Am I the only one that chooses not to vote?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Also noteworthy, a recent Princeton study found that the USA is an oligarchy, not a representative democracy.

Such a finding further dilutes the "importance" of casting a vote.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/apr/21/americas-oligarchy-not-democracy-or-republic-unive/

Rather, it has taken a turn down elitist lane and become a country led by a small dominant class comprised of powerful members who exert total control over the general population — an oligarchy, said a new study jointly conducted by Princeton and Northwestern universities.

One finding in the study: The U.S. government now represents the rich and powerful, not the average citizen, United Press International reported.
Click to expand...
 
Cse said:
That trend is inexorable. My absence at the voting booth won't change that.
Click to expand...

If you don't even try, then it can't really be confirmed can it? You are just part of an enormous contingency that just doesn't vote and that does have an affect on the results. Even if you got 1 of your ballot choices into their position that would still matter in the long run.
 
Cse said:
Also noteworthy, a recent Princeton study found that the USA is an oligarchy, not a representative democracy.

Such a finding further dilutes the "importance" of casting a vote.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/apr/21/americas-oligarchy-not-democracy-or-republic-unive/
Click to expand...

You can still do your part by tuning out the ads, reading the ballot, and making a decision by yourself.

SolidSnakesMyStepDad said:
It's fine not to vote. Just don't complain about the government.
Click to expand...
 
speculawyer said:
This is really stupid reasoning. Yeah, of course one single vote doesn't matter. But if everyone used that logic then no one would vote.

Votes matter . . . and especially the attitude to vote. If you pull your Linkin Park Emo schtick and decide not vote and get lots of your friends to go along with it, you've just reduced the vote for your demographic. Congrats . . . other voters will vote their interests and shaft you and your whiners. And then you'll just whine some more.
Click to expand...

"but if everyone" is about as silly as the "am i the only one" of the thread title. if everyone thought like me there would be no need for elections. my voting or not voting has absolutely nothing to do with how many people choose (or choose not) to vote.

Kusagari said:
Because there's never been close races before?

500 people think the same thing and don't vote and a result that could have went how they wanted it goes the other way.
Click to expand...

so not only do you need to vote, you need to convince 500 other people to do so, and to vote the way you want? that's exactly what i posted in the first place: your vote doesn't matter, convincing many people to vote the way you want them to might.

there simply is no good reason for an individual to vote, other than enjoying the act of voting. i don't, so i don't bother.
 
I can't believe what I'm reading, this false equivalency bullshit. An America run by Democrats controlling all 3 levers of power (House, Senate, Presidency) for a significant length of time would resemble something like Canada. An America similarly controlled by Republicans for a length of time would look like the disaster that is Kansas under Governor Brownback.

Democrats are a loyal opposition generally and will usually compromise to get something done. Also outside of the liberal cities they're forced to become something akin to the old Blue Dog Democrats (an extinct species now) to survive, and so this meeting in the middle gives the false impression that both parties are the same. Make no mistake though, their visions properly implemented are very different.
 
You have to vote for people you believe can change something in government. If there's no one running that you like, write someone in, or run yourself. Otherwise you have no room to complain. Your opinion on politics is irrelevant because your voice is nonexistent.
 
Suikoguy said:
Oh great, another one of those "Both parties are the same" failacies...
Click to expand...

They're both the same in that overall they can't solve the worlds problems or stop new problems from beginning. But thats been the story for thousands of years. Communism, Fascism, dictatorships, republics, democracies...all through time, all have failed to solve the worlds problems, or even bring happiness and security to more than a few citizens. I guarantee you people will keep on inventing governments as they always have.

Not playing the game is a vote in itself.
 
I just want to say that this thread is a great example of the saying "The amount of energy necessary to refute bullshit is an order of magnitude bigger than to produce it."

So many people spending time and energy to refute the obviously illogical bullshit of a couple of people. Sucks, man.
 
Rockandrollclown said:
Continue ignoring the fact that in elections there are issues you can vote on directly.
Click to expand...

Where the heck do you live? I live in Chicago. I would love for some of these recent changes to be put up on the ballot for a vote. Unfortunately Rahm is going to do whatever the fuck Rahm wants to do.
 
I find people are generally uncomfortable with the idea of massive aggregation of opinion. They want to feel like they have real tangible sway and become despondent when scale is beyond their comprehension. This is perhaps why we are so quick to form factions and political groups as we generally get that feeling being one of a handful rather than one of a million.

