this post was submitted on 14 Sep 2024
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Showerthoughts

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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. A showerthought should offer a unique perspective on an ordinary part of life.

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[–] [email protected] 241 points 2 months ago (28 children)

Third parties are mathematically impossible until we ditch first past the post voting:

https://youtu.be/s7tWHJfhiyo

We need our vote to be a list, not a checkbox.

[–] bradinutah 47 points 2 months ago (6 children)

This is the way. It is possible and unlikely to have a third party win under the right conditions, like with how the Republican Party became a national party after Lincoln was elected as a third party candidate. But ultimately there will always only be two parties with the outdated FPTP voting method. If only George Washington knew about and pushed for a better voting system than FPTP.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 2 months ago (3 children)

I don't think they really existed yet in his era. You've got to remember that Australia, a much younger country, invented the secret ballot. It was known as the "Australian Ballot" for a long time.

[–] bradinutah 8 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Better systems existed but to your point, they were not well known.

Leaders today, with access to Wikipedia if not researchers with Nobel prizes, do NOT have this excuse.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 months ago

Well yes, obviously. The issue with today is that the incumbency of the system makes it hard to change

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