Vote or pay $20
I'm doing a radio show about Australia's new left-wing government on Tuesday night at 9:00 pm PST. It was a stunning defeat of another Bush ally. The new Prime Minister Kevin Rudd promises to ratify Kyoto and pull Australia's combat troops out of Iraq.
I'm doing research and just found this Washington Post article. What would happen if the U.S. had compulsory voting?
It certainly helped that in Australia, there's no choice when it comes to voting, either; it's compulsory. So rather than be fined $20, about 95 percent of Australians turned out on Election Day. It also helps that our elections are always on a Saturday and the sausage sandwiches served off hot plates set up in the parking lots are pretty tasty. We also have only one kind of ballot for the whole country, instead of ! leaving the design to state or local governments (Florida, you listening back there?). Because everyone has to vote, there's no need to spend a billion dollars to inflame passions and divide the electorate just so that people will pick a side and care enough to fill in a ballot come November.
posted by storiesinamerica @ 11:22 PM
1 comments
1 Comments:
Australia will export millions of tons of coal and metal ores to China for billions of dollars in income. China will use their exemption from Kyoto to pollute the entire world without restriction using Australia's toxic raw materials. Australia is simply exporting their pollution just like the western world has done for decades to escape pollution laws. Australia pats itself on the back and holds itself up as environmental friendly when they are deceiving themselves and the world. Their next step in grandstanding will be to publicly condemn the U.S. for not signing the treaty.
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