If you want change you can feel you need to create or join that sort of group. And then you get Doge into Nascar.
 
HalfBakedProphet said:
Vote 3rd party. It doesn't even matter which party (yet)

At the very least, you're showing your dissatisfaction with the current choices.
Click to expand...

Seriously, or vote and only vote on candidates and issues that matter to you. You don't have to fill out every box.

Somnid said:
I find people are generally uncomfortable with the idea of massive aggregation of opinion. They want to feel like they have real tangible sway and become despondent when scale is beyond their comprehension. This is perhaps why we are so quick to form factions and political groups as we generally get that feeling being one of a handful rather than one of a million.

If you want change you can feel you need to create or join that sort of group. And then you get Doge into Nascar.
Click to expand...

Another fantastic post :)
 
John Dunbar said:
so not only do you need to vote, you need to convince 500 other people to do so, and to vote the way you want? that's exactly what i posted in the first place: your vote doesn't matter, convincing many people to vote the way you want them to might.

there simply is no good reason for an individual to vote, other than enjoying the act of voting. i don't, so i don't bother.
Click to expand...

You do realize that these are completely contradictory statements right? If people don't vote as individuals, what good does it do to get 500 like minded people who say they're going to vote one way or the other, but ultimately don't vote at all?

Ecotic said:
I can't believe what I'm reading, this false equivalency bullshit. An America run by Democrats controlling all 3 levers of power (House, Senate, Presidency) for a significant length of time would resemble something like Canada. An America similarly controlled by Republicans for a length of time would look like the disaster that is Kansas under Governor Brownback.

Democrats are a loyal opposition generally and will usually compromise to get something done. Also outside of the liberal cities they're forced to become something akin to the old Blue Dog Democrats (an extinct species now) to survive, and so this meeting in the middle gives the false impression that both parties are the same. Make no mistake though, their visions properly implemented are very different.
Click to expand...

Naw, not with the way the background of politics works.
 
Borgnine said:
You're right nothing has changed in 238 years. Maybe once you graduate from junior high you won't be so impatient, but political change is supposed to be slow and gradual, it's designed that way.
Click to expand...

This. Even if the "right guy" was elected president for the "right" reasons and he 100% wanted to do the "right" things, he would only be able to push things a little bit in the "right" direction before his term was over. It's like a long game of tug of war.

Just because you haven't seen what you perceive as dramatic positive change in your short adult life doesn't mean things aren't changing as a result of who has been elected.

If you don't vote you risk being the frog in the pot of water who doesn't see everything heating up around him until it's too late.

DONT BE A FROG
 
Timan said:
I think more people would vote if they didn't have to work that day.
Click to expand...

Agreed. It makes it difficult to get to the polls during those times.

Though I also feel people should really take advantage of early voting. I voted from the comfort of my home.
 
Cse said:
That trend is inexorable. My absence at the voting booth won't change that.
Click to expand...

bullshit. Voting can change thing and it has. It's not necessarily good, just look at the tea party. Whether or not you believe that corporate interests were behind the rise of the tea party, the fact is that that the tea party changed the composition of congress and affected its actions through the power of the vote. Incumbents and challengers alike were all of a sudden scarred of getting primaried out of their districts, and congress was put into an effective sleeper hold as the right sat in fear of anything that could be construed as compromise.

If corporate interests can affect the trajectory of congress through the power of the vote, than the vote itself is a powerful tool in and of itself.
 
Write in a candidate, but at least fucking vote. If you're the only one smart enough to see whats going on, fucking do something to change things instead of trying to justify your lazy ass.
 
Cse said:
I feel like I'm the only one that actually sees what's going on.

Red, blue, left, right, Republican, Democrat, liberal, conservative....it doesn't matter. They're all the same. .
.
Click to expand...

Not this again, how many times this have to be proven false? You may dislike all the parties but they are not the same.
 
John Dunbar said:
so not only do you need to vote, you need to convince 500 other people to do so, and to vote the way you want? that's exactly what i posted in the first place: your vote doesn't matter, convincing many people to vote the way you want them to might.

there simply is no good reason for an individual to vote, other than enjoying the act of voting. i don't, so i don't bother.
Click to expand...

