[Kabal]

(05-09-2017 02:51 PM)BortimusPrime Wrote:  

Well it's not going to have any deterrent effect. "Gee, I really want to skin this guy and wear him like a suit, but I also want to vote on this $0.03 per 1k assessed value property tax increase to pay for repaving the nature trail..."

The only reason I'd generally oppose permanent disenfranchisement over a conviction is that it has the potential to encourage whichever group is in power to start trying to whittle down the opposition with bullshit charges. Similar to how tinpot dictatorships always manage to find a reason to throw their opposition leaders in prison when they have a pretend election.

That's a reasonable concern, but if we approach and/or reach "tinpot dictatorship" levels, voting would be the least of our worries (to the extent voting is even "real" at that point). In any case, the more fringe voters we have, the more possibility of a legitimately-installed tinpot dictatorship. The more fringe voters we have, the more open-borders-for-Third-World-browns, high forcible income transfers, amnestying of illegals, more Section 8 in housing and their equivalents in schools and workplaces.