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A comment on Gerrymandering and a cure for it – the shortest splitline algorithm. Parent comment

Re:Gerrymandering and a cure for it – the shortest splitline... by vacri on Wednesday September 30, 2015 @02:20PM (#10305971)
No, the UK doesn't have PR, but it's a different system to the US. From what you're arguing, the US would be better off switching to their system. If you want to do it properly, you should probably import some Germanic hereditary figurehead - perhaps Schwarzenegger could start the US royal line?

Still, I like you completely sidestepped the question of how 'stability' matches up with having a civil war that was one of the bloodiest in history. You're not actually interested in finding the best form of government; you're only interested in defending your own.

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Re:Gerrymandering and a cure for it – the shortest splitline... by Turing_Machine on Wednesday September 30, 2015 @10:24PM (#10308848)
"No, the UK doesn't have PR, but it's a different system to the US."

Nice attempt to shift the goalposts. Not going to work.

Stability isn't the only goal, but it's an important one.

"Still, I like you completely sidestepped the question of how 'stability' matches up with having a civil war that was one of the bloodiest in history.

Britain had a nasty civil war also.

"You're not actually interested in finding the best form of government; "

No, because I don't believe that there is a "best" form of government. Attempting to immanentize the eschaton usually (always) winds up with a few million people dead.

I'm interested in avoiding forms of government that are demonstrably bad, based on past performance.

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