Halt! Vote! Rational Reasons for Refusing to Vote
 

Halt! Vote!

Rational Reasons for Refusing to Vote

Some politicians look good in the early going. But the more I hear them say, the more I learn about what they've done, and the more I discover what they plan to do... the worse they seem. It doesn't take long for most of them to appear downright dangerous.

They say the stupidest things and expect us to believe them. They get caught lying and act like it is somebody else's fault. They promise to do what's impossible, like spending trillions on new programs without raising taxes or cutting existing programs. They are unbelievable.

I wonder why most of them are out of the looney bin. I certainly can't agree to give them power over me, you, and the normal people.

In fact, I can't imagine any reason for giving anybody the power to rule.

My vote is my power -- and they're not getting it.
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Giving my vote power to a politician, because he claims he'll use it to serve me...is like giving my gun to a stranger in an alley, because he claims he'll use it to protect me.

Falling for such a ruse makes a person a willing participant in his or her own victimization.
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Politicians are dangerous. Anybody who wants power can't be trusted with it.

Voters are political enablers. The act of voting makes one an accomplice to the abuses of power to come. And believe me, all politicians abuse the power.

If you vote, you are almost as guilty as the politicians.

If you vote, you forfeit your right to complain or resist.

If you don't vote, you aren't part of the problem.

That's why I don't vote.

HaltVote: "non-violent"

All the time? Across the board? In all circumstances?

No. If all politicians are evil despots and lying, cheating scum, then vote for the one who you believe is 0.01% better.

It's trickle-down. If enough people feel like you do, their votes will change the tide.
The slightly more honest, slightly less liar-y (yes I made that up) person will get in.

The best analogy I can think of is McDonalds. Not only do they change their menu and their advertising from country to country (despite being so globally prevalent as to feature in national indexes) but they change according to public pressure. Why? Because that's where the money is. Serve children carrots not fries? Serve alcohol? Change frying oil so it doesn't contain beef fat? Check, check, check - different countries, different strategies. Because they are so lovely and warm and cuddly? NO. Because they want money.

Someone is always going to be in power.

In my country, my vote has rarely counted, as I tend to vote against the grain (it counted in the last General Election, but not in the Referendum for example).
But at least I can say I tried.

Because when the wolf comes to the door I want to be able to say I did at least that. A lickle cross on a bit of paper isn't exactly manning the barricades, but at least I did that.

You live under the Rule of Law, set by politicians in Government.
Simplistically politicians need votes to get into the government and have the power to set policy.

If you go the ballot and vote one way or another or even spoil your ballot, they look at you as someone who might vote for them next time if they can persuade you, they might try and adjust their position to appeal to you.

If you don't vote, why should they give a rats ass about your opinion.

You may well be faced with a choice of any number of unappealing lying scumbags, but one of them is going to get power over you, throwing up your hands and not choosing is easy, do the hard work of choosing the least worst choice and maybe next time or the time after that candidates might start to appear that have some of your interests in mind.


Theres a recent IOTD of a chance game, money or death, many people faced with the choice of risking death to participate in government have thought it worth the risk and payed the price, all you have to do is wander over to a ballot box and scribble an x.

Not voting is not participating, just lay down and let the consequences roll over you.

You are not refusing to vote, it's not compulsory.

You are failing to vote.

I like that, Beest. Very succinct.

Funny how these imports know exactly how and why it works, while native borns don't get it.

"do the hard work of choosing the least worst choice"
 

Alright, you convinced me. I'll vote for Trump.

Great!
I don't care, in this thread, who you vote for, even if it is opposed to my own choice I believe ultimately America will be be better for greater participation.

How so?

It may get the more popular candidate into office if everyone with that preference actually votes.

Even if you didn't back the winner voting still reduces the winner's victory margin so they don't think they have carte blanche to ignore the concerns of those who didn't vote for them, especially if they can run for reelection.

It is my observation that a lot of the people voting are those with a single hot button issue that get's them all fired up, and the more hard line you are on their issue the better. Since these are the people who actually vote they get the attention of politicians seeking office, so we get hard line, my way or no way, candidates who when they get into government won't work together and not much get's done.
I believe that people with more moderate views don't find these candidates appealing, so don't bother to vote, downward spiral.
If everyone voted then candidates with a balanced platform would have a broad base to appeal to and extreme candidates would be sidelined.

