Re: alienation

First of all, this argument is not half as novel or as smart as it sounds.

When Blacks were not allowed to vote, it was possible to prove that Blacks knew less about the political process than Whites did (in fact, this is probably still true, although the gap is likely smaller today). When women were not allowed to vote, you could prove the same about women vis-Ã -vis men. When poorer or not landowning men were not allowed to vote, you could also prove that they knew less about politics than the rich or landowners did. This argument has always been around since popular votes have been used in some fashion. And it nearly always is true. The only important exceptions are limits to voting of non-nationals and of ethnic or religious minorities (Chinese in SE Asia, Jews in the West); both selected by features which are not correlated to education and formal knowledge of politics in the ways the others are.

Second, it is confuse political theory. Selection by knowledge and qualifications is meritocratic. It means that few can compete; and that the few who will may not be representative of anything in the general population (so it doesn't matter that all are White Male Landowners if they happen to be the most knowledgeable ones). Free popular vote is democratic. It is based on a theory of government by which each and every citizen is an equal part of the government. In fact, voting is seen as a compromise because a true general assembly of the citizens is no longer possible on the big jurisdictions we have today.

Democracy demands that we allow children to vote. The qualifications argument, while not invalid, comes from a different political theory, Aristocracy, and cannot reasonably be stopped short of resorting to the meritocratic methods of classical China or the European medieval republics.

So, which is it? Do we reinstate citizenship tests that we know many adult citizens won't pass? (for that matter, even many elected politicians or court judges won't pass them!) Or do we allow democracy its course and allow children to vote, despite the "the sky is falling" arguments. Which by the way, also happened about allowing poor White men to vote, or women, or Blacks.