Government by age.

Discussion in 'General' started by t1x1k, Mar 6, 2009.

  1. Just pondering something after smoking a nice fat J.

    The Board of Education doesn't know what's best for the kids at their local high school. They come up with ideas like random drug testing and say "Hmm, this policy will help our youth!"

    I'm sorry, but a bunch of 50 - 70 year old grandparents don't know what's best for people 50 years younger than them. The world changes so much in 50 years, how could they?

    The state government bans the use of marijuana. These old people went to college for many years to become politicians, and I respect that. They wouldn't smoke weed, it's not who they are. Some people grew up in households where life is about school and grades as a youth, and a respectable job as an adult and I respect that.

    Not every American grew up that way, so why do these people dictate the entire country?

    Government by age. Obviously I'm speaking from a hypothetical angle, but wouldn't it be neat if there was leaders of age groups, instead of regions. There's a government for people aged 18 - 23, 24 - 30, 31 - 45, 45 - 55, 56 +. These governments are led by people of the highest age in the category.

    This way, lives would be controlled (for lack of a better term) by people who could relate to the feelings and opinions of the majority of a certain age group.

    I'm ready for a million reasons why this wouldn't work, but i dont care I'm stoned and in a thinking mood.
     
  2. #2 Peppie, Mar 6, 2009
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 6, 2009
    One of the worst things that's happened in American history is career politicians. (I'm looking directly at you Ted Kennedy).

    These leeches just sit in office and get out of touch with the people who elected them. I would like to limit the term of reps and senators to two (4 years each), just like the President. The house and senate never get anything done except raising their own salaries, which seems to be the only thing they can agree on.

    Seriously, the reason corruption and bad laws get passed is because the politicians are so locked up in DC with power that they lose touch of what it's like to have to wait in line like their voters do.
     
  3. Im sorry but im 22 years old and I would not want someone with my lack of experience, governing a large group of people. You might think you know everything the day you turn 18, but in all reality you know very little of the way the world works.
     
  4. All we need an open-minded tyrant. :p
     
  5. Horrible, horrible idea.

    The problem of today's government isn't solely with government itself; rather, I believe a larger problem is that young adults don't vote. No politician worth his salt is going to occupy himself with making happy the demographic that doesn't even bother to vote to keep him in office when he does make them happy. Politicians don't give a shit about young adults because young adults don't give a shit about politicians.

    If you were a politician, and you chose that profession for a career (which is not a problem, as long as you're in the career for the right reasons), you would be VERY concerned with making happy your constituency, because it's the public who vote who got you your job, and it is the same public that keep you in your job. They keep you there because you did what you were supposed to do to keep them happy.

    Now, if you're a politician who is more ideals than brains, you'll pander to the young adults who don't vote. Since the young adults have different ideals than older adults, the older adults won't vote for you. If the older adults aren't voting for you, essentially NOBODY is voting for you. If nobody's voting for you, you're fired. Doesn't seem like a very good idea, does it?

    Now, as far as your idea of different governments for different ages, there is a reason there is an age requirement to serve in public elected office. Most importantly is wisdom. As I get older (and I'm only 23!), I notice more and more just how idiotic, asinine, and ignorant we all are as young adults. We make stupid, stupid decisions, make the same mistakes over and over, and have this retarded idea that we're really a lot wiser than the adults make us out to be. As you get older you see just how little you knew back then. As such, it would probably be a bad idea for ANY 18-23 year old to be in elected office, even if it's only over other 18-23 year olds. Think of how much of a dick you'd be if you had that kind of power at such a young age. Show me an 18-23 year old who can handle power like that, and I'll show you someone who is one in a million.

    In addition to the problem of young people in power, there is the additional problem of having not only separate branches of the Federal govt, but also separate branches of State governments, and local governments, PLUS different governments just because your age is different.

    Furthermore, as we all know, age is hardly a reliable measurement of maturity or wisdom. We'd likely end up with Paris Hilton as President of the 18-23 Year Olds of America (sounds retarded, huh) if we split up the ages like you said.

