A controversial take I don't think should be controversial

Landed immigrants, foreign students of age and permanently residents, basically anyone who is going to be here long term should be able to vote.

Why? Because they contribute to the economy and the future of the country and the politicians get huge amounts of control over their future. So I believe they should get a say.

You don't have to be a citizen for the government to have huge amounts of control over your daily life, so you should not have to be a citizen to vote. Period.

You don't have a democracy if not every person impacted by the vote gets a say.

I also would lower the voting age to 16 since you don't have to be 18 to enter the workforce and contribute. And I don't think there is any magical wisdom that happens between 16 to 18.

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SatanBurger · 36-40, F

I even think others should be able to vote still like felons. To me, it's not really a punishment not being able to vote because it only affects everyone else, not the felon. That's why I think it's silly and they should be able to vote.

But with what you wrote, I agree on all of it, I find most immigrants more patriotic than American citizens especially since immigrant veterans were deported. I'd take any immigrants over traitors to America any day.

Because those people are probably thankful and they work hard, they contribute and even if they didn't, I wouldn't really care all that much as I just want people who are decent in this country. Maga are terrible people.

PicturesOfABetterTomorrow · 41-45, M

@SatanBurger voting is setup in prisons here because we believe our rights are actually rights and not privileges.

SatanBurger · 36-40, F

@PicturesOfABetterTomorrow America is just very backwards. The more I learn about other countries the more I'm like wow over here. It's pretty wild that everyone accepts it as normal. I mean there are people who do know about how wrong it is in America but nobody really listens enough to make any change.

PicturesOfABetterTomorrow · 41-45, M

@SatanBurger Yep. You live in a country where prisons are for profit so recidivism is actually a desired outcome.

Meanwhile in some European countries despite having some issues of their own they are closing prisons because they are literally running out of inmates.

SatanBurger · 36-40, F

@PicturesOfABetterTomorrow Yeah I remember there was one prison with the lowest reoffending rates in all of Europe. At the time though it was under attack by politicians and wanted it shut down even though it reduced crime. That's why I know our system is corrupt and wants crime, despite what politicians say. But I heard that about that one prison so I'm not surprised but it is good news, that's what I want to hear.

I've started to notice how everything is set up in America to the point that crime is actually hard not to commit.

What I mean by that is that there's things like where you're always hanging on a thread over here. If you lose your job, can't afford health insurance, if you make one mistake. You're one second away from having to think on your feet in order to survive.

I do think it's by design, if our system depends on prison and inmates then it makes sense to have a system by which its fairly easy to get inmates through fabricated environmental warfare.

PicturesOfABetterTomorrow · 41-45, M

@SatanBurger The Netherlands have closed over 20 prisons since 2009.

They also do the crazy thing of treating addiction like a medical issue instead of based on Victorian era morality judgements.

That is the point. Prison labour is profitable. It is why the constitutional amendment that banned slavery has a loophole for incarcerated prisoners.

For profit prisons literally spend millions lobbying congress to change the law so more and more random offenses result in prison sentences.

The for profit prisons make a profit based on occupancy like a hotel and the Fortune 500 use slave prison labour for everything from call centres to hard physical labour.

It is an industry worth billions and not subject to pesky labour laws or minimum wages. It is back to the 1860 for anyone who gets locked up.

Also they charge the inmate for everything from clothing to food, calls home etc. The price is inflated to ridiculous degrees.

This is also deliberate because in many states if you don't pay your tab to the private prison within I think it is 3 months out after getting out your debt gets treated as a parole violation and you go back in. Rinse and repeat.

It is a completely rigged system.

Convivial · 26-30, F

@SatanBurger it is by design... They profit from your labour and they profit from the criminality

SatanBurger · 36-40, F

@PicturesOfABetterTomorrow I wish we could change, it really sucks to live like that.

PicturesOfABetterTomorrow · 41-45, M

@SatanBurger Well if you have ever read the Marquis de Sade it is basically a 18th century version of the Epstein files.

And while he was in prison the guillotines and pitchforks came out and changed it all. Just saying.