Hey! I don't vote!

I would say voting on state and local issues can be worthwhile.

In Denver we wanted to legalize marijuana and then we had a vote on it. It passed because of the YES votes, had everyone stayed home and wished for it then it would not have happened. It makes me feel like I'm living in a Democracy!

a reply to: prolethreat81

I don't blame you for not voting, this past election I did not vote either. I don't agree with the Republicans or Democrats. In 2000 I voted for Bush, in 2004 I voted for Bush, in hindsight I regret both of these. Gore and Kerry would have been great. In 2008 I voted for Ron Paul, and in 2012 I voted for Jill Stein. I also voted in all midterms. In the 2014 midterms I gave up. I'm supposedly one of the most desirable votes in the country, and every 2 years I am heavily targeted. I'm a young swing voter, in one of the most competitive congressional districts in the country, in the state of Ohio. Everyone wants my vote... so why didnt I participate? I simply didn't want to give it to them. All options were equally bad to me, there was no less bad, I found every candidate to be undeserving of the position so I had no intention of endorsing one.

My theory on elections is in stark contrast to say Rush Limbaughs. While I see the same world of low information voters, I see them signing up with team R or team D and then cheering. Then I see the candidates fight for those two nomination slots. The problem is that it doesn't matter if high or low information people are voting if the person were voting for isn't good enough. So in 2016 I decided to take a new path. I looked into all of the third parties in the country, and found one that reflects my positions much better than R or D. Then I contacted them and started getting involved. If things go well there won't be a national office any time soon, but politics begin on a local level and maybe I can work to get some change there and vote in some people who are competent.

a reply to: prolethreat81

The way i look at is if you dont vote then do not complain about the outcome . Your vote is your right to at least try and make a difference . If everyone that did not vote all of a sudden voted for the (insert party here )party then you have a 3 party race . Might shake things up a little . BUT if you do vote , then whinge away .

originally posted by: Aazadan
My theory on elections is in stark contrast to say Rush Limbaughs. While I see the same world of low information voters, I see them signing up with team R or team D and then cheering. Then I see the candidates fight for those two nomination slots. The problem is that it doesn't matter if high or low information people are voting if the person were voting for isn't good enough. So in 2016 I decided to take a new path. I looked into all of the third parties in the country, and found one that reflects my positions much better than R or D. Then I contacted them and started getting involved. If things go well there won't be a national office any time soon, but politics begin on a local level and maybe I can work to get some change there and vote in some people who are competent.

I've always had a feeling that third party candidates actual vote counts are NEVER accurately reported. I figure most of the time some of their votes get thrown away, others are skimmed over and determined to be invalid, accidentally missed or counted for the wrong canidate, etc, so when the results are reported, the public just assumes the "third party guy lost anyway", so we never really know for sure if they gained votes over the years. I suspect that MANY people are voting third parties and writing in candidates, increasing in number every year, with the true results being downplayed by both the news and even by staff working at the polling locations.

a reply to: boohoo

originally posted by: boohooI've always had a feeling that third party candidates actual vote counts are NEVER accurately reported. I figure most of the time some of their votes get thrown away, others are skimmed over and determined to be invalid, accidentally missed or counted for the wrong canidate, etc, so when the results are reported, the public just assumes the "third party guy lost anyway", so we never really know for sure if they gained votes over the years. I suspect that MANY people are voting third parties and writing in candidates, increasing in number every year, with the true results being downplayed by both the news and even by staff working at the polling locations.

It's more corrupt than that. It used to be on youtube but now it's blocked to US viewers, there's a documentary called Hacking Democracy. It essentially proves that the 2004 election was fraudulent and from there we can extrapolate that 2008 and 2012 were as well. If you can find a copy of the documentary (proxy server for Youtube, find it elsewhere, etc) I would highly suggest watching it. It all comes down to who owns the voting machines, and I believe that what's happening is that the machines are taking votes away from third party candidates and adding them to the mainstream ones. Combined with the two party control of debates we have locked out any third parties from rising up, they don't want another Perot and even Paul was too close for comfort.

However, there are people winning third party positions in local elections. I just helped run a local campaign for my mom and got her elected to her city council as part of the Green party. My party, the Pirate party got elected to many local offices this past election cycle. As long as you stay out of the federal level there's room to get people into office, those in power only care about the offices that access billions and trillions of dollars. If you stay out of that and focus on local offices you can start making a difference and start building a power base to challenge higher offices after a couple election cycles.

This picture pretty much sums up my feelings on voting:



Star for the Op. Choosing not to participle in the voting process is still a right at this point.
And contrary to popular opinion, the constitution grants us the right to complain even if we don't vote.

originally posted by: Elton
I would say voting on state and local issues can be worthwhile.

In Denver we wanted to legalize marijuana and then we had a vote on it. It passed because of the YES votes, had everyone stayed home and wished for it then it would not have happened. It makes me feel like I'm living in a Democracy!

Star for you!

I dislike voting, however, every once and a while a candidate or issue will come up that needs my vote.


But I do tend to agree with the OP when it comes to Presidential elections, I have very little faith in them anymore.
Hanging chads and lies everywhere...

"change"

Pffft....

Yeah, change taken out of my pocket, had no idea that is what was meant.

But still sometimes, there are things worth voting for.

originally posted by: OrphanApology
a reply to: FyreByrd

People who don't vote absolutely have the "right" to complain.

You know why?

Because we are all born into this bull# and it's not something we choose. I don't vote and it is not anyone's place to say I don't have the "right" to complain because I choose not to participate in a sham of a system that I was born into. I choose not to vote because it's evil and government is evil.

There is no such thing as the lesser of two evils. There is only evil, in which I refuse to legitimatize by my participation.

