(no subject)

[ebonlock]

Scott at World o' Crap gives us Shorter Jonah Goldberg:

“I have a fresh idea that no one has ever suggested in such detail or with such care before: Let’s have some kind of literacy test at the polling place to keep undesirables from voting!”

Lest you think he's exaggerating the Pantload's latest magnum opus, here's straight from the doughy-one's keyboard:

Maybe the emphasis on getting more people to vote has dumbed-down our democracy by pushing participation onto people uninterested in such things. Maybe our society would be healthier if politicians aimed higher than the lowest common denominator. Maybe the opinions of people who don’t know the first thing about how our system works aren’t the folks who should be driving our politics, just as people who don’t know how to drive shouldn’t have a driver’s license.

Instead of making it easier to vote, maybe we should be making it harder. Why not test people about the basic functions of government? Immigrants have to pass a test to vote; why not all citizens?

Anyone care to wager who'd be creating and administering said tests? Ok, I'd settle for just one question:

The Vice-President is part of which branch of government?

I, for one, am just dying to know the answer.

Comments

[ebongreen.livejournal.com]

The whole notion of citizenship seems to be getting a bit creaky these days, what with international and transcontinental environmental issues, special rendition, and indefinite detention.

What rights and responsibilities to citizens have, again?

I can't be your only reader who hasn't considered the concept of citizenship-by-birth a little antiquated. Citizenship tests for everyone! Mandatory voting! National service hurrah! Use it or lose it, children! ;-)

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

The scary bit about this is addressed by a commenter named Mary who's a public school teacher:

So, Jonah thinks people should pass a civics test in order to vote.

All I could think was, “Gee! Wouldn’t it be great if there was a way to educate every citizen of our country so that they would could pass such a test, no matter their income?” Then I remembered that in the past we did educate our citizens on that very subject; it was called Social Studies and it’s one of the most recent victims of the asinine No Child Left Behind act.

You see, in order to prove proficiency under that act, a school must pass only a reading and math test. No other subject is tested. And schools are in such a panic to make sure their students pass their standardized tests, subjects like Science and Social Studies have been pushed out of the classroom. So if Jonah thinks the current adult population is ignorant of (and therefore disinterested in) politics, wait until the kids now in school come of age. They’ll be so woefully uninformed about their rights and obligations as citizens, they might actually mistake Jonah’s mash note to Jim Crow for a rational alternative to using the schools and media to inform Americans about issues of public importance.

If you didn’t know better, you’d almost think the GOP wants a populace that’s ignorant about the basics of government, and the NCLB delivers exactly that.

[lisa-marli.livejournal.com]

Y'Know? If there was a Civics test for being able to RUN for or be a part of Government I would be Real Pleased. The Entire Bush Administration would FAIL. And that would be a Good Thing. :)

[kirylyn.livejournal.com]

can we also disqualify candidates?

oh, you didn't want to fight in a war? that's ok, that is your right. however, since you do NOT understand what war is about, you can NOT start a war, police action, get those terrorists or anything like that unless YOU PERSONALLY are willing to serve on the front lines. You're too valuable? So are our troops. think about that before you go tossing their lives away like so much crack.

*pants* oh, did I say that out loud??

heck, I wouldn't mind having to take the citizen test before ANYONE, native born or not, can vote.

tho, there are days when I think Mr. Heinlein had the right of it.

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

tho, there are days when I think Mr. Heinlein had the right of it.

I will admit my brain went to Starship Troopers in spite of myself as well ;)

[scoreboard.livejournal.com]

It's a much better book than it gets credit for...mainly because the movie was so. fucking. godawful. And missed 2/3 of the point because Paul Verhof- Verhoe- Paul the Dutch Donkey wanted to make another shining masterpiece on the order of Showgirls or Total Recall. (I'm starting to think he may not have been involved in Robocop at all.)

Meanwhile, the continued existence of Jonah Goldberg reminds me to remind my wife to not skip birth control pills. ;]