Disqus - Latest Comments for steverisher

Re: New Hampshire’s libertarian streak finds its way into two-party politics

steverisher — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 23:15:00 -0000

About those officials who are simaultaneously D's and R's: I'm skeptical about major party partisans in general, but what confidence can you have that someone who is both a D and R has any convictions at all?

Why libertarians need proportional representation:
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/ac...

http://www.mtholyoke.edu/ac...

Re: New Hampshire’s libertarian streak finds its way into two-party politics

steverisher — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 22:59:08 -0000

Note: what I'm proposing would almost certainly give FreeStaters and Libertarians more representation!

Re: New Hampshire’s libertarian streak finds its way into two-party politics

steverisher — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 22:55:51 -0000

Electing 13 reps at-large by FPTP in a district is both an act of extreme redundancy and one that makes it easier for some reps to avoid responsibility.If you don't like PR (used in places like Israel and the Netherlands)check out the single transferable vote(STV). Just think if US Congressional Districts had 13 reps each:some of those guys and girls would be spending most of their time hiding in the woodwork. Of course you're not paying them(in NH) but a pittance-but that's beside the point.

What I'm proposing is a MORE representative form of government and one with the option of voting for more than the usual two parties. I'm not saying that NH is worse than other states, just that if you do a little research you can easily find better alternatives via the internet. And those alternatives could work better in the US because we have more guarantees of free speech than any other country in the world. In Canada and most of Europe you can be heavily fined or even sent to prison for allegedly offending groups that have special govt protection.

I don't see why Americans tend to have a romantic and irrational attachment to what is largely a sham two-party system. When you go shopping would you be satisfied with only two brands of any commodity you choose to buy?

Re: New Hampshire’s libertarian streak finds its way into two-party politics

steverisher — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:20:17 -0000

The way the NH House of Reps is elected is severly antiquated and retarded. Some urban districts elect as many as 13 members at-large.What the hell is the point of such duplication? If a district is majority D or R it is likely that all of these reps will be of the same party.

An example of a better method: elect 300 by single-member districts and 100 by party-list PR-either open or closed list.