@emiliya If a government legislates for military conscription (as our Conservative Party proposed), this will clearly affect the interests of younger people, as would any laws relating to higher education, rental property, the environment, etc. If a government makes a mid to longer term budgetary commitment, such as linking pensions to inflation, it is the younger generation who will foot most of the bill across their lifetime, even though they may not be paying tax at the current time. In a similar way, it would not be correct to exclude older or unemployed people from the franchise on the basis of their current day tax contribution.

@SunshineGirl The proposal was only to involve military service or a volunteer placement for one weekend a month for 12 months. If a teenager refused to do military service or volunteer, they would not have been met with sanctions or sent to prison. Military placements would have also been paid.

You say that voting outcomes affect the interests of young people, but if they are only 16 years old, isn't this preempting? Should 14 year olds get to preempt as well? A 16 year old will not be in higher education yet, will not be renting a property yet, and all people of all ages, including infants who cannot vote, are affected by the environment.

One would assume that unemployed people were able to pay tax at some point. If they were not, it still does not matter, as they are old enough to pay tax and earn a minimum wage for over 21 years olds if they do commence work.

@emiliya Well, it is simply my opinion. I think widening democracy to those who are most likely to use and benefit from it can only be a virtue. Had those who are now most affected by Brexit (in terms of loss of personal liberty and and economic opportunities) been consulted in 2016, the outcome may have been less divisive and acrimonious.

@NoThanksLeon In England they teach social issues and young people are encouraged to make a voice in society..

My point is that they will be 21 by the end of the Parliament, before they can have their say. That’s is if an election is called when they are sixteen.

Again in England, turn out is very small, then people complain and who gets in. If people vote in their late teams, they might, just might, continue throughout their lives.

And a third point has emerged, when does maturity set in to make a balanced decision. Clearly most people answering this post think not as early as sixteen.

@NoThanksLeon That's a complete non sequitur. Expanding the franchise gives young people who are already old enough to work fulltime, pay taxes and have sexual relationships, a voice in their country's affairs. In the UK it does not alter the age of consent or give licence for them to be assaulted.

When the franchise was extended to women and men without property (one of the great liberal achievements), do you imagine this somehow gave encouragement to others to sexually molest them?

@SunshineGirl The women and men whom the franchise was extended to were not 16.

@sunsporter1649 Am I supposed to be impressed by the gentlemen in the lower picture?

@SW-User telly was great

@MasterLee So was Clint

@Luciebelle They can have children and sex at sixteen. Live in a world where global warming matters.
They are no less mature than old people in a nursing home, who can only look to the past.

@SW-User Yeah I agree, but plenty of things requiring maturity you can't do at 16...how does getting married require more maturity?

@SW-User climate change is a religion.

@beckyromero

@sunsporter1649

Are you alleging there is corruption in the REPUBLICAN administration in Ohio, perhaps construction companies paying bribes to government officials?

Or are you accusing Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther of corruption?

@beckyromero I am stating that the bridge you are selling ain’t gonna be sold

@BohemianBabe And that from somebody that wants chopoffadictomy's at 12

@sunsporter1649 That's like all I want.

@BohemianBabe

I can agree with that.

@Fentonisfree good reason not to have undeveloped brains voting.

@fanuc2013 Thinking about global issues is hardly a liberal thing. We all live in this planet.

@SW-User What do most young people know about these issues?

@SatanBurger I give up. Have a nice life

@ArtieKat False comparison and no it's not black and white as you say. You're using logical fallacies.

@ArtieKat Okay 👋

@SunshineGirl not war, corruption, vanity infrastructure project (boris' garden bridge etc), bailing out banks, giving trillions away during the "pandemic", tax on already taxed goods, death tax.

We already pay water, gas and electric bills (which were paid for by tax/theft money). Council tax. Road tax.

Its a scam.

@gol979
This is apparently how tax in Britain is spent. However, now they are out of the EU.

@emiliya welfare would be a whole lot but we have a separate tax for welfare, health, pensions called national insurance.

National debt is paying off bailing out banks etc.

Housing and utilities and business and industry will be handouts to companies who already make billions.

Its a scam of epic proportions.

@gol979 I see comrade

@MasterLee By the same reasoning, lower the voting age to 65 and compulsory drug test before voting 😐

@SunshineGirl if you wish to be non sequitur

@ArtieKat or decide if sunrise deserves Healthcare

@MasterLee No, such is the NHS, my wife lost 20% of her eyesight. I took out a large loan so she could have operations to save the rest.

What has this to do with franchising sixteen year olds?
I worked with them most of my life. They have concerns like the rest of us, well integrated citizens of the modern world.. OK a few might vote for the Silly Party, but that is no different than pensioners voting conservative.

@zonavar68 The same way kindly old dictator biden is, and barry big ears and slick willie were C-in-C