You should vote so that the majority of the population does not realize that elections are decided by the people who manipulate the electronic voting machines. It doesn't matter how you vote, but if you stop the truth may surface.
That's right. And at the end of the day what do we have? Banana Republic elections. Make sure you all go vote so that the vote tally can be modified at the end of the day by some computer nerd with an executable computer file called "Gems" that hacks into the vote totals. IF the machine didn't already miscount your ballot, that is. Try to go vote in poorer districts where your vote will be suppressed before it can ever be hacked away because the powers-that-be have targeted you as someone likely to vote against them, and will provide you one voting booth that will make you stand in line for hours, while voting booths in say, Sugar Land, are plentiful and you can breeze right on through. Try to go vote, that is, IF you weren't already wrongly disenfranchised in the first place. REFERENCE PAGE "Hacking Democracy" (special on HBO) Rolling Stone magazine Some Other Magazine That I Can't Remember Right Now (Harper's?) The Best Democracy Money Can Buy by Greg Palast Et al.
Not really. The more people that have this attitude and abstain from voting means the more my vote counts. Not to oversimplify with this cliche, but they hold elections for the same reason they play the games... I agree with you here. Probably the biggest flaw in the system... There are other parties. To abuse another cliche, the journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. If more people woke up to the fact that there are more than just two options, and stopped worrying about inadvertedly dooming their "lesser of two evils" party to losing, the smaller groups could start building strength.
All the more reason to vote and to encourage others to vote. On a level playing field, they lose and they know it. Make them cheat. They want you to stop voting so they can win without cheating. That's part of the strategy. There's only one party that has a major goal of suppressing votes, of not encouraging Americans to take part in the process of self-government and that's the current iteration of autocratic Republicans. One has to have faith in America and faith that eventually their actions will catch up with them. Vote.
I've been enjoying the responses to this thread. I thought of more things to add to my list on my drive home, but I can't remember them now. Anyway, there were a couple replies I wanted to address. Chic in the D&D certainly. As for veterans, I should likely have been more diplomatic in my response since I knew even at the time that someone would object. My own father served during Vietnam. But, in the case of World War II, it was not the aim of either of our adversaries to conquer the US. They wanted to inflict a military defeat so that they would have free hands in their respective spheres, Europe and the South Pacific. If they thought we would leave them alone, I think they would have left us alone as well. I believe it was a good think we did not leave them alone and that we played an important part in securing the voting rights of the French, Germans, English, Italians, Koreans, Filipinos and so on. But, my (American) voting rights were not endangered. So, I'm not saying that your father's service was in vain, just that it doesn't impact my vote (in the US). Even in the case of the Cold War, I don't think American democracy was at stake. The USSR was playing defense throughout the whole ordeal. They could not even dream of actually conquering the US. Rimrocker, I can appreciate that argument (that voting dilutes special interests), but I don't know if it is really true. Really, everyone has special interest groups they belong to, formally or informally. In the battle detween Republicans and Democrats, elections are won and lost, not on wooing voters, but on getting voters to go to the polls. In their approach to mass voting, how you will vote (in aggregate) is more or less taken for granted. The only real variable for them is will you care enough to make the trip or not. It is still true that the parties must construct their platforms in a way to maintain their half of the electorate, but they do this with special interests. The Republicans get the wealthy, the business community, the Christians, the pro-lifers, the gun nuts, the white suburban families; the Democrats get most of the minorities, the tree-huggers, the civil libertarians, the pro-choice folks, and so on. They take your vote for granted on the basis of your allegiance to these identities. They will serve your interests only insofar as they must to get you to go to the polls. In that regard, you may be better served by consciously withholding your vote because of your dissatisfaction -- than your predetermined political party might feel like it has to deliver the goods to make you happy. Democrats know that blacks will vote Democrat. So why spend much energy on them? Republicans know pro-lifers will vote Republican. So, they'll tease with a little promise here and there, but won't fight. The politicians spend all their time trying to please the "middle." There is more power in withholding your vote, if you can do it in aggregate. New Yorker, that is an interesting position to take on non-voters. I think I addressed part of your argument above. I take the same approach as you -- that your voting represents the groups you belong to -- but my conclusion is different. Your candidate doesn't care about you if you are already in their corner. As for criminal mentality: I see what you mean if the intention in not voting is to save yourself from bother. But, if you don't vote because you refuse to participate in a sham decision between a crook and a liar, then I think it is just the opposite. Oh, and I wanted to point out to ROXTXIA, even though it is only anecdotal, that I voted in the Third Ward today and there were plenty of voting booths, no significant lines, and everything worked properly. Will they count my vote? Who knows.
