Originally Posted by BarkingSpider

Originally Posted by trowel

Originally Posted by DozyBint

Originally Posted by trowel

It is impossible to legislate against apathy.

I don't know about that: if people are forced to attend the voting booth, there will always be those who are deliberately apathetic, but there will always be a proportion who will decide that they might as well find out about the process they're being made to participate in.

How would you punish those that still didn'tbother voting, if you got your wish, and that sort of legislation was introduced?

How would you encourage people to attend and vote?

Who says people have to be punished? Sounds to me like something New labour would come up with.
Perhaps some incentives could be worked out instead of punishment.
Service guarantees citizenship?

Service guarentees citizenship? In order for this to be fair, then service must be open to all. Could the country cope with a huge percentage of its school leavers in service? Who would then go to university, farm, sweep the roads, stack shelves or work in sewage farms. In fact, are they not also serving?

Remember the WWII saying that goes something like - they also serve who sit and wait.

Originally Posted by BarkingSpider

Originally Posted by trowel

Originally Posted by DozyBint

Originally Posted by trowel

It is impossible to legislate against apathy.

I don't know about that: if people are forced to attend the voting booth, there will always be those who are deliberately apathetic, but there will always be a proportion who will decide that they might as well find out about the process they're being made to participate in.

How would you punish those that still didn'tbother voting, if you got your wish, and that sort of legislation was introduced?

How would you encourage people to attend and vote?

Who says people have to be punished? Sounds to me like something New labour would come up with.
Perhaps some incentives could be worked out instead of punishment.
Service guarantees citizenship?

Barking, read Dozies post. How would you force people to vote?

In Australia its a $50 fine if you don't vote!

Nobody tell Brown

Originally Posted by albimangles

In Australia its a $50 fine if you don't vote!

Nobody tell Brown

What happensif you don't pay the fine?

Looks like another low turnout, just how low does it have to get before something is done? What is needed is a way to encourage the average person to vote again because it is the best way to counteract the extremist vote.

Your definition of an extremist vote might just differ from mine. Twelve years of crap and spin, you probably can't see these, but it's my back teeth. Yes I'm sick up to them.
Now we are going to have more of the same with 'the young lad cameron'
More spin and lies. Policy, what policy, don,t worry I'll just Cuff it.
It makes my blood boil, I can't wait till you experience the delights of multi-cultarism.

SW England else has just declared, Labour currently in 3rd place behind Con & UKIP!

Originally Posted by trowel

Originally Posted by albimangles

In Australia its a $50 fine if you don't vote!

Nobody tell Brown

What happensif you don't pay the fine?

They take you for a long walk in the bush.

Originally Posted by Whet

Originally Posted by BarkingSpider

Originally Posted by trowel

Originally Posted by DozyBint

Originally Posted by trowel

It is impossible to legislate against apathy.

I don't know about that: if people are forced to attend the voting booth, there will always be those who are deliberately apathetic, but there will always be a proportion who will decide that they might as well find out about the process they're being made to participate in.

How would you punish those that still didn'tbother voting, if you got your wish, and that sort of legislation was introduced?

How would you encourage people to attend and vote?

Who says people have to be punished? Sounds to me like something New labour would come up with.
Perhaps some incentives could be worked out instead of punishment.
Service guarantees citizenship?

Service guarentees citizenship? In order for this to be fair, then service must be open to all. Could the country cope with a huge percentage of its school leavers in service? Who would then go to university, farm, sweep the roads, stack shelves or work in sewage farms. In fact, are they not also serving?

Remember the WWII saying that goes something like - they also serve who sit and wait.

That was a throw away remark. How about citizenship guarantees service. And not in the way that the 'Starship troopers' film meant.
More like JFK and his "Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country". Encourage some civic bl00dy pride in people and it will reap rewards. Ask anyone who's joined up what a little more pride does for you as a person.
I for one am proud of my right to vote. How did I get that way of thinking instilled in me? Not by sitting on my arrse on the dole with little prospects for the future caught in the work/benefits trap. No wonder most people don't want to vote. They don't see it will affect their position one bit as they're trapped.

Other incentives could be worked out. Imagine the attendance if income tax deductions were on the table. Or council tax rebates, or reduced road tax for your vehicle. A huge amount of money is spent publicising the elections, use some of that in a different way to encourage the voter in.

Originally Posted by hairyarse2

Looks like another low turnout, just how low does it have to get before something is done? What is needed is a way to encourage the average person to vote again because it is the best way to counteract the extremist vote.

Your definition of an extremist vote might just differ from mine. Twelve years of crap and spin, you probably can't see these, but it's my back teeth. Yes I'm sick up to them.
Now we are going to have more of the same with 'the young lad cameron'
More spin and lies. Policy, what policy, don,t worry I'll just Cuff it.
It makes my blood boil, I can't wait till you experience the delights of multi-cultarism.

I already am - and it's quite nice. For instance, just this afternoon I started on the making of 12 pints of curry sauce. A couple of months ago I went to a concert by Jonny Silvo - a caribbean artist.

Multi-culturism, the way forward.

I wonder how many people who are frustrated with the main stream parties, Labour, education, police, crime etc, are frustrated through personal experience, or is it because the newspaper they read tells them that they should be.