“The UK’s old decided for the young in the Brexit vote,” TIME magazine recently declared. Young voters largely wanted to remain in the European Union, while old voters overwhelmingly voted to leave. Many people have since claimed that the young were “screwed by older generations.”
The fallout has lead to some controversial theories. Some political philosophers argue that instead of giving each person one equal vote, democracies should weigh votes in proportion to how much of a stake citizens have in the outcome. Pundit George Chesterton goes further, and demands we disenfranchise anyone of retirement age.
The anger over the results of Brexit is understandable. But selective disenfranchisement is a dangerous proposition.