Generally speaking, people who give a shit about their wellbeing and the wellbeing of others do tend to have some shared interests.
 
jtb said:
those are two completely different issues.

you can choose not to vote because you don't want to. whatever, that's your right.

but that's different from saying your vote doesn't count. they all count. they all decide elections
Click to expand...

i never said your vote doesn't count. i said it doesn't matter. there is a difference.

although your vote is about as significant as the many votes that are thrown away every election, so i suppose it's not too far fetched to say they don't count if you want to be pessimistic. you could even pretend your vote was tossed every election you voted in and still nothing would be different.
 
Zefah said:
That's saying that you have no interest in your surrounding area, your country, other people's welfare, and any policy issues that will also affect you.

You don't live in a vacuum. I bet you complain about public policy that you don't like. Guess what, you have an interest in politics.

Stop being stupid and saying stupid things like this.
Click to expand...

No reason to call me stupid because you don't like that I don't vote. Also, believe it or not, I don't complain about "public policy" for the fact that I don't vote. Who am I to complain? If policy issues affected me to a point that it bothered me, I'd do some research and possibly vote. However, that hasn't happened. It's not even being on a high horse or anything. I don't have a interest in politics so I don't follow politics so why vote just for the sake of it?
 
Cse said:
Red, blue, left, right, Republican, Democrat, liberal, conservative....it doesn't matter. They're all the same. Corporations own this country and they control everything that takes place in Washington. They spend hundreds of millions of dollars to "influence" congressional opinions, and they have 3rd party organizations and lobbying groups that practically work alongside politicians to create legislation that fits their needs.
Click to expand...
Cse said:
And yet, every year, Americans seem to get galvanized behind a given politician. People seem to think that once their guy gets elected, their lives will suddenly improve and everything will be wonderful. In the end, nothing changes.
Click to expand...

Well this plainly isn't true. Imagine if John McCain or Mitt Romney had become president. Imagine if the House was majority Democrat or if the Senate was majority Republican. You really think nothing would be different?

On a state level, think about issues like gay marriage, gun legislation, voter suppression, etc. Who the people elect has an impact on what happens. Corporations have a too much influence, sure, but you're living a cynical fantasy if you think corporations are literally pulling all the strings and the entire election process makes no difference.
 
Cse said:
I feel like I'm the only one that actually sees what's going on.

Red, blue, left, right, Republican, Democrat, liberal, conservative....it doesn't matter. They're all the same. Corporations own this country and they control everything that takes place in Washington. They spend hundreds of millions of dollars to "influence" congressional opinions, and they have 3rd party organizations and lobbying groups that practically work alongside politicians to create legislation that fits their needs.

Politicians don't care about Americans...they just don't. Most of them are lavishly rich, and like most people, they care about themselves, their families, and their own self interests. I cringe every time I see one of them donning blue jeans and a buttoned down shirt while talking and shaking hands with Americans in rural areas. It's just a PR move. They're actors. They couldn't care less.

And yet, every year, Americans seem to get galvanized behind a given politician. People seem to think that once their guy gets elected, their lives will suddenly improve and everything will be wonderful. In the end, nothing changes.

It's why I just can't bring myself to vote. To go and vote is a vote of support for this entire, incredibly corrupt system. It's a vote for a person who doesn't know and doesn't care who I am. Worst of all, people are indoctrinated at a young age to go and vote because it's such a unique "right", as we have a "choice" about who we choose to put in office. Yeah, what an amazing "choice" we have. In reality, we get to choose the puppet that serves as the face for corporate America, because it's the rich corporations that are actually pulling the strings.
Click to expand...

Unless you're like. 14 and just now "seeing the truth" then you should be embarrassed and ashamed of this thought process. how can you say nothing changes? did the US have accessible health care 5 years ago?
 
Stupid corporations controlling politics with directly voted on state initiatives and propositions. Next you'll try to tell me corporations don't control my local state and county races. I recognize your shadow candidate for our city council PepsiCo. Nice try.
 
anaron said:
Stop, you're embarrassing yourself in trying to justify laziness.
Click to expand...

Precisely. Here's how lazy and willing to defend a rather untenable position the OP is, spending time and energy to search and link news items instead of taking the barest modicum of effort in finding out about their own local situation and voting on it. If you're so smart and see through the bullshit, OP, you'll vote with some education about who can help make a positive impact on what the issues are, even if just at the local level. That you're clinging to the 'corporations own us all anyway' attitude says to me that you're one of the sheeple who jumped into the slaughtering machine willingly.
 
