Wtf ?

warmi · Post by **warmi** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 6:22 pm

http://www.boingboing.net/2008/05/30/st ... -lond.html

What's up with that ?

Post by **betajaen** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 6:35 pm

With the title I was thinking you was referring to "WTF" which is also on Boing Boing.

I am surprised they wasn't questioned though. Considering how the UK is getting these days. Who knows perhaps the police will be dressed as storm troopers one day.

Dodzey · Post by **Dodzey** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 10:55 pm

I am surprised they wasn't questioned though. Considering how the UK is getting these days. Who knows perhaps the police will be dressed as storm troopers one day. Wink

Haha, yeah, especially considering the imitation blaster rifles they were carrying haha...

Post by **betajaen** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 11:16 pm

This is in poor taste but since people registered "Jedi" as a religion in the recent census.

They can finally say to the police/stormtroopers; "These aren't the Chavs your looking for. Move along."

warmi · Post by **warmi** » Wed Jun 04, 2008 2:56 am

What's Chav ?

Just curious ...

PS.

Never mind. Just fund out courtesy of Wikipedia..

Post by **Kojack** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 12:43 pm

In australia, putting your religion on a census form as Jedi is punishable by a $1000 fine.
In england it just results in your religion really being recorded as Other.

nikki · Post by **nikki** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 1:04 pm

That picture reminds me of this:-

PolyVox · Post by **PolyVox** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 5:48 pm

Kojack wrote:In australia, putting your religion on a census form as Jedi is punishable by a $1000 fine.

Seriously?! What's the fine if you put something even more ridiculous, like 'Scientologist'?

warmi · Post by **warmi** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 5:54 pm

Well, in Australia you wil get fined for not voting so you know ... you better be a good citizen or else

Post by **betajaen** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 6:50 pm

warmi wrote:Well, in Australia you wil get fined for not voting so you know

What?

warmi · Post by **warmi** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 7:23 pm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compulsory_voting

Post by **xavier** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 7:48 pm

The idea is for people to take an interest in their government. In reality, what ends up happening is that an inordinate number of muppets vote in an arbitrary and random fashion. It would be even worse here in America, where a large majority of grade school students can't find their own state on an unmarked map...

Post by **betajaen** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 8:41 pm

But isn't the right to vote, to have the right NOT to vote? I didn't vote in the recent council elections because neither candidate for both parties supported my views. Forcing me vote for one or the other by law; isn't democracy.

jjp · Post by **jjp** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 1:21 am

betajaen wrote:But isn't the right to vote, to have the right NOT to vote? I didn't vote in the recent council elections because neither candidate for both parties supported my views. Forcing me vote for one or the other by law; isn't democracy.

I think you are still able to make your vote invalid. Place a cross at every candidate on the ballot or something like that, so it can't be counted. As a democratic election is secret this won't be punishable.

EDIT: by the way I think this is a better way of expressing your oppinion even when voting isn't compulsory. Making your vote invalid explicitly states that you don't agree with any of the parties or candidates. Just not going to the polls could mean you simply don't care.

weshowe · Post by **weshowe** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 2:43 am

betajaen wrote:Forcing me vote for one or the other by law; isn't democracy.

For those that manage the levers of power by giving stuff to people "for free", compulsory voting would certainly help entrench their methods.

In the US, this is the traditional role of the Democrats, although recently it seems like both parties are trying to outbid each other. The Democrats depend on a strong voter turnout (including the dead in Chicago) to win in most elections here.

They are the main opponents of the recently validated requirement by some states that people produce an ID before voting. "Vote early, vote often."

<* Wes *>

zarfius · Post by **zarfius** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 6:04 am

Technically the law in Australia enforces you to get your name marked off a role during an election. What you decide to do with the ballot paper is up to you.

You can also get fined if your current enrolled address is wrong. I'm guessing this is just another way the government tries to keep track of people.

I do have a friend who's nearly 30 and has never voted, he's been fined a few times, I think it's about $50. You'd think that since this guy is often jobless, doesn't have a drivers license and moves around a lot they wouldn't be able to fine him, but we also have CentreLink (the social security / welfare system) in Australia. That keeps people in line.. lol.

It does tend to encourage a lot of "donkey" voting because people don't know or don't care who they are voting for but do it anyway because they think they have too.

It would make more sense for them to just put the ballot paper in the box without writing anything on it if they don't have an opinion.

One of the funniest things is how you can gamble on on elections in Australia. I don't know if you can do that in the US?

Example:
https://www.sportsbet.com.au/sports/eve ... tID/795120