[EM] Saari's March 10 letter

[MIKE OSSIPOFF]

EM list:

I just want to make a few comments.

First, if Saari told in that letter why his symmetry considerations
should be important to me as a voter, I missed that part.

I don't criticize mathematical fun that doesn't have practical
relevance. People should do things that they enjoy, and no one's
entertainment activities should be judged on the basis of their
social importance.

Obviously a mathematician can have that kind of fun with any
situation that has any mathematical nature, including voting
rankings, etc. Fine. But if that's all it is, and that does
appear to be all it is, then Saari is wrong when he says that
his symmetry considerations should govern our choice of voting
systems. He didn't say we should have to elect the President by
the Borda System (BS), but he did imply that his symmetry
considerations should be used in the choice of methods. And
that he personally couldn't accept a method that doesn't cancel
those symmetries. Saying that he couldn't accept that shouldn't
be taken as meaning that we shouldn't.

When you consider the infinite number of mathematical entertainments
that there could be, even based only on voting systems &
rankings, it must be clear that we not only can't pursue all of
them, but that it would be counterproductive to start chasing
mathematical issues that haven't been demonstrated to have
practical relevance to the voter.

There are enough relevant voting system issues, without pursuing
irrelevant ones.

And I don't think Borda is enough of a threat to warrant any
time arguing against it now. Borda wouldn't have a chance
as a public proposal. But IRV is at the door already, being
heavily promoted & pushed all around the U.S. Instead of
punching the Borda flypaper, let's just sink IRV wherever it
surfaces.

Mike Ossipoff

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