veterans= ‘citizens’ (who were veterans)
You don’t earn rights. That’s what makes them inalienable.
Requiring ID to vote would be a start.
Requiring paying taxes to vote would be a good start.
In today’s world, the problem would be to find anyone not fighting for the bugs.
Not all veterans were citizens. Some were, at least theoretically washed out, or court marshaled. They would be veterans, but not citizens.
Starship Troopers’ world also restricted certain jobs to citizens (such as teachers of moral history) and the Sky Marshal had to be both a veteran of the Mobile Infantry and what ever it was they called the space navy.
Heinlein didn’t have much of an argument for that system. He said that first, it worked. (at least in that fictional government). After that there was a ‘fitting’ argument.
I was issued my M-14 when I was 17.
The left truly wants “national service” so that they can complete the shaping of the minds of the young, and steer them into a lifetime of activism.
Heinlein made it plain that it was the act of volunteering for service that qualified one for the status. The type of service was not the choice of the volunteer. That was chosen by the government according to the ability of the volunteer. If one were blind, deaf, and a paraplegic, they’d find something appropriate for that volunteer to do. . . perhaps mattress testing for the military. It still counted toward service and gaining the franchise.
People in service COULD NOT VOTE or hold office, contrary to what that idiotic movie depicted. Only after leaving service could one vote or run for office.
My bumper sticker say: Only Taxpayers Should Be Allowed To Vote
Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!
Heinlein’s novel both encouraged and reinforced my decision to join the Army right out of high school. I’ve read the novel closely at three different points in my life and I learned something new every time I read it.
I agree with the article’s author that Heinlein made it abundantly clear that you didn’t have to be a combat veteran—nor even a member of the armed services—to receive the franchise. And more than that, you didn’t receive the franchise until you were honorably discharged or retired from Federal Service. So, while you were in, no vote, no matter your length of service or pay grade.
There were times when I thought such a system would work in our country. Basically, if you want the authority to make important decisions, you had to have prove that you are capable and responsible to make them. No free lunches. You have to give to get and trade value for value.
I don’t know if would work now. Heinlein himself warned of the problems with such a system. Just because you’ve served doesn’t mean you’ll make stellar decisions or do what’s in the best interest of all citizens or even be resistant to the pressures of influence. John McCain I will offer as exhibit A.
Though, on balance, it might still be better than the creaking system we have now.
Presently we have more of a mob voting to steal then citizens voting for proper government. The question is more correctly “How can a nation ensure the people voting for government officials have both adequate knowledge to make informed decisions and the moral underpinning to prevent voting to steal or worse from their fellow citizens?” This question is as old as man. Our founders understood that men themselves are the problem and attempted to protect our future by ultimately adopting the constitution. With its rules and the separation of powers the hope was it would protect us from the corruption of man. Part of this barrier was a restriction on who could vote. With this restriction our nation prospered and the foundation was set for national greatness. So strong was that foundation that it has resisted continued dilution of the voter pool to the point where even the most ignorant of individuals had the franchise and felt it a duty to vote. But the combined efforts of a marxist government and a marxist propaganda press have damaged that foundation and perhaps destroyed it. So, let’s return to the original formula. You have to own property to vote. And let’s add to it. You must also have served at least two years in the armed forces. And you must also pass a citizenship test. And you must not be receiving welfare, social security or any other government transfer payment of any type. Disabled veterans excepted. And you must present identification to vote. And you will be marked indelibly after you vote. I can see long term problems with this but it would go a long way to correcting our present problems.
People forget that voting in the US was a franchise, not a right.
The Founding Fathers embraced the idea that the voting franchise was extended only to landowners (and male at that). The rationale was that these had the vested interest of the country at heart.
The argument for this limited franchise was a good one, but not the only one. I submit that it was far better than the universal franchise upon majority that we now have.
I also submit that a national service requirement for the voting franchise makes more sense than the current franchise. Whether it’s the best is open to consideration.
You should be a holder of real property to vote.
I know that the book has been used for training purposes for military officers and that it addresses issues of esprit de corps and discipline for trainees. It delves into interesting aspects of ‘basic training’ for military recruits and it really ought to be read widely.
I think that the notion of earning certain aspects of citizenship such as holding office and voting makes a degree of sense. What we have currently is a system that is virtually guaranteed to result in destruction of the Republic as we are clearly witnessing.
I’m shocked and disappointed no posting reference to YES’s great song...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P60zM2sQ_4o
I thought Dina Meyer was hot in the shower scene........She has my vote.
Every citizen should be able to vote, veterans vote counts 5 times the citizen vote. Purple heart 10 times.