2) my conclusion is based purely on real world statements from the multitude of morons i've met and conversed with who have no more clue about the law than they do with theoretical physics.
Well, I know all of the stuff you'd expect to learn about theoretical physics from reading popular science mags and stuff. Basically, there's string theory, in which there are strings all over the universe, and they have multiple dimensions at very close ranges, and it describes the universe surprisingly well but would need a particle accelerator of impractically large power (like the LHC x 10) to directly test so, you know, we really don't know. There are also some alternatives, like quantum gravity. Also, dark energy.
I hope this has been an enlightening discussion.
3) people that base their ideas of good law directly on how it gives them things for 'free', have no business voting.
1. My justifications are somewhat more sophisticated than that.
2. I've always used the term "universal" rather than "free".
3. I suspect that with my degree, I'd be earning enough that I probably wouldn't benefit directly from the law. I'll probably never benefit this law, at least in terms of direct subsidies.
It's almost blasphemous, but I am seriously considering pushing for a voter test.
I don't think anyone's ever really found a significant correlation between any sort of general intelligence metric and ideology. This has, of course, not stopped practically everyone of any ideology from seeming to believe that an intelligence test would
obviously favor the people on their side. And, call me cynical, but I think better educated voters, on aggregate, will probably just tend to pursue the sorts of interests that fit their demographic, rather than pursuing some of demonstrably better government - and such a test would disproportionately affect minority and poorer voters without as much access to those educational resources. It's important that everybody take part in the democratic discussion, in order to prevent us from becoming a more disunified country where there are many groups who's interests are ignored, which would probably eventually lead to instability, instability that would either have to be crushed through illiberal measures or appeased through greater ballot access. I don't think it's a good idea to sacrifice all of this for the sake of implementing some harebrained scheme that you believe will provide you with short-term political benefit.
It's also worth noting that, for one thing, I can list a couple of Nobel Prize Winning economists who support this law, and I assume their opinion should at least be considered equal in weight to the great SMY's. Plenty of well educated people support this law. The most educated voters (post-grad) tend to be Democratic, while the Republicans and Democrats are fairly even when it comes to those with college, some college, and high school education. The Democrats do dominate amongst those with no high school education, but that's an almost non-existant demographic. The Republicans do tend to dominate amongst the richer and more educated - in the southeast. But the Republicans own the southeast anyway. You may win 80% of the vote in Mississippi instead of 60%, thus going from 4 electoral college votes from the state rather than the 4 you get now. Congratulations. Up north, things tend to be much more even, and taking out less educated voters would largely just be more biased towards the upper class left.