StrypeyJul 20, 2023

"If you're only prepared to make popular decisions as a leader though, then what is the point of leadership? It's not really leadership is it. It's just focus-grouping. It's just polling. Instead of laying out a platform, debating its merits, and pursuing a really distinct vision, you might as well just have a smartphone app or a website, on which everyone votes for every little policy."

#JakeTame, 2023

Quoted in Midweek #MediaWatch on #RNZ:

https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/mediawatch/audio/2018898749/midweek-mediawatch-too-much-information-too-soon

#NZPolitics #leadership

Midweek Mediawatch - too much information too soon?

Midweek Mediawatch - Colin Peacock talks to Mark Leishman about intense coverage of a mother accused of killing her children - and the media finally covering the crimes of Sir James Wallace. Also: Tova O’Brien returning to the media as some senior news editors depart; the media response to the PM ruling out wealth taxes - and the tabloid scoop giving the BBC a big headache.

RNZ
Show threadStrypeyJul 20, 2023

> a smartphone app or a website, on which everyone votes for every little policy

Sounds good to me. We could eliminate an expensive layer of besuited spokesmodels and PR spindoctors, who provide no real value to anyone but themselves. Instead, public servants could carry out whatever policies get a supermajority in a weekly of monthly batch of digital referenda.

#LiquidFeedback anyone?

Show threadSteven Ensslen Jul 20, 2023

@strypey
The preconditions for people voting via the internet include:

1) eliminating the digital divide

2) making the internet secure, so that people's aged devices can be proved to be casting the intended votes

3) providing physical security to every person while they vote so that they are not intimidated by those with power in their environment.

We closer to having a perfect voting system now than we are to being able to have a functional internet voting system.

Show threadStrypeyJul 21, 2023

@ensslen
> We closer to having a perfect voting system now than we are to being able to have a functional internet voting system

Do you agree that secure digital voting is a worthy goal though? Given that the postal system is on its last legs, on a long enough timescale, it seems unavoidable for local government elections to go digital.

Show threadSteven Ensslen 

@strypey

No. Secure digital voting is not a worthy goal. It will never provide for the physical security of the voter, and therefore makes a mockery of ballot secrecy.

I categorically reject the "inevitability" of all techsolutionism. We can, and should, just chose to run proper, in person elections. I'm not aware of any good reasons not to. The cost argument is anti-democratic and counter to good government not matter how you spin it.

Jul 23, 2023 at 1:17amWeb
Show threadStrypeyJul 23, 2023

@ensslen
> Secure digital voting is not a worthy goal. It will never provide for the physical security of the voter, and therefore makes a mockery of ballot secrecy

I can see why this matters a lot in electing officials. Given this only happens infrequently, the huge cost of running an in-person election may be justified.

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Show threadStrypeyJul 23, 2023

@ensslen But what about voting in non-binding referenda, say on a weekly basis? Interested parties would have to manually intimidate a lot of people, a lot of the time, to have any significant influence on the outcome of such votes. If the results are indicative only, and non-binding, it seems unlikely anyone would consider it worth the effort. Yet the ability of decision-makers to get regular, representative snapshots of public opinion could add considerably to our democracy, a la g0v.

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