I just had one intelligent and socially conscious woman tell me that she's not going to bother to vote in the next election because she doesn't want to choose the lesser of two evils, but you can damn well bet that 20 other fearfully ignorant Faux News viewers will. Only 63% percent of you turned out to vote in 2008, in the mid-term elections, the number was around 40%. What kind of message does this send to the SuperPacs, Lobbyists and Think Tanks that you all bitch about usurping your government with their money? I'll tell you what, it emboldens them and it emboldens the corrupt politicians that line their pockets with their bribe money. Why wouldn't it? Nearly half of you apparently can't be bothered to cast a vote with regard to who and how you are governed.
Why vote when there is no real choice? Because otherwise you're just enabling the evil of the power structure, which controls both sides and doesn't really care who wins since both candidates are owned by that aforementioned power structure and the people who comprise it (bankers, the military-industrial complex, multinational corporations, etc.) To me, the people who don't vote are the smart ones, since they see that voting is all just a big smoke screen which the system itself controls. The people constantly beating you over the head about voting are the ones who don't get it and listen too much to what they hear on TV. The powers that be WANT people to vote, because it shows them people still believe in their illusory system, which is based around the fallacy that people have a say in their destiny at a macro level by playing into their rigged game. The moment that enough people discover they have no real say is when the power structure begins to crumble. This is a good thing. Because of this, I would like to encourage more people to NOT vote. But no way would I compromise myself as a sentient, thinking individual by voting for a corporate whore and war-mongering criminal like Obama. He is the worst kind of empty suit. Obviously that used car salesman Mitt Romney would be no better, even though, as I have said before, presidents do not call the shots and it's ALWAYS the same people in power behind the scenes, who never leave power. I just cannot believe how many people give Obama a free pass when he is doing pretty much everything Bush did, but in many ways even more overtly. Why anyone with a functioning brain would vote for either of these two clowns (Barack Obama or Mitt Romney) is simply beyond me.
If you willingly give up the right to vote, no matter how meaningless you think it is, you deserve a corrupt government. In fact, you deserve the plutocracy that you're enabling. "The moment that enough people discover they have no real say is when the power structure begins to crumble." - wrong, the moment people discover they have no real say is the day they forsake democracy out of disillusionment and allow the very powers that created this disillusionment a carte blanche to do whatever the fuck they want. We're nearly there aren't we? What you suggest is to basically make it as easy and quick as possible for your "powers that be". The structure WILL NOT CRUMBLE, it will become ruthlessly and deadly efficient, because that's how your "powers that be" do business. Oh yeah, the power structure will change that's for sure. And you think you're a serf now? Just wait.
You obviously don't get it. Is it that hard to understand? LOOK, when you vote for puppets who are nothing more than figureheads for that plutocracy you speak of, you are the one enabling that plutocracy far more than anyone who makes the conscious decision to not actually vote for that plutocracy's candidates. Common sense.
No, you obviously don't get it. The plutocratic influences you describe are only encouraged by people who cannot think for themselves and who are too disillusioned or too lazy to participate in this democracy. You gave them the power to put forth these figure heads with your apathy and cynicism. Do you think they're unaware of the effect they're having on you? It's deliberate. And you are allowing yourself to be manipulated by it. They are testing the waters with these elections. with these candidates. The test is this: how willing are you to accept the complete and open elimination of democracy.
I hate that we (the USA) use the electoral college method. Someone once mentioned that it was started because of all the people who signed their name with an X (no real accountability on voters). I would have to look up the reason they give in the history books. No matter what, I hate the whole freaking method BUT I always get out there and vote.
[in this democracy] Where is this democracy mentioned in the Pledge of Alliegience, that I had to recite, everyday as a child. I remember it being a Republic myself. 2 completely different animals. I'm also writing in Ron Paul. I've been a Paultard since the 80's, when he first ran for president as a Libertarian.
I totally agree with you, jamgrassphan. Who I vote for may be questioned (by some). However, I absolutely will NOT be guilty of apathy and/or not voting because certain one(s) feel we waste our time voting. That borders on the ridiculous in my mind. And if the "wrong person" goes in and things go all to hell, I will feel RIGHT and JUSTIFIED when I gripe about it. If a person does not vote they have no right whatsoever to say a word about how the president performs! Regardless of how much venom is spewed, I will vote, and am proud to be able to.
Let's say you are a vegetarian and I offer you a choice: chicken or beef for dinner. No side dish. No salad. What if you say you'd rather go hungry? Good for you if you are able to vote and want to. Why you'd be proud of that is a mystery to me.
