this post was submitted on 18 Sep 2024
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Showerthoughts

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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted, clever little truths, hidden in daily life.

Here are some examples to inspire your own showerthoughts: 1

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I have no idea how true this is? It is just a random shower thought.

It may be more true where I am in Canada than in the US? Here, senators are essentially appointed for life. I understand US senators are elected but have longer terms and generally more stable careers than their counterparts? In either case, there seems to be a lot of prestige that comes with the position.

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

6 years per term, here, but no term limits. Combine that with name recognition, low-information voters, and "the devil you know", and they're basically / de-facto appointed for life, as you say. They can and have been voted out before, but it seems to be rare these days. Usually they retire (Manchin, supposedly), resign (Franken), or die of old age in office (Feinstein, Byrd).

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 months ago

Being ruled by gereatrics is grand. We got things like maternity leave and good health care!

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago (2 children)

In the UK the house of Lords is like that but in Australia the upper house has 6 year terms and have to go for reelection. Seats change all the time. Very few are safe seats.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Man the more I hear about how Australia's government the more I wanna risk the increased chance of skin cancer

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

don't forget spiders, snakes, sharks, crocodiles. drop bears

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

I would 100% try to pet a dingo

[–] tunetardis 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I think the Canadian system is very much modelled after the UK?

That's interesting about Australia though. Btw I understand Australia has a ranked voting system in elections? Curious about how well that works. Our first-past-the-post is a nightmare with vote-splitting sending the "wrong" representative to the capital.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Ranked choice is first past the post with extra steps.

[–] tunetardis 3 points 4 months ago (1 children)

But doesn't it resolve the vote-splitting problem? For example, a common scenario here is you have a right-wing candidate winning in a a left-leaning district because the left's vote is split across more than one political party. Wouldn't a ranked system solve that dilemma once all the dust has settled?

[–] Randomgal 3 points 4 months ago

Pretty sure the guy you're answering to has no idea what he's talking about. Lol

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago

A closer US parallel might be getting appointed to the Supreme Court.