    Yes, I know there are people like this guy, but that is serving on a VERY small scale. I actually encourage things like that, because the more people we have serving the public at a younger age, the more likely it is for younger people to actually care enough to vote. It also encourages others to follow in those footsteps.

    While I agree that it sucks that a bunch of old fogeys are running the country, that's just how it is. If young adults voted more, that might change. As long as we sit around and say "Why should I vote, my vote doesn't matter/count because the old guys will still win," we will continue to have old guys in office.

    Wanna really make a difference? Vote, write your representatives, and get your lazyass friends to do the same. Get them to get their other lazyass friends to join, and now you've got a kind of grassroots movement to get younger people in office.
     
  6. I 2nd this motion, and vote for me.
     
  7. How do these people stay in office if they're so "out of touch with the people who elected them?" If they were truly out of touch with their constituencies, they wouldn't be re-elected. I think the problem is that you feel they're out of touch with YOU, which is entirely possible. That doesn't mean they're not doing their jobs, and it doesn't mean they're failing their constituencies. It just means your vote is less meaningful because it doesn't matter who the vote comes from, it matters only how many votes there are. Obviously there weren't enough young people who give enough of a shit to vote Ted Kennedy out of office, or there were just enough people who voted him to stay in office to keep him there. Either way, that's exactly how the system works, and I can't say you can blame the system.

    This is supposed to be a government of, by and for the people. If the people aren't getting involved, that's their own damn fault.
     
  8. Voting may be necessary step, but I just feel people who become politicians are from a certain demographic that does not represent the entire country. And I think that after being a politician for 40 years, yes, their wisdom is very plentiful. But they have lost touch with a large percentage of the world, being surrounded by politicians all the time and I would imagine you become a certain way. Voting is very important, but how many times have you picked the lesser of two evils in a candidate, instead of a candidate who related to you on a personal level.
     

  9. Why is it that everyone under 25 thinks that they are so much smarter than anyone else? Those "grandparents" are the people who worked to build this country and fought to protect the freedoms that you so richly enjoy.

    What you are challenging is the very role of parenthood, which has been the bedrock of society since the beginning of time.

    Who has better judgement, a 50 year old, or a 15 year old?
     

  10. A 50 year old has better judgement.

    Who has a better understanding of what the world is TODAY and TOMORROW, a 70 year old whos held the same job for 45 years and has completely lost touch with all youth, or a 25 year old?
     

  11. The fact of the matter is that a 25 year old is far too immature and lacking in life experience to govern a large group of people. Sorry dude. The average young adult is mainly in the mindset of pussy, partying, and the pursuit of pleasure. That's not someone I want meddling with our goverment infrastructure. I garauntee you if we all let a bunch of young adults try and run a nation it would crash and burn in a matter of months.
     
  12. #12 Deutschbag, Mar 7, 2009
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 7, 2009
    People in our age group need to become educated about how our government works. Our country as a whole does not have a basic understanding of civics. They need to realize how politics really effects us. People just need to become educated about of government, because in the end, the ignorant public will be our demise.


    BTW our youngest member of Congress is 27.

    http://wcbstv.com/politics/aaron.schock.congress.2.901080.html
     
  13. Random drug testing in school is unconstitutional.

    I'm glad I'm taking AP Government right now, I'm learning so much about how our government works and how messed up it is.

    Governing by age group is a bad idea as well. The problem is people don't think they can make a difference.

    I bet you we could freeze the country if everyone who works just went outside and started revolting for change in the streets. CEOs and businesses executives wouldn't know what to do and they'd start panicking.

    I'm telling you, we have enough power to make the government's momentum shift. It's just that people are too scared to revolt. The FOUNDING FATHERS were down with the idea of straight up revolution and said that when governments get too much power, it's the people's duty and privilege to revolt against the system.

    We might as well just hope for the best.

    Months? How about weeks?
     

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