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Way to go, guys! (lemmy.world)

submitted 11 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 11 months ago (2 children)

People who think voting doesn't matter are the ones that make it a reality. Everyone who shows up to not vote, or throw a protest vote, make it that much easier for the fanatics who do show up to get their way.

It's not a perfect system, but refusing to participate doesn't make it better. And "patting yourself on the back" because you decided you'd rather support your pride and ego instead of change (imperfect as it always is) is no less a sign of delusion than believing one election for one position is all that matters.

Every election matters. From local dog-catcher to state reps to president.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago (1 children)

but refusing to participate

Who said anything about not participating. All anarchists I know are at most lukewarm on voting but put more effort into political change by organizing that all the votes in all the elections of a lifetime combined.

The election system doesn't really change anything and makes people complicit by giving them the illusion of a democratic process that's actually worth a damn.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

It doesn't change anything because people of action don't participate. Voter participation is shockingly low for a supposedly "free" population. It's not the only thing that matters, but it does a whole lot more than screaming from the rooftops about how much of a fool other people are for actually participating.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

people of action don’t participate

Are you claiming that activists don't vote? Or that being an activist isn't participating in the democratic process?

I'd like a source if you meant the former and seriously question your idea of democracy if youmeant the latter.

Voter participation is shockingly low for a supposedly “free” population.

I'd claim that this is the output for a system which alienates so much of the people's power in everyday concern. Not the reason why the system does that.

it does a whole lot more than screaming from the rooftops about how much of a fool other people are for actually participating.

Protesting is an important part of any democratic process. That's why freedom of speech is so paramount in (supposed) democracies.
This depends on your perspective. If the system does work in your favour, you might be right. If the system doesn't work in your favour, then agitating against it imho is more productive than participating.

Consider the french revolution. Was agitation against the aristrocracy more effective than praying and being sure that the people above did what was best for their country?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/perspectives-on-politics/article/testing-theories-of-american-politics-elites-interest-groups-and-average-citizens/62327F513959D0A304D4893B382B992B

When the preferences of economic elites and the stands of organized interest groups are controlled for, the preferences of the average American appear to have only a minuscule, near-zero, statistically non-significant impact upon public policy.