tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26355184.post5962880274920060416..comments2023-09-30T06:54:52.118-06:00Comments on BeaKeR's Brain: Politics ReformUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26355184.post-19998089158934056052006-10-16T09:37:00.000-06:002006-10-16T09:37:00.000-06:00Home sick for 2 days last week, so I had plenty of...Home sick for 2 days last week, so I had plenty of bedtime thinking. I thought more about the downside of not getting the identity of the candidates, and it seemed along the same lines as internet marriages. The reason online dating works is that it is dating, without commitment. Electing officials based soley on what is "posted" for public viewing under the regulations is scary business. (Not to mention Tim's statement about anonymity's impossibilities.) Anyway, it is way easier to criticize ideas than it is to come up with new ones, so I commend you for wanting change in the first place.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26355184.post-44886562930914549162006-10-13T20:09:00.000-06:002006-10-13T20:09:00.000-06:00The biggest problem I see is that anonymity is imp...The biggest problem I see is that anonymity is impossible in our society. Car and Driver always gets pictures of cars that are still under wraps, right? And movie stars can't blink an eye without a camera there to catch that moment. The amount of pressure that news organizations would place on trying to figure out candidates identities will virtually guarantee that every candidate would end up getting disqualified!<br /><br />I suppose I'm supposed to say something about mashed taters now, but I'm afraid I'm not quite up to speed on this one. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26355184.post-16956550469446511332006-10-11T13:40:00.000-06:002006-10-11T13:40:00.000-06:00I think trying to keep the anonymity is not as int...I think trying to keep the anonymity is not as intrusive as it is promoting lying. In this proposed system the consequences for exposure is being thrown out of the race. How does one explain the time consumption needed to be a candidate without exposing his/her/it's identity? Should we really be encouraging lies as an improvement to the political process?<br />As for the mashed taters, I couldn't resist the jab either. Sorry to jump on the inside joke, mashed potatoes are serious business in my kitchen too. I dare any guy to challenge my taters. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26355184.post-32665348403952010692006-10-11T13:08:00.000-06:002006-10-11T13:08:00.000-06:00That's the problem with late night brainstorms -- ...That's the problem with late night brainstorms -- they don't usually make sense in the morning. Nonetheless, I like a good debate, so here goes...<br /><br />@Gordon: Are you trying to imply that politicians don't already say whatever they think voters want to hear? I don't see that there's any way anonymity could increase that -- I think they've already hit the limits on pandering. <br />Also, there's no reason that you couldn't reveal identities after the election was over. So you'd still have a complete record of what was said, if you really think that matters.<br /><br />I wouldn't envision this as a 2-party or 30-party system, but rather a party-less system.<br /><br />@Nicki:<br />I would imagine the early stages of the race to be pretty benign. It's just when you get down to smallish (10? 20?) numbers of candidates that it would become really intrusive. Still, is running for office any worse than that now? <br /><br />The lack of prior history is troubling. Perhaps it would be possible to write up sanitized versions of each candidates history, although that would be tough if they have things like "Governor of California" on it. <br /><br />There are definitely some practical problems here, but then there are some practical problems in the existing system too...<br /><br /><br />The whole mashed-potato thing is kind of an inside joke. I don't believe Wendy is in any sort of competition with Mom, but she is absolutely fanatical about her potatoes in general, and mashed taters in particular. I just couldn't resist the jab :)BKRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11533530433043350457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26355184.post-67544040200544178222006-10-11T12:31:00.000-06:002006-10-11T12:31:00.000-06:00Gee, you do some pretty heavy late night thinking....Gee, you do some pretty heavy late night thinking. How could anonymity possibly work in our society? Not to mention deciding to enter the race would be kind of like entering the witness protection program. Keeping secrets has never been our strong suit. I also have issues with electing people when we have no history on them. Instead of their looks or political/<br />ethical/ military/ voting background we would be electing leaders based on whoever funded the best essay writers. (okay so that element already exists in our system, but now we wouldn't be able to make fun of the candidates as easily). This political system sounds very socialist - in that it looks good on paper, but cannot succeed in our corrupted world.<br />Instead of this crazy thinking, your time might be better spent teaching Wendy how to master those mashed potatoes. Isn't it universally accepted that all women have no greater hope in this world than cook as good as their man's mother?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26355184.post-71240810727849657472006-10-11T09:54:00.000-06:002006-10-11T09:54:00.000-06:00Bad idea, I think. Identity has its disadvantages...Bad idea, I think. Identity has its disadvantages, but anonymity makes it too easy to game the system. Now you're relying on the candidates' statements, so the candidate's free to say whatever they think voters want to hear, whereas candidates who've established a reputation now need to explain their previous position. <br />I do think the 2-party system is extremely pernicious, though. I'm not sure I want the 30 party model either, but there has to be a more happy medium. However, I think this is a function of operating as a republic. Multiparty systems seem to function well only in parliamentary systems where a small party can use the coalition building system to excercise power.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com