Chie Satonaka said:
I'm not going to say both parties are the same, but yes, Corporations do own the US, and yes, both parties do have significant corporate interests.
Click to expand...

This is funny because there are more than 2 parties in US. But the other parties don't matter at all, because of the underlying system. It's impossible for any other party to get that big unless the party has lots and lots and lots of funding. There is no way around it. Capitalism at its best.

Don't worry though. In almost all countries, where it's not just "winner takes it all", it's exactly the same. Just take a look at for example Germany. 2 asshole parties implemented the Hartz IV concept (anti welfare state, disgusting and inhuman treatment of sick and unemployed people and it will create really large problems sooner or later). Then 2 other asshole parties got into power. Do you think they did something about it? Haha, of course not.

The only democracy, where the people are actually in power (somewhat) is Switzerland. Everything else is just a democracy theater.
 
MightyHedgehog said:
Exactly. Stop putting your head up your ass and look at how it actually affects people living at the bottom, you and everyone you know. Who is in office matters even if the political system has broken the process over and over again. It still works to provide and improve services and funding to those organizations which help people at street level regardless of corruption's reach. Stop thinking top-level only and actually pay attention to the influence that their decisions have on the normal citizen, but follow the citizen up through the levels of district, city, county, state, and federal offices and positions that do matter directly to you and your friends, family, and all of those that benefit or suffer from inaction or a lack of enlightened self-interest to find out how your vote matters.
Click to expand...
Zefah said:
That's saying that you have no interest in your surrounding area, your country, other people's welfare, and any policy issues that will also affect you.

You don't live in a vacuum. I bet you complain about public policy that you don't like. Guess what, you have an interest in politics.

Stop being stupid and saying stupid things like this.
Click to expand...
Yep. People should at least care about it on micro and meso levels. Look at your loved ones, the community around you, the services that directly affect you on a daily basis, then get informed about how the people in power are either maintaining that, making it better or worse and act accordingly.
 
Ultima_5 said:
Unless you're like. 14 and just now "seeing the truth" then you should be embarrassed and ashamed of this thought process
Click to expand...




Lmao, this totally. I was about to ask how old the OP was. I distinctly remember going through this phase exactly when I was in middle school. You grow past it pretty quick though.
 
I vote in every election but I often feel like I'm doing absolutely no good by doing so. I never research candidates or issues and 99% of the time I just vote straight ticket without a second thought. I never vote for someone running unopposed, and if it's a judicial election I just vote for whoever has the funnier name. Like Judge Dick or Judge Wiener.

Probably better for the entire electoral system if I just stay home at this point...
 
I could see skimping out on presidential elections but for anything local it just seems like poor judgement to not participate. If you are able, go vote.

That said, I'm getting a little sick of the dick sucking on Facebook about who all voted today. Seriously, congratulations I guess.
 
Zantetsuken said:
They don't just misplace votes and make new voter laws for no reason. Politicians know how powerful a vote is.
Click to expand...

Didn't you know, in 2008, Obama won by 9,550,193 votes-that-didn't-matter, whereas in 2012 he won with 65,915,796 votes-that-didnt-matter; a 4,982,296 votes-that-didn't-matter over Mitt Romney.
 
brotherbean said:
I could see skimping out on presidential elections but for anything local it just seems like poor judgement to not participate. If you are able, go vote.

That said, I'm getting a little sick of the dick sucking on Facebook about who all voted today. Seriously, congratulations I guess.
Click to expand...

Wait whats happening on facebook? People are patting themselves on the back for voting?
 
"Politics don't affect me so I don't care about voting."

This is the same as "I'm not dying right now so I don't need insurance."

Unless you're a sponge contributing absolutely nothing to society, at some point in your life you're going to be dependent on the government for something. And when that thing doesn't go completely your way, you may find yourself wishing someone would do something about it.
 
Probably said already but 118M Americans voted in the 2012 Pres. election and there are well over 300M Americans (not all eligible to vote) so, no you are not alone! :)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

"Please...I am Ugoff. Make love to that pouch!"
6
835
PaddyOCanager replied
I am become retarded but when
NSFW 
27
2K
Cyberpunkd replied
  • Locked
I think it's time we take off and nuke Reddit from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.
3
676
Aesius replied
Max only has 26 movies that support Dolby Atmos (in my country).
9
742
nush replied
  • Locked
Am I Racist? | Trailer
0
1K
Men_in_Boxes replied
Top Bottom