11-04-2004, 02:03 PM
ShadowHM,Nov 4 2004, 12:51 PM Wrote:My American cottage neighbours all voted for Bush. They are reasonable and educated people. They made their choice based on their perceptions of what would be the best for themselves and America, not based on what I think or what you might think. Before you make comments about ignorant voters, think about the 'average' citizen of your country, and how motivated/qualified they are for making voting decisions based solely on national policy, let alone international policy. I know what voters here are like. I would be very surprised if voters in the Netherlands are that much different. ;)
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No of course they are the same. E.g. the large christian party usually gets all the votes from farmers and from christians. Also here there are many of them that only vote for that party just because they are against euthanasia or something.
Of course that is their right, just like it is the right of the christian farmers in teh US to vote for Bush for his stance on gay rights and abortion, even to financially they would benefit more from Kerry. (money isn't their reason for voting, and I can only compliment them on that). But this clearly shows the benefits of the system we have here in Holland (or germany or France or belgium) Voters that like the social aspect of the christian democrats can also vote for the workers party. Workers that don't like abortion can also vote for the Christian democrats without having to fear for tax-cuts for the rich. Environmentalists can vote for a party without that party wanting to take the money from the rich.
There is here just less chance that a party can have a whole group of people vote for them, just because of one subject. The fact that the goverment is always a coalition also helps of course. This way you don't have problems with one year "a party gets things done" and the next year another party, wants to change all the se new laws again. (like Bush' not signing of environment bills)
People in general are ignorant, people get influenced easily by things the see or hear (including myself), so it is better to have a not so extreme winner takes it all system. (the biggest result oif Bush victory is I guess the appointing of conservative judges, which will make it really difficult for gays to mary, for girls to have an abortion etc. in the next 10 years)