I Don't Vote: Here's Why...

Off Topic Politics and World Issues
21

[quote]LIFTICVSMAXIMVS wrote:
skaz05 wrote:
I think that before you get to vote, in any election, you should prove competency in the form of some sort of test.

Yes. Democracy should be for the elite only. At least then there would be no pretense about equality and justice for all…[/quote]

I dont think it’s too much to ask from voters to prove that they at least have some working knowledge of how their government works. You have to take a test to get a drivers license, so why not one for voting?

Equality has nothing to do with it, if people had an incentive (the right to vote) to actually LEARN about how their government works, how their representatives in Congress spend tax money and make laws, and what the impact of certain issues are, then we wouldn’t keep getting the same two dipshits running for president every four years.

22

[quote]Mufasa wrote:

You have the ability to CHOOSE between voting and not voting.

[/quote]

So are you pro-choice or pro-vote? Hmmm? Let’s debate.

23

I’m of the same opinion as Al.

Mufasa

24

[quote]skaz05 wrote:
Equality has nothing to do with it[/quote]

Hence I consider it a pretense.

Not voting is the same thing as voting. It’s making one’s choice known either way. My choice happens to be that I don’t think it matters who the president is.

25

If you’ve educated yourself, I don’t see how you could possibly conclude that it doesn’t matter who the president is.

26

[quote]timbofirstblood wrote:
There are plenty of offices to vote for other than the president. I will probably write someone in for the presidential candidate; frankly I don’t care for either McCain of Obama, and I don’t like the “lesser of two evils” approach. That doesn’t mean there aren’t going to be other important things on the ballot.

There will be things on the ballot that may make an immediate impact on your life. Here in MA, we have three ballot initiatives, two of which will affect me personally. I can’t guarantee that it will be the same for you since I don’t know where you’re from, but you never what might be on the ballot until you go fill one out.[/quote]

I’m sure some of the positions I would be voting on would have a direct impact on my life. That alone does not change that I still wouldn’t know who/what I was voting for.

[quote]A “waste of time”? Please. Voting is not very time consuming, and you only have to do it once a year, or even only once every four years. If you have the time to amass over 1200 posts on T-Nation, you should have the time to make it to your local polling place and chime in.

Whether you are knowledgeable about politics or not, this is your country and your home. Are you really so complacent that you’re willing to let the “people who know politics” make your decisions for you? [/quote]

I have “amassed” these 1200 posts at work, which I doubt would give me a few hour break to go vote. Like it or not, polling lines can be long and time consuming, and I personally would rather spend my time doing something more productive.

You could make the argument that voting is the most productive thing, but I’m making the argument that voting could be counter-productive, considering I still wouldn’t know what I was voting for.

[quote]rainjack wrote:

It is truly a sad commentary on the state of this nation when you actually have to post this.

To not participate in the democratic process when you are called to do so is pure idiocy. [/quote]

I’m not “called” to participate on the democratic process. I’ve been given the choice and I’ve declined.

It doesn’t matter if I’m talking about the presidentail election or any other election. I’m not saying people shouldn’t educate themselves about the candidates and vote. I AM saying that if you don’t take the time to educate yourself about the candidates, do everyone else a favor and don’t vote.

[quote]Mufasa wrote:
Here is the irony of your position, Lanky;

You have the ability to CHOOSE between voting and not voting.

If someone all of a sudden said you couldn’t vote; and things would just be forced on you by decree and/or sham “elections”; you would be willing to put your Life on the line for that right.

Democracy is messy and imperfect; but I sure wouldn’t want to live without it and the freedoms it affords… even if if I think that exercising those rights and freedoms appears to not make much of a difference.

Every one and a while, my little vote, and those who may think in the same way, DOES make a difference.

So I vote.

Mufasa

[/quote]

I actually agree with this entirely.

27

[quote]forlife wrote:
If you’ve educated yourself, I don’t see how you could possibly conclude that it doesn’t matter who the president is.[/quote]

I disagree. There is no difference between the two chosen establishment statist candidates.

28

You’re saying they have the same positions on the Iraq war, economy, health care, social issues, etc.?