I will still complain until the government and all it's idiotic followers become so violent to the point that they cut my tongue off. Which is entirely possible if history means anything.

Until then.

And because you were born into 'this' you have a responsibility to participate. You participate by voting and paying taxes and serving on juries.

And if you don't participate and have your voice heard (the best you can - and I do agree that it is difficult) then, IMO, you are a parasite on the community expecting others fulfill your responsiblities and have no moral ground to complain.

a reply to: FyreByrd

I reject my "responsibility" to be a willing materialistic long term conditioned slave.

Thanks though, keep on thinking any of this matters.

Voting? What's that?

a reply to: FyreByrd

I don't care what your opinion is of me. I am not required to participate in a scam that I was born into. That no more makes me a parasite than a slave who refuses to work for his master and runs away.

If you want to believe in this nonsense and legitimatize it with your participation, have at it.

However,

I will continue to complain.

I will continue to exist.

I will continue to work.

I will continue to be stolen from.

Just as you will continue supporting such theft and claiming anyone who refuses to acquiesce by forced participation in such a system a "parasite".

That's like telling someone that if they don't vote for which person they wish to assault them they have no right to complain of the assault afterwards because after all, they could have participated and the rape could have just been a mere slap. How dare they refuse to participate in it at all!?

What complete and utter nonsense.

When I turned 18 I didn't vote. My granddad went mad telling me family have died defending the right to vote.
Like others have said you can't complain about your goverment if you choose not to vote.
Vote for the monster raving looney party but still vote.

a reply to: OrphanApology


In pure numbers you only get to vote once. Even assuming that vote is counted it is still only one vote. We can complain endlessly both before and after the vote is taken. We can complain in large groups to legislators. (Lobby) We can fill their fax machines and email accounts with complaints. We can take compromising pictures of them when law makers are drunk. Well you get the idea. Voting counts once. Leverage is superior to voting in my opinion. That is how things really work on the hill.

originally posted by: FyreByrd
a reply to: prolethreat81

If you don't vote - you aren't allowed to complain about your government. Thank you for breathing the air.

Says who? Certainly not the Constitution that's for sure. Also it looks like the OP is doing a fine job of complaining about the government in the OP despite not being allowed to do that. So I guess you are wrong.

Question for those that don't vote: What good does that do? What will change, in the world, by your non-participation? Your choice to not participate doesn't seem to impact the way things are run. What makes you think not participating will make things better or worse?

I guess, in asking these questions, I'm starting to understand. It's not about your communities or your regions or your nation. It's about you. You don't feel good about it so you don't participate. Seems a little selfish to me...

Just like to say that about 70% of registered voters didn't vote in the 2014 midterm elections. A majority of eligible voters are letting the minority run things and are, seemingly, proud of that.

a reply to: links234

Whoever they want to get into office is who they will get there. The only ones running are the ones hand picked to do their bidding.

If I have to choose between a giant douche and a turd sandwich I'm going to use my right to not vote for either.

I refuse to choose between the lesser of two evils, if I do then I'm only fuelling their fire.

a reply to: machineintelligence

Leverage is superior but it's still battling the water on a sinking ship.

Government grows at an exponential rate in comparison to how fast regular folks can reign it in through their attempts at leverage.

The reason is that leverage is based primarily on money, connections, and blackmail based on those connections. Those three things are hard to come by.

While there are amazing stories of people being able to lobby successfully(think Aaron Swartz, whose life was then destroyed by the government)...most of the time it is unsuccessful and the amount of time and resources spent do not match the progress made by those that hold the wealth, power, connections already.

Like doing a grassroots lobby against a corporation. By the time you are successful(if you are) they will have already lobbied for 10 other things that are not in your interest because the cards were stacked to begin with.

Honestly it's all a scam and at this point I will just say the whole system is evil and I refuse to participate.

originally posted by: links234
Question for those that don't vote: What good does that do? What will change, in the world, by your non-participation? Your choice to not participate doesn't seem to impact the way things are run. What makes you think not participating will make things better or worse?

I guess, in asking these questions, I'm starting to understand. It's not about your communities or your regions or your nation. It's about you. You don't feel good about it so you don't participate. Seems a little selfish to me...

Just like to say that about 70% of registered voters didn't vote in the 2014 midterm elections. A majority of eligible voters are letting the minority run things and are, seemingly, proud of that.

It's the understanding & acceptance of the fact we live in a broken corrupt system in a broken corrupt world. I don't expect anything to change & I don't expect my vote to have any affect on anything. I also don't think soda, coffee, alcohol, sports, or the entertainment industry should exist.

Imo, most people don't vote as a stance against the system.

I don't vote because nothing in this short longterm conditioned human condition existence actually has any value.

a reply to: OrphanApology

A good post.

Maybe I would start voting when Lobbying & campaign donations are outlawed. Which might happen if the modern Corporatocracy ever falls. Good luck with that, but society is pretty #d in the long term atm.

a reply to: links234

Question for those that don't vote: What good does that do? What will change, in the world, by your non-participation? Your choice to not participate doesn't seem to impact the way things are run. What makes you think not participating will make things better or worse?

What good does it do? It saves me time that would be wasted on something that does not work and is a sham.

My choice not to participate doesn't change how things are run, just like your participation doesn't. The difference is, I refuse to participate in something I consider evil...while you have a weird notion that it's mandatory and anyone who refuses is selfish.

I don't vote because to me it is a morally appalling thing to do. For me to vote on someone who is going to go into this thing called the state(government) who then pass laws to steal from other people and use violence to control others bodies.

No thanks.

I find voting, politics, governments and everything else related to the state EVIL.

I may have been born into this system, but I will not participate in the sham anymore than I have to, to survive(like paying taxes).

How do I fight things that I find wrong? I try to be a better version of me.