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3. If you don't vote, you have no right to complain - I argue the exact opposite: by participating in the system, you are sanctioning the system. If you believe that "majority rules" is a viable method of interacting with other people, then you must agree to be bound by the will of the majority. If a vote is a valid way of making a decision, why would anyone who agrees to participate in the vote complain when the vote doesn't go his way? He believes in the process; therefore even if the majority doesn't agree with him, it is only just that he be subjected to their will. By refusing to condone the process with your participation, however, you retain the right to protest others presuming to make your decisions for you.
Nonsense. Mindless sophistry. The United States has established itself as a representative Republic, in which the means by which you chose the men and women who will govern over you is by voting for them. If you "refuse to condone the process with your participation," you are indeed abdicating your right to have a say in who will represent you. But SOMEONE will be chosen to be your (Councilman, Representative, Senator, President, etc.), and if you are too disdainful of our form of government to participate in this process, someone else will indeed do it for you. And you have NO RIGHT to complain if you aren't satisfied with the outcome.
And by the way, the United States is not strictly a "majority rules" society. Certain basic fundamental rights are spelled out in the Constitution, and ALL people -- majority and minority alike -- are (at least in theory) able to enjoy those rights.
Since you apparently disdain representative democracy, which form of government would you prefer? You have the option of either working within our system to attempt to have that type of government implemented, or moving to another country that operates under that form.
Doesn't bother me in the least. If people are too lazy to go to the polls to vote, I don't want those people to have a say in who will govern over me. Whether I agree with the majority choice or not, I want my leaders chosen by people who are motivated enough to have some skin in the game that they will educate themselves about the candidates and their stands on the issues, and then get off their butts and go vote.
I live in a place where the elderly dress up in their Sunday clothes and come to vote. Some are WWII veterans who understand tyranny and want to prevent if from rising again. We vote what money to spend to run our town and to run our schools. We are frugal. We have no zoning. Build what you want, where you want it. People here have common sense. Like common courtesy it is hard to find today, but we still have plenty of it here.
I have voted in every election that I could in the past 47 years. I always try to get as much information as possible about the issues and people to be voted on. At times I have left spaces blank on a ballot because I didn't think I knew enough about the person/issue on the ballot to make an informed decision. A W.A.G is not acceptable.
We hear the Mantra constantly that we have a duty to vote. No we have a RIGHT TO VOTE. We have a DUTY to inform ourselves properly on what to vote for.
You mean democracy where we vote for one politician over another who people will just say are doing it wrong anyway? The same people who were honest just like us before they got voted into power?
Been there, done that. Overrated.
What's more useless are people from each party acting like they are 2 sports teams going at it. "No! We are better!!!!" Seriously, quit it.
No, if you think about it rationally voting is a waste of time. No election is ever decided by a single vote, so the reality is that each individual voter is inconsequential in a big picture context. If you factor in the red state vs. blue state tilt and things like the electoral college it makes even less sense to bother voting.
Yes! There are local issues to vote on, even if you don't feel there's a candidate worthy of your vote.
I've held my nose and voted for one of the two big parties for the last couple of decades because I felt the other party was that much worse. Recently I made the decision I wont even vote for the least worst option among the two parties any longer because they are both controlled by big money and corporations, and their policies and the legislation they pass into law is not for the benefit of most of us.
So I'm left with the decision to either use my vote as a protest vote by voting for a third party candidate I don't agree with, just to send a message, or not vote for anyone and just vote on the issues.
I've wanted to try to start a third party but I'm the least likely person to do so for various reasons. Plus, I don't know that people are energized to take part in starting or joining a new party and building it. They are more likely to take notice or care after it's already well established. In a country of well over 300 million people I think it's harder today to make a difference by starting a third party than ever. We'd end up whistling in the wind with our efforts gone to waste. I imagine it'd take a lot of money to advertise to even get people's attention after forming a good party platform. If you look on Politics1.com where it lists the different political parties you'll notice most of the third parties are very small, and many fell victim to infighting or were taken over by extremists. And the three that have a decent number of members, none of those parties are likely to ever have broad popularity among voters.
So again, yes, it's important to vote, on issues, and on candidates if they and their party deserve it.
You should absolutely vote. But only if you really understand what you are voting for or against.
In other words, do not vote if you have no idea whether a bill is good or bad, whether a bond is needed, or if the person running for the job is the best choice. If you are reduced to voting along so-called party lines, or because you like how someone looked on a commercial, you may not get what you think you are getting. If you are not interested enough in your government to read up on the issues and candidates, then perhaps it is better to not make wild guesses.
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