29

[quote]forlife wrote:
You’re saying they have the same positions on the Iraq war, economy, health care, social issues, etc.? [/quote]

Yes.

30

I think you should vote, and here is why. I had my right to vote taken from me, and now just recently had it restored. I never really valued voting until it was taken from me. Another one of those things that I took for granted. Informing yourself is your business, voicing your opinion is your priviledge.

31

[quote]MaximusB wrote:
I think you should vote, and here is why. I had my right to vote taken from me, and now just recently had it restored. I never really valued voting until it was taken from me.

Another one of those things that I took for granted. Informing yourself is your business, voicing your opinion is your priviledge. [/quote]

Along with what Musafa said, while I don’t vote, I value that I have that right. I simply don’t take advantage of it because I think it would be a disservice to this country, given my lack of political knowledge.

32

Voting is important, I agree.

Do I understand the people that don’t vote? Depends on why.

If a genuinely intelligent person loses faith in the political system, such as someone like George Carlin or HST, where they see and believe that they are all crooks and con men and truly don’t see a good side, well then don’t vote.

If it’s some college kid or dumb housewife or (insert stereotype here) that doesn’t vote because they’re too lazy to know what’s going on… fuck’em. But the odds are is that they’re not that intelligent, so no one on this board would listen to them when they complained anyway.

I myself do not for the “lesser of the two evils.” I vote for the candidate that I agree with.

If it had been Hillary vs. McCain this year, I made clear that I would not be voting. I could give two fucks if old men say it’s my civic duty. That doesn’t mean I won’t vote for my congressmen, Senators, or local elections, but if I didn’t like them, then fuck them too.

I will not swallow the pill that makes me ill because it’s the only one to take.

Fools and sheep vote for the “lesser of two evils”.

33

[quote]LIFTICVSMAXIMVS wrote:
forlife wrote:
You’re saying they have the same positions on the Iraq war, economy, health care, social issues, etc.?

Yes.[/quote]

Like I said: Go educate yourself.

34

[quote]FightinIrish26 wrote:
I will not swallow the pill that makes me ill because it’s the only one to take.

Fools and sheep vote for the “lesser of two evils”.[/quote]

You will swallow the pill, the question is whether or not you voice your opinion on which pill to swallow.

Choosing not to vote makes no sense to me, unless you truly believe one candidate won’t do more/less damage to the country than another candidate.

Closing your eyes doesn’t make the problem go away.

35

[quote]forlife wrote:
FightinIrish26 wrote:
I will not swallow the pill that makes me ill because it’s the only one to take.

Fools and sheep vote for the “lesser of two evils”.

You will swallow the pill, the question is whether or not you voice your opinion on which pill to swallow.

Choosing not to vote makes no sense to me, unless you truly believe one candidate won’t do more/less damage to the country than another candidate.

Closing your eyes doesn’t make the problem go away.
[/quote]

Could your idea that your vote makes a lick of difference just be an elaborate way of closing your eyes?

36

[quote]orion wrote:
forlife wrote:
FightinIrish26 wrote:
I will not swallow the pill that makes me ill because it’s the only one to take.

Fools and sheep vote for the “lesser of two evils”.

You will swallow the pill, the question is whether or not you voice your opinion on which pill to swallow.

Choosing not to vote makes no sense to me, unless you truly believe one candidate won’t do more/less damage to the country than another candidate.

Closing your eyes doesn’t make the problem go away.

Could your idea that your vote makes a lick of difference just be an elaborate way of closing your eyes?

[/quote]

Exactly.

37

[quote]forlife wrote:
If you’ve educated yourself, I don’t see how you could possibly conclude that it doesn’t matter who the president is.[/quote]

Correct…It is pretty clear that Obama would be a bonafide disaster…It’s change all right, for the worse. I have ass wrinkles with more experience than he has.

I learned this by educating myself…

38

Hey, if you don’t want to vote, don’t. Behavior control is not a platform in the Pat party. DWTFYW ← Do What The Fuck You Want.

39

[quote]pat wrote:

I learned this by educating myself…[/quote]

Well that’s an argument for college if I ever heard one.

40

It’s really time to go back to aristocracy.