My vote doesn't really count, but it should dammit

[Dissipate]

Originally posted by: Mathlete
Man, I HATE THIS F'IN LOGIC.

Let's say for example that I asked everyone in the USA to send me a penny. You would probably think that your penny doesn't matter. What you fail to realize is that is everyone had this attitude I would recieve far less money then if they didn't. You should vote because it is your DUTY to vote. America has become soooo lazy that they are just looking for an excuse to not vote.

So go buy some chips, sit on your lazy a$$, and don't vote. And after that don't ever talk about politics again because you made you decision not to participate.

It is actually your logic that is completely fallacious. Let me explain.

You aren't allowed to complain about the outcome of the election if you don't vote? Actually the opposite is true, you have no right to complain about the outcome if you do vote, because then you have participated in the system, and must accept the outcome.

Gene Callahan puts it like this:

I will begin by tackling what I think is the weakest objection to not voting that I received. (It's kind of like jogging slowly to warm up for a fast run: start out easy, loosening up the muscles so that they're prepared for the harder stuff ahead.) While it was advanced by several of my correspondents, one in particular phrased it quite succinctly, saying, "if a citizen doesn't vote he has no right to bitch about illegal wars or tax n' spend."

However, I think that contention is precisely backwards. To see why, imagine a stranger approaching you, a gun in his hand, and declaring that you have the "right" to play Russian roulette with him. If you don't exercise your right, he says, he still plans to aim his gun at you, spin the cylinder, and then pull the trigger. If you agree to take part in his proposed game, it seems to me, then you have weakened the force of any protest you might lodge about the outcome. On the other hand, if you tell him you want no part of such foolishness, and that he should leave you alone, then how in the world would that negate your right to object to his plan?

Isn't our "right" to vote closely analogous to that situation? Although I'm offered the chance to take my own turn spinning the cylinder and pulling the trigger of the gun, I'm not permitted to opt out of my role as a potential target. If I attempt to ignore the outcome of an election, based on the simple fact that I never agreed to abide by it in the first place, the State is prepared to use deadly force against me, in order to compel me to pay attention. Why should my refusal to participate in the State's aggressive schemes mean that I could no longer criticize them?

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Now let's see about your flawed penny analogy. Your penny analogy is flawed because every single penny that is sent in to you actually increases your real wealth. In this respect every penny really does count. Voting is completely different though. Your vote only counts IF someone wins by one vote, in this respect if they do not win by exactly one vote, since the election is winner take all, your vote becomes meaningless.

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Your claim that everyone should vote, is also very silly. This means that the crackhead down the street should get out there and vote. This is absurd. Adding the number of people to the polls does not necessarily improve the outcome, in fact it could make it worse.

 

[PoPPeR]

Originally posted by: Budarow

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: Pepsei
That place used to be a republican state, a long time ago.

And the Republicans used to be Democrats... a long time ago.

That funny! I've read/heard that several times before. Do you happen to know when about this change supposedly occured?[/qThe election of 1828 (i think, off the top of my head) marked the birth of the Democratic party as we know it today I believe. The party we know as Republicans today changed their name to Nationalists or something, when they were Democratic-Republicans before.

I may be totally off on this, but that's just what i remember from my history class. I'm sure a quick google search would solve your problems