You’re correct that approval voting still has some mechanisms of strategic voting.
The point I was trying to make there is that the objective of “strategic voting” is to accomplish a least-objectionable outcome. And approval voting enables the same objective in a simple and straightforward way.
However you’re correct that it’s absolutely not the only way to accomplish this. And it’s not even the best way to accomplish this objective; as you suggest STV handles this aspect better.
There is sufficient evidence to decisively conclude that no, it won’t work. It will result it severe crowding of jails based on inconsequential crimes. Period.
We need a story to handle repeat offenders. They aren’t wrong to say that the current approach isn’t working great. But they are massively wrong about the solution, and are again showing the dangers of having an incompetent populist run a major party.
This is bad policy.