You would get more politicians who would do the work of governance and less posturing poseurs.

Hopefully

And so there are only two kinds of people. Wacko extremists and moderates. Left and right is spin to avoid discussing educated voters - moderates.

rhetorical
 

Am I a wacko extremist cuz I believe elected folk should viewed as, treated as, employees instead of nobility?

Am I a wacko extremist cuz I'm dissatisfied with the glorified popularity contests we call elections?

Am I a wacko extremist cuz I wanna hire the best proxies, employees, and public servants instead of electing the least crappy of a crappy bunch of mercenary parasites?

Am I a wacko extremist for wanting the formal option to say 'no' to appear on every ballot, of every election, from the federal down to the municipal?

Am I a wacko extremist for living as though I'm responsible for me?

Am I a wacko extremist for resisting being used by folks who think I should I be responsible for, or to, them?

Am I a wacko extremist for wanting the taxes I pay to be spent responsibly, minimally, and productively?

I could go on and on and on... :neutral:

I am a wacko extremist and I approve this message.

Moderate want all that ... with reasons that say how and why. A major difference. Wackos know everything in terms of soundbytes. Moderates first learn facts before making a conclusion.

A slavish devotion to 'moderation' when surrounded by the aggressively immoderate is kinda like askin' Bogs Diamond not to sodomize you. That is, you're fucked.

There are no moderates any longer as we have all shifted to one side or t'other:

http://cellar.org/2016/pew-polarization.png

But voter turnout isn't DOWN:

http://cellar.org/2016/voter-turnout.png

Having watched for many decades, and studying the historical evidence of centuries, I can find no evidence for such beliefs. Just because the power-mongers preach it -- doesn't men it is true.

Greater participation just gives the consent of more people. It does not improve the quality of persons elected, nor the likelihood that they will really represent their "constituents".

It would be nice to think so, as I did for decades. However, in real politics it is the special interests and campaign funders whose concerns don't get ignored. The votes of the losers are counted for the winners as people who support the system and consent to whatever it does.

You are correct on many points. However, it is my contention that what government does is mostly bad for most of us, and will mostly always be. So, if the radicalization and election of extreme candidates really did cause them to get less done, it would be a good thing.

However, they mostly just pretend to oppose each other to keep their minions hyped up. When there is something truly odious to do, they cooperate greatly and pass it as bi-partisan, with hardly any fanfare. All the worst stuff gets passed without publicity.

Don't worry Henry.

"Wacko Extremist" is a term used by those who are mired in their moderate myrmidon training, and can't find any rational reply to threads of new thinking.

Yeah, sure you did. perhaps with just a wee bit of confirmation bias.

Greater participation is more conditional consent. Non-participation is unconditional consent. You've obviously never corresponded with any of your representatives.

Those of us who are still well grounded in reality know it's both voters and special interests.

The votes of the winners are also counted as people who support the system. Neither winners nor losers consent to whatever it does which is why there are impeachment and recall procedures. You're not playing with a full deck.

So you're simply an anarchist masquerading as a new thinker.

Paranoia, you? Nooooooooooooooooooo, yeah.

They're turning out to be a lot like the emperor's new clothes.

If you ain't got the option to say 'no' to every one runnin' then all you got is Hobson's Choice.

You don't have a hiring process, you don't have an election.

But, yeah, I'll vote (for Trump) cuz I like the idea of doin' violence without actually hittin' people; I like that nimrods will screech about my bad choices and blame me for all manner of woes and ills cuz that's all they can do (screech and cry and kvetch); I like my America imperial and adventuristic and Trump promises to pull the Big Stick out of the closet and hit a whole whack of folks (some who even deserve it!) up-side the head; and -- mebbe, possibly -- four years down the road there may be fewer regs to navigate, smaller taxes to pay, more cash in my pocket, and more opportunties to put cash in my pocket.

I wonder what issues are consistently left / right besides guns and abortion?

Environment, immigration, unions, healthcare?