The simplest reason to vote. For a moment assume that everything was 100% on the up and up in Florida in 2000. If just 200 more Democrats would have voted in Florida, Gore would have won the presidency. Putting the numbers in that light, makes every vote seem a bit more important. Also, many times, local races, such as mayoral or school board are decided by a handful of votes. If you don't have the time or inclination to do the research on the obscure candidates for the obscure office, simply dont vote in those races.
My vote may not count but I voted for the first time in my life today and for some reason it may me feel pretty good.
congratulations. i always feel good after voting. maybe i'll become so sophisticated one day that not voting feels like the right thing to do.
I live in spring branch in a very strong republican district. my vote may not count as much as I want it to but I still vote out of respect for people who died for me to have the right. but I understand the frustration. actually this is my first time voting in this district and its funny walking in there know that at least 80% of the others are voting republican. one thing I was thinking leaving the booth, there are actually a lot of minorities that live over here and I was wondering would it ruffle feathers if I or any other person started some effort to get everyone over here to vote.
Outstanding! The best post I've read today, and I don't care who you voted for. Everyone should vote. If they did, the tricks and manipulations of both parties would be very difficult to pull off. Keep D&D Civil.
I figured I would kill two birds with one stone so I got in some exercise by walking to my polling place. I had a little problem with my voting machine, but the poll worker started me over. Anyway, I at least got a nice walk in the sunshine, even if my vote ends up not counting.
Again, your canidate will care when it comes time for re-election. The less that those of you and your interest share vote, the less that canidate has to enact legislation in line with those interests. If you don't vote, your interests don't matter. It doesn't matter if you think all the canidates are crooks...then vote for yourself. But you still have to cast that ballot. Vote for the losing canidate if you have to. But just vote. Think about it...if people don't vote because politicians are crooks and liars...then only crooks and liars will run - because only people willing to vote for them come to the polls. But if those who are disgusted still vote...then someone is going to think, hey...I could get all those votes by just being honest and not a scumy liar. We really do have the power...but we have to excercise it by all voting. If we don't let them turn us off, then they will stop trying to turn us off and instead try to win our votes. Vote...and encourage your friends to vote...and encourage them to encourage their friends to vote and keep it going. A freakin chain mail can make it around the world....why can't we all just show up to a poll and show the world that we care about democracy? How can we preach democracy when we don't even practice it. Vote. If this country gives you anything, then voting is giving something back...it's the most patriotic thing you can do. More then waving a flag, singing and anthem, making a pledge. Short of spilling your blood - there isn't a greater honor then to strenghten our democracy then by excercising that democracy. Excercise makes a country grow stronger...
Er, no. Do you really think that Japan and Germany would have left us alone in the long term? With Europe and then Russia secured, and the atom bomb they would have inevitably developed (before the US more than likely), do you really think Hitler would have stopped? I think that's a flight of fancy and the same goes for an unhindered Japan post securing East Asia. You're making the mistake of taking the the intial reasons for conflict and extrapolating an unlikely end result. Yeah, defense like rolling through Eastern Europe and proactively sponsoring proxies across the globe. Considering the USSR's declared goal of worldwide revolution Soviet style, its easy to see where you'd draw that conclusion. As for the British, I'm not sure what your response that 'they had a democracy' has to do with anything. IIRC it was our inability to participate in that democracy that led to some fighting back in 1776.
Why bother voting? The Illuminati and the New World Order control both parties anyway? Corporations are the real power behind our government--anyone with half-a-brain knows this. What's the point?!...
