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The problem with not voting
(fedia.io)
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this post was submitted on 28 Feb 2024
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This is equivalent to announcing you want us to completely discount your opinion. So why even mention it at all?
Because this is a discussion about the issue of not voting? Discussion is something that this website needs more of so I try to comment on articles if I have an opinion. I don't care if you discount my opinion, I'm just not going to be shamed because of it.
Here's another way to look at it. This is one of those things where you hear older people bitching about "the youths don't vote" and then when you get to be that age your think. Jesus fuck, they are so right.
It's one of those wisdoms you wish you could download into peoples brains because it's so important.
We have always hated our choices. They always suck for one reason or another. Your best option and (here's thing people forget)* the best option for everyone you care about*. Is to suck it up, and vote for whomever you think would be the best choice for those you love. It's that simple.
Nothing is fair and most things are shitty compromises but you gotta do the work or things get worse.
I mean I'm 35, I'm not exactly a "youth" anymore. I was SO excited to vote for Obama in 08 for my first eligible election. I started video editing in high school by making campaign videos on YouTube. I've voted in every primary and general election since then. This would be the first time since I've been of voting age that I've even considered not voting.
We all know the voting system in this country is shit, the two party system is shit, but we keep telling everyone to show up because "that's the best we have". Well, maybe it doesn't have to be.
If the "work" is us showing up once every 4 years to cast a vote that really only decides anything if you're in swing states then I think there's probably room for way more to be done.
Hope is all well and good, but you're expecting too much if people can't even show up for the bare minimum.
Which is why I like to focus on the fundamentals of democracy first. Teach people how to learn and get them to show up to vote when they should.
We all need to accept the fact that some things won't change in our lifetime for the better. So showing up to vote in a "hopeless" vote in an election where the opposition "always" wins is super important. You can't chip away at that shit if you don't vote.
That said, my hopes are for a future without wealth hoarding. Functional government who is not only responsible but accountable (up to and including with their lives) . Where art, science and education are the most respected vocations on earth.. but I'll most likely be long dead before a society like that exists again.. so for now I'll just add my tiny pebble to the mountain of change.
We should definitely vote. It’s our only real voice in the way our government is run. The problem is the 2 party system. It would fall apart if more Americans started realizing that their vote doesn’t have to be (and shouldn’t be) held hostage by a douche and a turd.
We’re their bosses, we hire them to do a job for us (running the country and upholding the constitution) and we can fire them for not doing it too.
You're essentially praying to Biden or Trump that they hear you're dissatisfied with them. You can have your opinion and the strong belief that you're personally taking a stand, but its such a functionally useless empty gesture.
So is voting blue in a historically red dominated state...
Again, I don't really care how meaningful you think your vote for Biden is. It means more to me right now to not cast a vote than it would to choose the lesser of two evils. I'm glad you feel the way you do about this election, but I don't, and I'm not going to cast a vote just I can feel "useful".
Cool. Everyone will ignore you but hey at least you're self-satisfied with your own internal logic.
Um yeah, pretty much this. At the end of the day, isn't that kind of all that matters? Be true to yourself and all that? Isn't that the same thing you're doing with your vote?
"Isn't voting the same as not voting?" asks the spoiled brat who takes democracy completely for granted. You are subject to political outcomes of democracy whether you like it or not. Voting isn't that hard. Therefore not voting is irrational.
I'll be at the polls to vote local/state. I'll probably even vote third party because at a core level I believe in the act of voting, just not for these two jabronis.
Stop letting them tell you this is the best we can do. We CAN do better, but people in power have incentive to keep it this way for a reason.