$10,000,000 for your right to vote?

[Neon Lunar Eclipse]

Assume the contract is enforceable. Someone comes up to you and offers to buy your right to vote for 10 million United States dollars. Once it is sold, you can never vote again. Since this is a one time deal, and the government is about outlaw this practice, you have zero chances of ever buying back your right to vote. Once it's gone, it's gone. You get 10 million American dollars and your right to vote is forever extinguished, while the person who bought your voting rights now gets to have two votes per election. If you move to another country, your right to vote is still treated as having been extinguished, meaning you cannot vote in that country's elections either.

Would you take this deal? Why or why not?

Hell yes, I would. I am pretty politically apathetic (despite being on NS) and have never really cared to vote. With 10 million dollars, I can go live the good life.

For reference, ten million American dollars is equal to:

9,866,955.13 Euros
8,297,623.73 British pounds
12,859,200.20 Canadian dollars
14,424,801.54 Australian dollars
1,369,067,500 Japanese yen
16,048,296.71 New Zealand dollars
9,618,174.81 Swiss francs
600,903,505.08 Russian rubles
67,617,650.72 Chinese yuan
242,405,647.56 Czech koruna

[Oppressthemville]

I mean… one one hand I think that voting is pretty important for a democracy to function.
On the other hand, 10m is 10m [̲̅$̲̅(̲̅ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°̲̅ )̲̅$̲̅]

[Shrillland]

Never this side of Hell. I can find other ways to raise money, but my right to vote and be heard...that's priceless to me even if it is worthless to some others.

[American Legionaries]

Assume the contract is enforceable. Someone comes up to you and offers to buy your right to vote for 10 million United States dollars. Once it is sold, you can never vote again. Since this is a one time deal, and the government is about outlaw this practice, you have zero chances of ever buying back your right to vote. Once it's gone, it's gone. You get 10 million American dollars and your right to vote is forever extinguished, while the person who bought your voting rights now gets to have two votes per election. If you move to another country, your right to vote is still treated as having been extinguished, meaning you cannot vote in that country's elections either.

Would you take this deal? Why or why not?

Hell yes, I would. I am pretty politically apathetic (despite being on NS) and have never really cared to vote. With 10 million dollars, I can go live the good life.

Lmao, I would laugh the whole way to the bank.

[Neon Lunar Eclipse]

Never this side of Hell. I can find other ways to raise money, but my right to vote and be heard...that's priceless to me even if it is worthless to some others.

Even though you are just one person?

[Shrillland]

Never this side of Hell. I can find other ways to raise money, but my right to vote and be heard...that's priceless to me even if it is worthless to some others.

Even though you are just one person?

Yes, even then. 1,000,000 people are each just one person individually, but when united, they become a force to be reckoned with.

[American Legionaries]

Even though you are just one person?

Yes, even then. 1,000,000 people are each just one person individually, but when united, they become a force to be reckoned with.

Do you see a million united people anywhere, Shrill?

[Nitrana]

Nope. Considering the political situation in my country, I’d rather vote for the people who I want to win. On the other hand, as a wise man some posts above said, moneh is moneh

[Kathol Rift]

Take the money, become rich, have far greater capability to influence politics than I ever had as a voter.

[Punished UMN]

Lol the guy buying is getting a raw deal, he could buy congressional votes with that kind of money.

[Domacria]

Take the money, become rich, have far greater capability to influence politics than I ever had as a voter.

This. That's enough to become a lobbyist literally out of nowhere. Or a simple big campaign donor.

[Vavlarian Diplomat]

Yes, why yes I do! *looks at the nearest corrupt offical and promises him something for my right to vote back and uses 8 million dollars to get 18 Million*

Stock market investment go brrrrrrrrrrrrrr but learning economics and the stock market first...

[Kowani]

take the deal, build my own centre-left hyperpartisan media network

[Shrillland]

Yes, even then. 1,000,000 people are each just one person individually, but when united, they become a force to be reckoned with.

Do you see a million united people anywhere, Shrill?

Well, considering that our presidential elections here can see over 3 million for a single candidate a good deal of the time, I would say yes. You have nearly 5 million united behind your preferred choice in your particular state, and they're all individuals, aren't they?

[Sobeiska]

$10,000,000 will buy you more influence than every vote over the span of your lifespan will. Or it can pay for an easy life where I can do political activism all damn day and make more influence than I ever could have dreamed.

[American Legionaries]

Do you see a million united people anywhere, Shrill?

Well, considering that our presidential elections here can see over 3 million for a single candidate a good deal of the time, I would say yes. You have nearly 5 million united behind your preferred choice in your particular state, and they're all individuals, aren't they?

Couldn't tell you if they're all individuals, but that's a pretty trash definition of united. Coming down on the same side of a line when you have a whopping two choices is a pretty weak indicator of unity.

[Vadterland]

An idealist would say that you can't possibly put a price on a person's right to vote, but at election time that just really isn't the case. I am one small cog in a society of more than 300 million, and even if a tenth of those people continue to vote, I remain one in thirty million. Not nearly enough to swing an outcome at any level, and the level of corruption in our electoral system (and the nature of the electoral college) just means my voice can be silenced or invalidated anyway. In the meantime I have bills to pay, an aging family to look after, and my own unfulfilled life goals staring me in the face. If I have to choose between having the tiniest amount of electoral influence that is already so easily nullified and being able to live comfortably and happy for the rest of my life, I'll choose the latter. Especially in this economy.

[Radiatia]

Definitely, with $10 million I could almost afford two weeks rent in New Zealand.

In the last election I came very close to not voting or deliberately spoiling my ballot and the way things are going I probably won't vote in the next election. I've become completely and utterly disillusioned with politics - I always end up either betrayed by those I voted for, disappointed in them or the people I didn't vote for end up doing a better job than the ones I wanted to win.

Either way, I'm losing faith in democracy and have absolutely lost faith in my own ability to make political decisions.

[Haganham]

Ten million in an average portfolio would return 700,000 a year. Enough to live very comfortably and buy enough political influence that voting doesn't matter.

[Washington Resistance Army]

I take it without even a moments hesitation. I live in a blue county in a blue state, the only time my vote ever actually matters is for minor county stuff and I can accept losing that if I get 10 million.

[Shrillland]

Well, considering that our presidential elections here can see over 3 million for a single candidate a good deal of the time, I would say yes. You have nearly 5 million united behind your preferred choice in your particular state, and they're all individuals, aren't they?

Couldn't tell you if they're all individuals, but that's a pretty trash definition of united. Coming down on the same side of a line when you have a whopping two choices is a pretty weak indicator of unity.

Aye, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a voting public willing to make the necessary changes. Still, I'd rather do my part one way or another, and since I'm not one for mass organisation or business acumen, voting is more or less all I have.

[Valentine Z]

If I said yes, would this also invalidate my vote here on this thread?

[Neon Lunar Eclipse]

If I said yes, would this also invalidate my vote here on this thread?

Yes

[Meguminsk]

Absolutely. It's 10 mil USD. In my country that's enough money for me to live comfortably without having to work for at least a decade.
And it's not like my vote matters - it's one vote amongst tens of millions. And elections here are rigged anyway so who gives a fuck.

[American Legionaries]

Couldn't tell you if they're all individuals, but that's a pretty trash definition of united. Coming down on the same side of a line when you have a whopping two choices is a pretty weak indicator of unity.

Aye, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a voting public willing to make the necessary changes. Still, I'd rather do my part one way or another, and since I'm not one for mass organisation or business acumen, voting is more or less all I have.

I'm not certain what business or mass organization has to do with anything.