by Geewananda Gunawardana The most relatable definition of being insane is given in the following quote: “doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” It has been attributed to the great thinker Albert Einstein, but no definitive proof has been found. Whatever the origin may be, why should it be relatable to us? Because there is every indication that we, as a nation, are on the verge of being the mascot for this famous quote in the way we are heading into the upcoming elections.
Regardless of the polling data, it can be assured that there is a sizable segment of the voting age population that is committed to proving that they did not learn a thing from their past mistakes. To put this situation in perspective, it is necessary to look at the current demographics of the country (Table 1). There are two key pieces of information: 78 % of the population has become eligible to vote, and it is estimated that a minimum of one million new voters will be casting their votes in this election.
At the same time the median age of the population has reached 33.1 years, the highest in recorded history; for comparison, it was 18.5 years in 1965.
Given the voting age is eighteen, it means that the proportion of young people who have a say in their destiny is much larger today than in 1965. This is a good thing for two reasons: it is this half of the population that will bear the brunt of the consequences of past mistakes and, for that reason alone, they should take.