u/yolo2546452

I want to get a gift for someone who likes spice. I wouldn't call them a connoisseur or hobbyist in the way this subreddit is; they just generally enjoy a wide array of spice in the general sense, so I don't fear a "don't get me this, because I would buy a 10x better version or more suited for me personally for half the price" sort of situation.

Given that they aren't hobbyists, I thought I would go for variety as opposed to individual quantity. I hear Torchbearer's 12 pack is good, but are there any alternatives (I am trying to keep to £50 gbp or less).

This is a very light notion of epistocracy, unlike most proposals that suggest examinations or a qualification for voting.

Three Key Intentions

• To ensure a voter has conviction in their vote: A vote should not be based on a casual remark like "well my mate said red party is pretty good". The commitment to their choice is emphasised by the effort they make to vote.
• To ensure a voter is required to be better aware: Voters must be aware of what their preferred party, and other rival parties, are actively campaigning for.
• To maintain radical accessibility: Even if a voter is not intellectually qualified enough, they can still, with great ease, submit their vote.

The Consequence

This system counteracts impulsivity, fear-mongering, populism, and the lack of faith that one's vote will be drowned out by impulsive, ill-informed voters.

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The Framework

On the voting ballot card, there are two questions and a small party-specific task. The solution to the task and the questions are published a month prior and are pulled from a small pool.

(Note: The exact questions and tasks below are illustrative examples to demonstrate the intended difficulty and means to ensure rigidity. The point of the post is that this level of epistocracy is beneficial. Implementation I leave out as someone not well versed in bureaucratic specifics [yes I am aware this demonstrates that I am part of the very problem I am proposing to solve]).

1. The Party-Specific Task

• This task must be completed for each of the top 5 parties (by seat numbers).
• Example: Writing down each specific one-word manifesto submitted by each of the five parties.
• Purpose: Satisfies the intention of ensuring baseline political awareness across the spectrum.

2. The Multiple-Choice Questions

Two questions are randomly selected from a pool of 15 total questions (5 questions per category). The categories are strictly objective:

• Statistics and Fallacy: Questions based on identifying misleading graphs or understanding conceptual notions of correlation vs. causation. These use neutral topics not directly related to active political discourse.
• Structure of Government: Basic constitutional mechanics (e.g., "What majority is required to enact a law?" or *"What is the official role of xyz?).
• Finance: Hard economic benchmarks (e.g., "What is the current standard value of VAT?" or "What is the current GDP of the country?").

(AI Disclosure: Text content and exact phrasing were written by me. AI adaptes the text for markdown [font size, bold italicisation etc])

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Summary comment of points and rebuttals (note I am not am American)

• Comments about faith in implementation:

I did recuse myself on this content for two reasons. The first is a lack of expertise (I couldn't tell you how to make an independent body. I do know it's possible to make things that aren't easily influenced (maybe subtly are in some places) to marginalise individuals [e.g. national curriculum for maths, english, history]).

The second is I don't think that is within the scope of this discourse. I could instead say "Dictatorships should be democracies". And then the problem arises of "well if the dictator is setting it up, it probably wouldn't be a true democracy and be worse because it actually pacifies the populus". But that's not really the point, now, is it?

• Comments about failures in the past (e.g. South American Literacy tests):

The point here is again, we don't marginalise groups using our national curriculums, so it is possible not to do so for this. Further to it, a lot of people neglect that answers would be available a month in advance in this system. A lack of knowledge has the safety net of memorisable answers. (Perhaps 15 was a stretch; I would concede that).

I think it also links heavily with implementation, because while I cannot imagine an individual party implementing this, I can imagine it working having already been implemented. Again it's like imagining if north korea, for example, was a democracy.

Just because a system that is government run can be manipulated, that doesn't mean it shouldn't exist. If this hypothetical gov rigged the test to benefit them in some scenario, then I can counter that they would rig an election in general to benefit them in the modern day (and we already do have doubts about hacking for electronic voting). It would be a bit like me driving horribly, but I get a better car and still drive horribly. At least it's a better car.

• Comments about other issues (e.g. lack of faith in leaders):

I agree that there are several issues. Two party systems, first pass the post etc. But those aren't issues I propose tackling in the OP

• Issues regarding the specifics of the questions and party-specific task:

As stated in the OP, those were illustrative, not prescriptive. I am, very candidly, not an expert.

• Why is conviction important:

I think that if I vote for red party, blue party's social engineering has led several people to incorrectly believe that they serve their interests, leading blue party to have a skewed vote and mine insignificant. At that point, why bother putting in the effort to look up policies anyway if my vote is gonna be drowned out by uninformed noise that voted off impulse, and with less effort than I? But if I know they spent at least 5 minutes looking up some basic stuff, and heck if they didn't know the answer, they've learned it by reading the question, I'd feel a little bit better.

