Good Afternoon, Michael
re: "... every voter has that right (to influence the choice of
candidates and the issues on which they vote), but is
forever cheated of it precisely because the election method
grants no electoral power whatsoever to the voter, but
instead renders his or her vote entirely meaningless in any
practical sense. As you say, it is not "worth a tinker's
dam." But if we (this is my hope) can cogently demonstrate
this failing to the experts in this list, especially in
terms of the voting mechanisms they understand so well, then
they will be more open to drawing the larger conclusions
that seem so obvious to you and me, and I daresay others in
this list."
And my hope, as well.
Your reference to the experts made me think of Will Durant's
observations in the preface to the second edition of The Story of
Philosophy[1]:
"... philosophy itself, which had once summoned all sciences
to its aid in making a coherent image of the world and an
alluring picture of the good, found its task of coordination
too stupendous for its courage, ran away from all these
battlefronts of truth, and hid itself in recondite and narrow
lanes, timidly secure from the issues and responsibilities of
life."
and
"... The specialist put on blinders in order to shut out from
his vision all the world but one little spot, to which he
glued his nose. Perspective was lost. "Facts" replaced
understanding; and knowledge, split into a thousand isolated
fragments, no longer generated wisdom. Every science, and
every branch of philosophy, developed a technical terminology
intelligible only to its exclusive devotees; ..."
Let us hope we can find a tiny chink in this formidable armor so we can
consider the purpose of Electoral Methods as well as the mechanics.
Fred Gohlke
1. pp v, vi, The Story of Philosophy, Will Durant
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