Eugine_Nier comments on Open thread for December 17-23, 2013 - Less Wrong

5 Post author: ciphergoth 17 December 2013 08:45PM

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Comment author: ygert 23 December 2013 03:26:05PM *  4 points [-]

If I had to guess, I'd say that as Konkvistador is against democracy and voting in general, he wants voting rights to be denied to everyone, and as such, starting with 51% of the population is a good step in that direction.

Am I correct, or is there something more?

Comment author: Eugine_Nier 26 December 2013 12:26:05AM 1 point [-]

If you stop thinking of democracy as sacred and start seeing letting various groups vote as a utility calculation, one starts looking at questions like how various groups vote, how politicians attempt to appeal to them, and what effect this has on the way the country winds up being governed.

Comment author: fubarobfusco 26 December 2013 02:36:43PM 1 point [-]

Don't forget to consider what sorts of political expression are available to those who are not allowed the vote.

Comment author: [deleted] 03 January 2014 01:40:51PM 1 point [-]

Sure, but I'd guess voting patterns vary much more with age, education, and income than with gender.

Comment author: Eugine_Nier 04 January 2014 03:23:12AM -1 points [-]

It's not just a question of whether they vary, it's whether they vary in a way that systematically correlates with better (or worse) decisions. Also there are Campbell's law considerations.

Comment author: [deleted] 04 January 2014 09:50:34AM 1 point [-]

I think my point still stands.

Comment author: Eugine_Nier 08 January 2014 04:49:58AM 0 points [-]

Well, education is subject to Campbell's law, but I suspect Konkvistador wouldn't object to raising the voting age, or imposing income requirements.

Comment author: pragmatist 31 December 2013 11:57:56AM *  -1 points [-]

Another strike against utilitarianism! One person's modus ponens is another person's modus tollens.