In order to do away with the 'unfairness' of Western Democracy ie. majority rules, why don't we institute a system of Paper Scissors Stone Politics. It is possible to play this with more than two people...eg. 4 people playing it is constantly tied if all three possibilities come up...However, if 3 people display Stone and the other person Paper....Paper beats all Stones and that person wins. This could encompass the whole of the Franchise, with every decision needing made being played out by the whole voting population in a huge game of P/S/S. This would mean that the eventual winner would have the choice of which particular line the policy would take, thus meaning that even minority groups could see their policies come to fruition, and allow all voices to be heard. Obviously in a country with a population of around 50 million, 49,999,999 people could all support the death penalty (for example), yet the person who opposes it could, feasibly...although it is unlikely, win the P/S/S match and their policy would be implemented. Simple and Fair. People who have no interest in a particular policy need not take part in the match, so only those with strong feelings for or against would compete for the chance to shape their country's policies.
-- ChewTheBeef, Aug 03 2001

Trust and Betrayal: the Legacy of Siboot http://www.theunder...rg/game.php?id=2435
Another example of diplomacy as applied to rock/scissors/paper. [bookworm, Aug 03 2001, last modified Oct 17 2004]

RoShamBo Programming Competition http://www.cs.ualbe...e/rsb-results1.html
[egnor, Aug 03 2001, last modified Oct 17 2004]

*Last* RoShamBo Programming Competition http://www.cs.ualbe...a/~darse/rsbpc.html
Showoff. [jutta, Aug 03 2001]

This kind of lottery representationalism does have some advantages against electoral college and first-past-the-post systems but the system you propose is enormously costly to administer and also open to tampering (where large pressure groups collude to all vote stone apart from one who votes paper, for example). I really don't see the advantage of this over simply choosing one person at random from the population to decide on each major policy. The s/p/s system is just an inefficient randomiser.

This sort of system only works when there are a huge number of issues to be voted on and each has more or less equal significance to the nation as a whole. If you use this system in a single issue referendum ("shall we flood the country to a depth of ten feet with cold custard?", say) you run the risk of some wacko with little stake in society making a highly unpopular choice.
-- gravelpit, Aug 03 2001


No, far better to stick with a system that allows George W. Bush to be elected.
-- -alx, Aug 03 2001


Now that we've heard the sarcastic version, here it is again with sinceritiy:

Indeed it *is* far better to stick with a system that allows (even) George W. Bush to be elected.
-- beauxeault, Aug 03 2001


Hey! I was being sincere, just with a little bite to it...
-- -alx, Aug 03 2001


British Trade Unions have been using a similarly logical method for years.
-- angel, Aug 03 2001


Sorry alx. I see that, now that you've explained it. Nevermind.
-- beauxeault, Aug 03 2001


Majority rule is perfectly fair. For most people, anyway.
-- -alx, Aug 03 2001


Bad money drives out good.
-- reensure, Aug 03 2001


I can see I'm going to have to start being absolutely sincere around here...why do I hate using emoticons so much?

Oh, that's right, because they suck.
-- -alx, Aug 03 2001


(ahem) It's all so unfari. heh
-- thumbwax, Aug 04 2001


hey, was i just plagiarized? where did my other article go

it was called

"win... that...election!!!"

it seems someone deleted it. there was an idea in my article including the use of rock paper scissors to determine the presidency.

ok, i know, it's not a very original idea, but to see my article gone, and this one up leaves me very cynical.

you dirty thief. you stole my unoriginal idea!!!
-- Kociol, Jun 21 2006


your idea is still there and this one is 5 years old
-- po, Jun 21 2006


[Kociol] No problem, I'll toss the fishbone in your direction.
-- ChewTheBeef, Aug 01 2009



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