RE: "GOVLOT", $100,000,000 Get Out the Vote Lottery

[Adam.Stokes@xxxxxxxxxxx]

John.
No doubt that it is desirable for everyone to have their say in terms of who
should lead the country into an unknown future (hopefully with a plan).
However, I doubt that compulsory voting has compelled
governments/polititians to heed the identifiable social needs here in
Australia.  Democracy is not a system of one man one vote per se simply
because powerful persons and groups have a skewed influence on government
policy through ideology.  Elections are merely a means to gain political
office. The influece of the majority is only indicative of $$ spent in a
marginal seat.  Voting is rarely are able to influence ideologies.  This is
why Australian governments across the political spectrum have pursued an
economic rationalist agenda for the past two decades.  This said, I will
admit that in the end ideology is nothing more than the belief in different
means to reach known and agreed ends. However, I feel that sometimes, even
the ends are a matter of dispute.

-----Original Message-----
From: John Gelles [mailto:jjgelles@xxxxxxxx]
Sent: Tuesday, 26 September 2000 14:38
To: Post Keynesian Thought
Cc: Cyberspace Society
Subject: "GOVLOT", $100,000,000 Get Out the Vote Lottery


    "GOVLOT", $100,000,000 Get Out the Vote Lottery

    Admit it or not, like the belief among conservatives that
    laissez faire automatically optimizes a political economy,
    Keyneisian thought looks to mechanistic concepts, (such
    as employer of last resort, soft currency economics, buffer
    stock employment, citizens income, inflation protected
    money, individual estate account, taxing fixed not vartialbe
    costs, etc.) to also optimize political economy without need
    of geniuses in charge, once their system is installed.

    After 16 years of obsession with my Keynesian mechanism,
    I've come to a new and different thought. If we want a self-
    correcting political economy we do not need money reform
    first. Money reform can follow a more important political
    reform.

    If the poor can be got to vote, democracy will be far more
    self-correcting than it now is.

    Toward this end -- Australia uses a fine for not voting.

    America needs a big-win lottery as reward for voting.

    With a free lottery ticket and, say a $100,000,000
    payout to a single winner, we might get more than 90% of
    the poor to vote. If they did not, we at least might wean
    them permanently away from other lotteries.

    The payout could come from ticket sales allowed -- if
    you voted -- and wanted a second ticket.

    Details can be read on my site.


        John Gelles
         email    1944@xxxxxxxx

             url    http://www.1944.org
                     http://www.1944.org/whatsnew.htm

                     http://www.1944.org/lottery.htm