, most people seemed to think Garcia was a disaster, but then they voted him back into office just a few years ago. Go figure, but everyone in Peru that I know acknowledges that the public school system is totally ineffective in educating its citizens.
You're right Fattrad. The fact that Sarah Palin got voted into any office is a symptom of something that is very wrong with our society.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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wbw,
I have to agree with you. I just spent a month in Argentina and it is really
sad to see how the Peronists have pulled the wool over the eyes of their
erswhile constituency - Evita's Humildes (humble ones). The Peronists are
really good at doing just enough to make it seem they are helping but in
reality they probably spend more on propaganda than they do helping. You
see signs like this everywhere but in reality the stuff often does not get built.
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
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"Many of our founding fathers were concerned about democracy and voting, they feared that uneducated, poor people may vote only in their self interest and not that of society as whole. When I see Sarah Palin, Nancy Pelosi, Gavin Newson, Rand Paul and Barak Obama in office, I understand their fears and want to insist on a basic voter competency test."
I would tend to agree with Fatty on this. Only tax-payers vote? No welfare-recipients (voting for more handouts)?, H.S. diploma holders (or equivalent)?
All of the above? I dunno.
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
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bluey, wbw,
Thank you for agreeing with me on this important issue.
Good luck implementing it in this current system. Both parties want idiots to vote for them.
It can happen. It won't be easy though.
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pud
climber
Sportbikeville & Yucca brevifolia
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It's sad to see this happen to another human being, wealthy or not.
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
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It's sad to see this happen to another human being, wealthy or not.
I agree. But his anger at the world is troubling. I wish the best for him. But I thing he's gone. His dad has a responsibility to intervene, and so does his bro, Emilio.
I have a feeling he brushed them off. I used to be close to his scene. You are right, and your family is wrong.
Sad.
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landcruiserbob
Trad climber
BIG ISLAND or Vail ; just following the sun.......
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Dead man walking but he's having fun.
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Anastasia
climber
hanging from an ice pic and missing my mama.
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He appears to be suffering from a mental illness and his self medication is not helping.
I think what's so hard is having so many people willing and wanting to help him and... Seeing so many people encouraging him to self destruct.
If he was your loved one, what could you do? How many have seen this in others, people they loved and couldn't help?
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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He'll either die or resurface as a rehabed evangelical.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 9, 2011 - 09:52am PT
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Did you catch last night?
The Malibu Messiah?
This is a slow motion train wreck, but I think that there are still lots of boxcars headed down the hill to the break in the tracks.
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Chaz
Trad climber
greater Boss Angeles area
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I figured out who he reminds me of.
Bill Murray doing H.S.Thompson in "Where The Buffalo Roam".
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 9, 2011 - 12:20pm PT
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The Hunter Thompson train wreck lasted a good many (highly entertaining if nonetheless tragic) years also, right?
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High Fructose Corn Spirit
Gym climber
Full Silos of Iowa
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Anyone mention the dreaded 5150 yet? Charlie better cool his rhetoric - even if it is just acting - or some attention-seeking judge somewhere is going to slap one on him.
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Anastasia
climber
hanging from an ice pic and missing my mama.
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He sounds like a high school student that just discovered how to use the dictionary and random graphic images in his writings/speech to appear intelligent.(I usually get stuff like this from goths.) It leaves people speechless because there is no real connection, no real subject there you can respond to. It's really just self serving rambling.
He must be listening to the Cure.
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