You can't complain if you *did* vote

The thread title is the same as the article so don't shoot the messenger, but the article echos exactly what I have been saying. Voters just help continue the insanity. We would be much better off if we simply refused to vote. Say "NO" to the poor choices we are given when deciding who is going to "lead" the nation. The people who do not vote have every right to complain as loudly as they would like. They choose not to participate in the fraud that is the election process.

By taking part in the state's voting ritual, you affirm the legitimacy of the system, you tell the government how you want the state's machinery to run, you say how you want to force people to live. By not voting, you are voicing your displeasure with the system, you are showing it has no validity in your life, you're showing it's irrelevant and the system is an illegitimate fraud.

Source

reply to post by MrWendal


I AGREE.. I VOTED FOR OBAMA BEFORE I KNEW THE TRUTH OF WHAT WAS GOING ON....I WAS LIED TOO.. I FELT LIKE MY VOTED COUNTED THEN BUT IT DIDNT THE PEOPLE BEHIND IT PRE SELECTED OBAMA... IM NEW TO ATS..I LOVE READING THE POST..PEOPLE HAVE SOME REALLY FUNNY COMMENTS..

Welcome to ATS.

Im sorry to hear that you fell for the Obama silliness, but don't be too down on yourself for it. You may feel lied to, but you were lied to. Politicians have lied in order to get into office for as long as I can remember, it is nothing new. Next time you have a politican who wants your vote telling you everything you want to hear, I would suggest going back and looking at his voting record to see for yourself if his/her words match up with his/her actions.

Of course you can also do what I do. Just refuse. Stop voting. I didn't vote in this election and the more I continue to think about it, the more I think I have finally gotten it right. Just say no. I refuse to vote for the lesser of two evils. I refuse to participate in a system that threw me overboard decades ago. I refuse to participate in a system that does nothing for me at all. They do not represent me.

I could have written that article. I didn't, but it spells out exactly why I didn't vote, for the 1st time since I could vote. I actually thought in my head "I can't complain if I vote. I'm just feeding the system if I vote!"

It's so weird to get on ATS sometimes and read my thoughts typed out by someone else!

I've never felt like my vote counted only because the difference between the candidates is so large but I do vote because I feel that it is leaving my mark no matter how insignificant and small it is. Its good for the history books when people want to look back to get a feel for how the people were feeling and really dive into the numbers. If I wasnt drawn to anyone voting then I wouldnt vote either but that didn't happen this time around.

Exactly

Ive never voted in my life and dont plan on it until i am convinced that it will actually count for something. Im not just going to vote for one of three politicians that are just spewing constant bs just because its the "american thing to do" and "we live in a democracy". What a crock.

By voting you are just validating this bogus system we live in and proving to the elites how stupid americans really are. You are encouraging others to buy into the system and live in this fantasy world where your vote counts and the politicians are for your best interest

reply to post by MrWendal


I agree. It is those that vote who help perpetuate the corruption of the system. Those that abstain from such a system have every right to complain and those that vote, those that are partially responsible for the system continuing, are the ones that can't complain.

Just thought i'd put this one up for you guys. It's on topic and the title is similar!

ATS: If you DID vote....

reply to post by MrWendal


Its already the case that less than half of US adults are the ones to determine any given election. So what has that done to get people questioning the legitimacy of the state? Nothing as far as I can tell.

If a candidate runs on the platform that the whole system is a fraud, then surely votes toward that candidate cannot be said to be votes of confidence in favor of the system.

reply to post by MrWendal


I have seen it all now. Massive desperation here and pure stupidity. Just junk.

Uh.. BS.. we can always complain, I think the proper term is "protest". I hate how they try to drill this into your mind that you can't complain... Until they add 3rd parties, or no confidence to the ballot, we can always complain, because we have to choose, and well, its impossible to not have cognitive dissonance.. we make mistakes by voting for someone who ended up lying and not doing a thing...

I disagree. If you don't vote it will probably be construed as "too lazy to vote" or "I don't give a damm about anything.period" It is better to vote for a party and the candidates you believe in! Do some research into libertarians, socialists, communists, green party, constitutionalists, etc...THEN VOTE!

The problem is the kool-aid voters who drop a ballot for good looks and/or race. If your 20-30 years old fine, but 50+ means you should have learned a thing or two about "life".........somewhere! Hopefully?? Why is that all the "small" parties combined ALWAYS get less than 1% vote? MM ignores them and people are tooo stupid to ask WHY???

