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"Disillusioned" is a catch-all for so many different things though. One might be upset at hearing about corrupt practices or "it's not what you know it's who y

"Disillusioned" is a catch-all for so many different things though. One might be upset at hearing about corrupt practices or "it's not what you know it's who you know" politics, because that's all we hear about in the news and on TV shows (because that's the salacious part of politics). One might be upset at having no effective voice because of the two-party system and the sheer size of the electorate in each state: If I'm a libertarian or a national socialist or a communist, I have no real representation in government. One might be disillusioned that the above points don't actually reflect how democracy works, and that the real hard work of legislation comes from things the public doesn't get to see: Cultivating relationships; the give and take of favors and votes; saying yes to something that's slightly against your principles so that you can get a reciprocal yes for something important to you later on. Disillusionment is too big a thing to make me stop voting. The best way to change the system is to use it, and that means I need to vote, despite each of the above points. The next best way to change the system is to bring about revolution that replaces it, and that is a singularity that nobody can see beyond, and that recent history has not shown to work.

nitrogen 11y ago
First-past-the-post voting is mathematically incapable of anything other than highly polarized politics: http://zesty.ca/voting/sim/ http://zesty.ca/voting/sim/
VLM 11y ago
Four extended disillusionment arguments. Your lack of representation argument can be extended to "captured" demographics. Lets say 99% of teachers vote for party X, which is actually pretty accurate. Then party X has no need whatsoever to represent the needs of teachers because they're guaranteed all the votes no matter what they do in office. Likewise no teachers vote for party Y by the definition of being a captured demographic. That means party Y has no need to represent teachers because there is no reward. Or rephrased, a captured demographic will not be represented because one party has no negative consequences, and the other has no positive consequences. Its not so much an effect of voting as it is primary nomination effect. Also voting isn't necessarily the most important support, the PACs providing election funding are the most important form of support. Many people are members of captive demographics, meaning they are un-represented. Teachers, blacks, anti-abortion, feminists, more or less every orientation other than straight... When you cross off all of them, there's not much actual representing going on, for something calling itself a representative government. One reason I often don't vote is the only minimal impact I can make due to extreme gerrymandering is to protest the system. Here's one non-vote proclaiming I'm not represented. I think the stats showing 4/5 of the population feel UN-represented are if anything an understatement of the facts. Probably less than 5% of the population are represented at this time, the rest of the voters are just ill informed. Another reason not to vote that you missed, voting is kind of an opiate of the masses to let them think they can provide input, which of course they cannot. Once you understand that, its pointless. Participating in voting is like people looking for religious enlightenment in opiates, you can delude yourself but it doesn't really accomplish anything. Whats in it for me to knowingly delude myself? The final reason not to vote is rebellion. Blind irrational faith in the election system is as close to an established state secular religion we have. Not voting is as rebellious as being the only guy without tattoos or the only guy without body piercings. Not voting is religious apostasy. I'm about as likely to start voting as I am to throw stones at known adulterers or own a Canadian as a biblical slave. There are other reasons like pragmatically the results of voting are bad governments, but thats a long debate.

nitrogen 11y ago

First-past-the-post voting is mathematically incapable of anything other than highly polarized politics: http://zesty.ca/voting/sim/ http://zesty.ca/voting/sim/

VLM 11y ago

Four extended disillusionment arguments. Your lack of representation argument can be extended to "captured" demographics. Lets say 99% of teachers vote for party X, which is actually pretty accurate. Then party X has no need whatsoever to represent the needs of teachers because they're guaranteed all the votes no matter what they do in office. Likewise no teachers vote for party Y by the definition of being a captured demographic. That means party Y has no need to represent teachers because there is no reward. Or rephrased, a captured demographic will not be represented because one party has no negative consequences, and the other has no positive consequences. Its not so much an effect of voting as it is primary nomination effect. Also voting isn't necessarily the most important support, the PACs providing election funding are the most important form of support. Many people are members of captive demographics, meaning they are un-represented. Teachers, blacks, anti-abortion, feminists, more or less every orientation other than straight... When you cross off all of them, there's not much actual representing going on, for something calling itself a representative government. One reason I often don't vote is the only minimal impact I can make due to extreme gerrymandering is to protest the system. Here's one non-vote proclaiming I'm not represented. I think the stats showing 4/5 of the population feel UN-represented are if anything an understatement of the facts. Probably less than 5% of the population are represented at this time, the rest of the voters are just ill informed. Another reason not to vote that you missed, voting is kind of an opiate of the masses to let them think they can provide input, which of course they cannot. Once you understand that, its pointless. Participating in voting is like people looking for religious enlightenment in opiates, you can delude yourself but it doesn't really accomplish anything. Whats in it for me to knowingly delude myself? The final reason not to vote is rebellion. Blind irrational faith in the election system is as close to an established state secular religion we have. Not voting is as rebellious as being the only guy without tattoos or the only guy without body piercings. Not voting is religious apostasy. I'm about as likely to start voting as I am to throw stones at known adulterers or own a Canadian as a biblical slave. There are other reasons like pragmatically the results of voting are bad governments, but thats a long debate.