I admit it. I’m skeptical of democracy. Voters have natural biases, lack information, and simply don’t care enough due to their rational ignorance to make informed decisions much of the time. That doesn’t mean that voting is bad; it’s just that I trust markets where businesses and consumers have some skin in the game and an incentive to research their purchase/sale more.
But some seem to thrive on ignorant voters. Take the controversy over elimination of straight ticket voting. It is amazing that this is such a big deal. If someone is a Democrat and they really support Democrats, one would think that they can muster up the will to fill in the circles for their preferred candidates. Same thing with the Republicans.
But, some Democrats have expressed “outrage” that straight ticket voting has been eliminated. Obviously, you can still vote all “D” or all “R,” just not by filling in one circle. Talk about lazy! And we rely on these supposedly informed and intelligent voters to elect people to wield the monopoly on violence known as the state….
The first squeal of “OUTRAGE” should always be viewed as the first sign of positive movement…and the first step to unravel some group’s destructive monopoly.
It’s telling that Democrats are the one’s squealing “outrage”. It says quite a bit about their own fears in relation to their own monopoly on violence. Why are there not similar squeals from Republicans? Presumably, there should be.
Perhaps those who currently find themselves “outraged”, can continue to take some comfort in the fact that there are and will always be plenty of folks out there for whom “part affiliation”, and similar irrational biases are all that matters…and damn all other relevant facts!
It’s shocking that even amongst relatively intelligent and educated people that completely irrational biases remain prevalent and unwavering…let’s call it “the miracle of irrational and selective ignorance”.
As 37 states NOW do not have straight ticket voting, New Mexico is just recognizing the obvious.
Ignore the outrage as it will pass very quickly.