...i believe the only time your vote might count is in local elections where the electee is more likely to have to deal with voters in person...

...in any election where the electee is sent off to dc or your state capital, you are out of sight, out of mind and soon forgotten (until the next election begins to approach) - but - lobbyists with full pockets and big promises are always around those electees...

...like with just about everything else in life, a learning curve is involved in understanding what voting really means in the usofa... for some, awareness was fairly recent after gwb's first election... some "got it" after gwb's second election... some "got it" after obama's election... some still dont "get it"... some never will...

Originally posted by Titen-Sxull
It is those that vote who help perpetuate the corruption of the system.

...i dont believe that... the system is rigged, always has been, at least on the national level... cant blame voters when the winner was chosen by the mucky mucks long before the campaigning even started...

Originally posted by Titen-Sxull
Those that abstain from such a system have every right to complain and those that vote, those that are partially responsible for the system continuing, are the ones that can't complain.

...no one is more entitled to gripe than anyone else...

Originally posted by EarthCitizen07
If you don't vote it will probably be construed as "too lazy to vote" or "I don't give a damm about anything.period"

...so, iow, rather than doing what you believe is right for yourself, a person should be more concerned about what someone else might think of them... thats herd mentality... i'd sooner eat maggots than participate in that foolishness...

“I don't vote. Two reasons. First of all it's meaningless; this country was bought and sold a long time ago. The **** they shovel around every 4 years *pfff* doesn't mean a f****ing thing. Secondly, I believe if you vote, you have no right to complain. People like to twist that around – they say, 'If you don't vote, you have no right to complain', but where's the logic in that? If you vote and you elect dishonest, incompetent people into office who screw everything up, you are responsible for what they have done. You caused the problem; you voted them in; you have no right to complain. I, on the other hand, who did not vote, who in fact did not even leave the house on election day, am in no way responsible for what these people have done and have every right to complain about the mess you created that I had nothing to do with.”

-George Carlin

Every election I always think about this Carlin quote. Hopefully it can brighten up at least one person's day.

reply to post by Xcalibur254


I always liked carlin. Much of what he said made total sense. He understood the system and how it worked.

I miss his brutal honesty.

So... we are supposed to not vote and.... what?

"Until they introduce third parties. . ."

Who is they? Why do you expect someone to come in and sort your problems out for you?

This is pure stupidity: "My vote doesn't count" - no, it can't, because you didn't vote. "I've never voted because my vote doesn't count" - Gee... aren't we a tree of wisdom.

This is the problem with this nation - complacency. YOU are the government. The only time your vote doesn't count is when you pass the responsibility off on the bureaucracy so that you don't have to be pestered with voting about it.

"The big parties are in control, my vote won't count." - Since we're all such flourishing forests of intellect, let's consider that average voter turnout is just slightly less than 50% of the nation. That leaves roughly 23% voting democrat and 23% voting republican. If just half of you "my vote doesn't count" mopers would get out and vote for a 3rd party - it would put that party into power, literally, within one voting cycle.

You are the government. You claim to be "enlightened" and "no longer sheeple" - but you're doing the same thing as those who stick to party lines - worse, even. You're sitting back and expecting the rest of the world to solve your problems.

That has -never- worked in the past. Ever. Get out there and do your damned job as part of the government. Voting is only a small portion of that. But until you can at least show up at the polls and make the most minimal of effort to be a responsible participant in the government - you really do have no right to complain. I know you are going to, regardless - but it's really pretty pathetic that you can't even make the most minimal effort to participate.

reply to post by MrWendal


i'm complaining that your complaining that other people are complaining that other people are complaining.

i voted to complain and protest the powers that be and i will not sit by and complain the system doesn't work because of people are sheep and buying into the two party system.

the problems are obvious the system is broke and people should be voting they count on the straight party voters but they also count on the apathy of the people who are so disillusioned with the current system.

whether you vote or not you are still apart of the system that you are trying to avoid they got it all figured out.

the people who vote are sheep and the people who don't vote are sheep we all are playing our parts on the world's stage.

Interesting, so your solution is for everyone to NOT vote, and basically let the PTB choose whoever they want in anyway.

I got another solution.

Research your candidates, learn about your independent candidates and when you go to the polls vote for people that you feel actually will do good in charge.

I never vote a straight ticket. Voting a straight ticket is for brain dead zombies.

There are usually more candidates than just the Democrats or Republicans, learn about them.