Germany considers giving kids the vote

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/world/story/0,4386,218393,00.html

BERLIN - The one-man-one-vote system could be modified in Germany to give parents an additional vote for their children if some leading German MPs have their way.

Allowing parents to vote for their children will act as a counter weight to the power of the elderly.
The proposal to give parents a proxy vote for their children to counter the rising power of the elderly lobby is similar to an idea mooted by Singapore's Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew in the early 1990s, but which was never taken up.

Concerned that politicians would be increasingly beholden to the demands of the rapidly swelling ranks of the retired, some Germans have taken the idea of universal suffrage to its logical conclusion.

They want children to have the right to vote to counter-balance the fast ageing electorate that is resisting cuts to generous benefits.
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[PartyPooper]

1. That's ridiculous!

Don't give the Republican fascists in Amerika any more ideas!

[Judi Lynn]

2. Oh, great.

Children are easily impressed and swayed by emotional stories, not disciplined enough to realize you need to ask questions, and think things over before making important decisions. Not too much is given in propaganda-driven election campaigns. It takes a special effort to see behind the images. Children can't manage it.

There'll be a tidal wave of right-wing voters. Terrific.

[Kitsune]

3. The children aren't getting the vote.

Their parents would get an extra vote for every kid, or at least that how I read it.

[tom_paine]

20. That's still crazy.

One adult, one vote.

This gives unfair advantage to proclivisitic (is that a word) parents...

[Darranar]

7. Please don't generalize...

there are plenty of children who can tell the difference between truth and propaganda.

And there are plenty of adults who can't.

Of course, this measure calls for letting parents vote for their children, not letting children vote...

[Cronus Protagonist]

4. Reminds me of the US early years - 3/5th of a vote for every slave

Why is it that everything seems to be going backwards these days?

Click Here To See Fair & Balanced Buttons, Stickers & Magnets

[colorado_ufo]

9. Wow! I hadn't thought about that in years -

thanks for the reminder, Cronus. We need to remember the past to direct the future.

[alwynsw]

12. See what happens when I go to bed early!

You stated my thoughts precisely.

I can hear it now. "Well, Bubba, let's just breed our way into the White House."

[Dirk39]

5. Demagogic stupidity from the neoliberals...

as esp. the social democrats do experience the biggest loose of support and voters ever, they try to win people back with a soap-opera of social responsibility. The goal is to turn away people from their complete surrender to germans global players. If only this little errand boy for VW, Schröder, would be pushed to go back to kindergarten.
They use children and "family values" just like the right-wingers always did from Stalin to Hitler to Bush and back.
If only all these people, who understand as much as 6 years old children, would be excluded from voting...
Greetings from Germany,
Dirk

[Liberal Veteran]

6. Ludicrous idea....

I can't imagine why a childless adult should have a less of a say in the nation than person with a child.

[Zhade]

21. Indeed! Where's the equality in a situation like this?

One legal-age voter, one vote, period! At least here in the U.S. - I can't presume to dictate other countries' laws.

Bad idea, though. Bad, and just plain stupid. IMNSHO, of course! :D

[SomeAreSalt]

8. resisting cuts to generous benefits

Why cut benefits? Isn't that against the rule of socialism?

[truthisfreedom]

10. where does the logic end? what of the grandparents? why shouldn't they

have a share in their grandkid's votes, especially if the grandkids stay with them as daycare or they live in their kid's houses and watch the grandkids?

[durutti]

11. Working & Voting

If you're under 18 and you work, I think you should be able to vote.

[Kellanved]

13. This is news? hardly

I wonder why it made the international press today.

It was discussed months ago and had no relevance whatsoever. It found nothing close to a majority.

[zwielicht]

14. the same thing is discussed here in austria

it came up again just today, and the problem is: here they are serious about it! and with the nearly absolute power the stupid austrian people have given to the christian conservative party, they would really be able to do it.

i strongly support lowering the minimum voting age, but this is just a project about how to get the conservatives even more votes. i think there would be very few parents really voting as their children would want them to - i remember in my youth i always had different opions than them. the list of supporters for this plan says it all: bishops, extreme right-wingers, the old emperor family,.. i wonder when they will want men to vote for their wifes...

btw: hi du :hi:

and please: recall arnie!

[newyawker99]

19. Hi zwielicht!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Festivito]

15. If a kid wants to vote and asks, he should be allowed to vote.

We'll let him soldier at 16 and younger, should let them vote too.

We they realize enough to ask, they're probably better voters than the family partisan voters in their 60's.

Certainly if the kid is in the military.

[yellowcanine]

16. Ronnie Reagan's Welfare Moms take over?

If we get this in the U.S. does that mean all of Ronnie Reagan's Welfare Moms will take over the country? After all, if they get a vote for each kid, that will be an incentive for them to have more kids and launch referendums to vote themselves nice fat pay raises from the public treasury. I can see the slogan already - "Breed one for the Gipper!"

[Ouabache]

17. Does Dan Burton get an extra vote

for his illegitimate kid he supports? Does he get to vote it in the precinct where the kid lives or in his own precinct?

[yellowcanine]

18. Do the dogs of senior citizens count?

Some senior citizens treat their dogs like children. Shouldn't they get a vote for them? We would of course have to establish procedures to determine how the dogs wanted to vote, as I doubt that we could teach a dog how to use a touch screen.