Fuck the Vote (and other reasonable assertions)

Today we’re going to discuss voting. Or rather, not voting. Now as you’re reading this, I can imagine that you might have a few objections to the idea, listed as follows:

If you don’t vote you’re not a responsible American citizen. If you don’t vote you don’t have the right to complain. If you don’t vote you’re a lazy, apathetic piece of shit who doesn’t deserve to breathe our fresh, democracy-infused air. These are all legitimate statements for sure, but let me pose this question:

Is it ever okay not to vote?

In a perfect democracy, come voting day, we’d all scurry into the voting booth, press the button for the candidate who has inspired us to believe in America once again, and then stroll home with tears of joy, knowing that we’ve just made a difference. Unfortunately the process seems to better resemble a trip to the video store where everything is checked out except Freddy Got Fingered and Double Team and you go with Double Team because Dennis Rodman is a at least kinda funny to watch. In other words, sometimes we’re just voting for the lesser of two evils instead of voting for someone we think will be great for the country.

So, I would argue if you’re thinking of voting this year, and there is no one running who inspires you, consider the alternative: Don’t vote! As long as the political system believes that they can get votes by making their candidate just slightly less of an manipulating, focus group obsessed jerk than the competition, then they’ll continue to do it, and there will be no opening for someone looking to change things.

If enough people stop voting, then it will be obvious that something is amiss, and there will be a nice void for a candidate with the proper values to fill.

This year I happen to be voting for Barack, but if he had lost the nomination, I would not be voting for either remaining candidate. I would not vote for McCain (for numerous reasons) and I would not vote for Hilary because she seems to only be concerned with fighting everyone to get her way. When you vote, you are not just voting for who will direct the country for the next 4 years, you are endorsing their political style for all future campaigns to come. Since I don’t believe politics needs more bitter partisan emotional slander, it would be wrong for me to support someone merely because they’re the slightly better choice of the two miserable options available.

Voting is not an expression of democracy if you’re casting your vote for someone you don’t truly believe in. It only solidifies the current state of politics. And if you voted for your endorsement of that political system, and something ends up going south, well then, you don’t really have the right to complain do you?

- HalfInformed