Barnaby is Right*

Australia was one of the first countries in the world to introduce universal suffrage.

It's not often I find myself agreeing with Barnaby Joyce, but on non-compulsory voting, his comments are worthwhile.

There seems to be a tendency within the Queensland LNP to pick up all the craziest notions from across the Pacific, and air them here.

The non-compulsory voting meme, of course comes from the same school of conservative thought as Mitt Romney's famous 47% remark.

It goes something like this - People who elect governments we disagree with, must (because we disagree with them) be unfit to vote. Many of them wouldn't vote unless there is a penalty attached if they don't, so let's remove the penalty.

This meme is front and centre on many right wing blogs at the moment, and has quite a head of steam. It gets pushed to the extreme with the notion (strongly argued) that having everyone voting will eventually mean the end of civilisation as we know it. In other words, most people simply don't know what's good for them.

Strangely, this idea is pushed on many so-called Libertarian blogs.

It's a kind of fascist elitism which is probably not going to get much of a run in this country, but it certainly has a hold with some in the USA.

*Excuse the pun.