TL/DR: You can have a free society, you just have to limit the franchise to those who will wield that power responsibly. In Starship Troopers, the franchise is limited to those who have completed a period of public service (including, but not limited to, military service) under the idea that only those who have invested their own sweat into improving their society can be trusted to vote responsibly.
You can tell that Hollywood considers the book wrongthink from the fact that they’ve done a million other remakes but won’t touch this book with a ten foot pole.
TL/DR: You can have a free society, you just have to limit the franchise to those who will wield that power responsibly. In Starship Troopers, the franchise is limited to those who have completed a period of public service (including, but not limited to, military service) under the idea that only those who have invested their own sweat into improving their society can be trusted to vote responsibly.
That idea is expanded on in the book, basically Heinlein states no-one really knows what makes someone worthy of power. There is a "revolt of the scientists" mentioned in one part and it failed just as badly as everything else.
But what seems to have worked so far is that "Having put something into society and placed the whole over your own welfare" seems to be the best metric for voting well.
In the book Citizens are those that have the vote and Civilians are those that don't. To become a citizen it's a 1 time deal where you enter into a period of federal service that is designed to be arduous and dangerous enough to requite the civilian to ask themselves "Do I really want this" and have to answer in the affirmative.
There is no other criteria apart from complete your term. You might be crippled and your term would be counting the hairs on the back of caterpillar for 2 years. Voting (and the power that comes with it) is only given to those that want it badly enough. It's not necessarily about improving society.
Really that's the only valid criticism one could make that I could see, you don't want to give power to those who crave it. And in Starship Troopers power is given only to those who want it most.
Oh I have it. It was the first book I read of his. I get what you are saying but I do like the idea of service for a vote. I can see the “not everyone should vote” logic.
Which Heinlein book do we follow most?
Starship Troopers, his actual book and not the stupid movie. Sargon has an excellent breakdown of Heinlein's themes and political ideas in the book.
TL/DR: You can have a free society, you just have to limit the franchise to those who will wield that power responsibly. In Starship Troopers, the franchise is limited to those who have completed a period of public service (including, but not limited to, military service) under the idea that only those who have invested their own sweat into improving their society can be trusted to vote responsibly.
Every time the franchise has been expanded, it has damaged the United States. Amendments 15, 17, 19, 23, and 26 were all mistakes.
He is one of my favorite authors and in Starship Troopers I really love the idea of earning the right to vote. I’d love a proper adaptation.
You can tell that Hollywood considers the book wrongthink from the fact that they’ve done a million other remakes but won’t touch this book with a ten foot pole.
Just to expand on what elleand202 posted:
That idea is expanded on in the book, basically Heinlein states no-one really knows what makes someone worthy of power. There is a "revolt of the scientists" mentioned in one part and it failed just as badly as everything else. But what seems to have worked so far is that "Having put something into society and placed the whole over your own welfare" seems to be the best metric for voting well. In the book Citizens are those that have the vote and Civilians are those that don't. To become a citizen it's a 1 time deal where you enter into a period of federal service that is designed to be arduous and dangerous enough to requite the civilian to ask themselves "Do I really want this" and have to answer in the affirmative.
There is no other criteria apart from complete your term. You might be crippled and your term would be counting the hairs on the back of caterpillar for 2 years. Voting (and the power that comes with it) is only given to those that want it badly enough. It's not necessarily about improving society.
Really that's the only valid criticism one could make that I could see, you don't want to give power to those who crave it. And in Starship Troopers power is given only to those who want it most.
I really recommend you buy the book immediately.
Oh I have it. It was the first book I read of his. I get what you are saying but I do like the idea of service for a vote. I can see the “not everyone should vote” logic.