I think others would feel the same way

• Other people would lose faith in the system, not gain it.

I feel like there would be a lot of people angry at this system on behalf of other people. I don't think anyone would be angry on behalf of themselves. But I think that the group of people who would lose faith in the system are the very people who wouldn't want to put in the effort to begin with, which is what is important to me, as listed prior.

I understand that less rich teams have a harder time than richer teams, but ongoing discourse seems to suggest that psr actively makes it harder for poorer teams to improve, as opposed to it simply being a case that PSR is neglectful by not enforcing anything to counteract the status quo of "the rich can afford to do more".

So is it the case that there is a expenditure cap for poorer teams that doesn't account for income gained? Or is it that richer teams have more leeway to spend more without having to make transfer income (e.g. they are allowed a net deficity higher than poorer teams?)?

edit: from the comments I am getting the impression that the issue is indeed what psr is _not_ doing (implementing compensating measures for club financial inequality) rather than what it.

Hi all. I was wondering if anyone (uk based) had a cobble and fog box they don't need/are willing to sell. I made the stupid mistake of neglecting the sunlight hitting the box and bleaching a good part of it.

That, or any other suggestion, would be great, thanks.

Apologies if this is not permitted content on this subreddit, the rules did not seem to rule it out.

"And the undying man blazes like a phoenix blazing in its ingloririous cycle, spreading embers on the gale which carries it twinkling to my person.

I told you not to fucking smoke in front of me, Tommy. Yet here you are engulfed in flames like the Great Library of fucking Alexander. It's an insult to myself, and the literary arts of the world. Though I hear you have joined me in the pursuit of the written word. "The Immortal Man" was it?

Even with my good eye I see that's just fucking incorrect. And what I see with my bad eye Tommy, tsk tsk tsk; your descent has fucking begun hasn't it? Yes I see it Tommy, with the vision some cunt bestowed upon me when I too died. I'll be seeing you in Margate."

"And the undying man blazes like a phoenix blazing in its ingloririous cycle, spreading embers on the gale which carries it twinkling to my person.

I told you not to fucking smoke in front of me, Tommy. Yet here you are engulfed in flames like the Great Library of fucking Alexander. It's an insult to myself, and the literary arts of the world. Though I hear you have joined me in the pursuit of the written word. "The Immortal Man" was it?

Even with my good eye I see that's just fucking incorrect. And what I see with my bad eye Tommy, tsk tsk tsk; your descent has fucking begun hasn't it? Yes I see it Tommy, with the vision some cunt bestowed upon me when I too died. I'll be seeing you in Margate."

"And the undying man blazes like a phoenix blazing in its ingloririous cycle, spreading embers on the gale which carries it twinkling to my person.

I told you not to fucking smoke in front of me, Tommy. Yet here you are engulfed in flames like the Great Library of fucking Alexander. It's an insult to myself, and the literary arts of the world. Though I hear you have joined me in the pursuit of the written word. "The Immortal Man" was it?

Even with my good eye I see that's just fucking incorrect. And what I see with my bad eye Tommy, tsk tsk tsk; your descent has fucking begun hasn't it? Yes I see it Tommy, with the vision some cunt bestowed upon me when I too died. I'll be seeing you in Margate."

"And the undying man blazes like a phoenix blazing in its ingloririous cycle, spreading embers on the gale which carries it twinkling to my person.

I told you not to fucking smoke in front of me, Tommy. Yet here you are engulfed in flames like the Great Library of fucking Alexander. It's an insult to myself, and the literary arts of the world. Though I hear you have joined me in the pursuit of the written word. "The Immortal Man" was it?

Even with my good eye I see that's just fucking incorrect. And what I see with my bad eye Tommy, tsk tsk tsk; your descent has fucking begun hasn't it? Yes I see it Tommy, with the vision some cunt bestowed upon me when I too died. I'll be seeing you in Margate."

"And the undying man blazes like a phoenix blazing in its ingloririous cycle, spreading embers on the gale which carries it twinkling to my person.

I told you not to fucking smoke in front of me, Tommy. Yet here you are engulfed in flames like the Great Library of fucking Alexander. It's an insult to myself, and the literary arts of the world. Though I hear you have joined me in the pursuit of the written word. "The Immortal Man" was it?

Even with my good eye I see that's just fucking incorrect. And what I see with my bad eye Tommy, tsk tsk tsk; your descent has fucking begun hasn't it? Ye I see it Tommy, with the vision some cunt bestowed upon me when I too died. I'll be seeing you in Margate."

Coming up to 5 years now, I was wondering how Wrexham has been doing with the boost in tourism and the football getting bigger.

Is there anything direct that the club has done for the local community? Is the added tourism helping? Are the housing prices rising 👀?