I was invited on a panel recently by America’s Future Foundation to discuss a book, The Conservatarian Manifesto, and the possibility of conservatives and libertarians coming together. One of the questions asked was “Should we even bother voting?”
Maybe you think that’s an easy answer, but roughly half of eligible voters don’t vote – why? Laziness? Conscientious objection? Despair?
I, for one, always either vote my conscience or vote to register my protest to the liberal-fascist center, but I’ve been viciously criticized for not voting the lesser of two evils and being responsible for Democrat victories (despite never in my life living in a purple state)…Is my vote mine? Or must it serve the collective will on one side of the aisle or the other?
This is where I want to start the conversation on Saturday & I’m going social media heavy so please comment below–your comments will shape the conversation…
(To see the other panelists and I discuss the question, check out the video, around the 55:00 minute mark at AFF’s facebook page here.)
I DO DECLARE, THIS IS THE LAST SO CALLED ELECTION WE SHALL EVER AND NEVER SEE. ELECTIONS DO NOT ME A THING TO ME, BUT BIBLE PROPHECY MARCHES ON AND BIBLE PROPHECY IS BEING FULFILLED. I KEEP A WATCH ON BIBLE PROPHECY, ANY MEDIA OUTLET ON OPINIONS DO NOT MEAN A THING, THERE IS NOTHING STANDING IN THE WAY OF BIBLE PROPHECY BEING FULFILLED AND ABSOLUTELY NO ETERNAL WAY OF HALTING THE RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST. THERE IS NO POLITICIAN OUT THERE THAT CAN GIVE US A LIFE, AND FURTHER MORE, WITH THE NEW WORLD ORDER AT HAND, THEY DO WANT US DEAD, WITH MAY BE A FEW OF US REMAINING; AFTER ALL ROBOTS ARE TAKING OUR PLACE. THEY WILL NOT AND CAN NOT STOP THE RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST. HELL, IF NO ONE VOTES, IT SURELY WILL NOT MATTER, BECAUSE THEY NEVER LISTENED TO US IN THE FIRST PLACE, BUT I DO DECLARE AS THEIR SOULS DEPENDS ON IT, HAD BETTER OBSERVE AND LISTEN TO JESUS CHRIST, OR ELSE GO INTO ANOTHER KIND OF HELL, AND THIS HELL THEY ARE NOT GOING TO ENJOY, WITHOUT FOOD, LUXURIES, HOMES, ETC…AS THEY CREATE HELL FOR US, THEY WILL HAVE TO ANSWER AND BE IN HELL THEMSELVES, THEY DO NOT BELIEVE IT NOW, BUT OH THEY SHALL FEEL IT LATER. VOTING DOES NOT MEAN A DAMN THING.
Thanks for typing all in caps as it makes it easy to overlook your tiresome rants and move on to more sensible discussion. Notice that I never give anyone an easy way to skip my rants.
Don’t be like John. Keep using all caps!
The real question is how many are informed voters vs voting purely on emotion? If one actually sat down and RATIONALLY thought about the true value of their vote, they would vote their conscience…but ONLY if they were truly informed voters. And how do you quantify this value? If you vote your conscience and the machine then CHOOSES your vote for you, it is essentially meaningless. And the average establishment politician is counting on the voting public to be as uninformed as possible. EMOTION is what is driving this entire election cycle.
We’ve all seen the posts on FB which automatically state “I voted” like they deserved some kind of award for it. Are they really that proud of voting for their continued oppression and incremental loss of liberty? Or is it just a temporary feel-good moment just like posting that they are working out, eating dinner, miss mom, or some other inane meme? To me it is just another inane meme.
The establishment has already chosen their winner in this election, and the cards are falling right into place for a Hillary Clinton win in the fall. There is no “lesser of 2 evils”, both “sides” are one in the same. A vote, absent of fraud, is YOUR consent. I refuse to give the establishment my consent, and when I vote, I vote my conscience.
You should make up your mind! Are you refusing to give your consent or are you voting according to your conscience? Can’t do both.
Refusing to give my consent to the entrenched establishment by voting my conscience for a libertarian candidate or write-in (It was a Ron Paul write-in 4 years ago and libertarian candidates prior back to Harry Browne). As I stated above, I refuse to give the ESTABLISHMENT my consent.
Sorry for nitpicking but…!
I fully agree that the choice has already been made. Our votes will not change the outcome but they do legitimise the system. Voting is a sacred ritual that is observed for our benefit as it reinforces the belief that we choose our leaders from among us. If you truly believed that it made a difference, you wouldn’t be reading this blog. As you are, then you are voting out of superstition so it’s no different than avoiding cracks in the pavement, walking around ladders and refusing to open an umbrella inside even if it’s clearly safe to do so.
“A vote, absent of fraud, is YOUR consent.” I agree with this too. It doesn’t matter whom you vote for. You’re saying “I consent to be governed by the winner of this contest.” Not that it matters if you consent as they do not rule by consent but by their monopoly on the use of force.
Yes we should vote if only for one reason. That reason would be simple and as follows;
If only half of eligible voters turn out then any leader without morals can see the opportunity to do whatever he/ she desires without fear of reprisal. If voter turnout is high then common sense will tell that voters are watching.
Tony,
Excellent point!
Just because people vote doesn’t mean they’re paying attention, politicians know that. In fact, voting seems to allow some people to think they’ve dispensed with their civic duty, so after voting they go back to their sports or whatnot.
I think that voting to decide who gets to dispose of stolen assets and initiate aggression for various reasons is foolish. A good argument could be made that it is wicked, but not every one intends evil by voting in much the same way that I don’t intend on killing ants by walking. I think that if you want to look at it from a utilitarian perspective, I could make a very good argument that NOT voting actually has a more effective and beneficial effect on everyone, including myself.
Not voting AND spreading the message of true freedom is what every freedom fighter should do.
How do you vote for an oligarchy? I drove 10 hours last night and listened to talk show after talk show. They all had the exact same talking points. Exact. I, personally, feel that voting has become an insult to every tax paying American. And every tax paying immigrant. However, is it worth voting for someone so you don’t have to see the other on TV every night? Thank goodness for family, friends and good neighbors.
This raises a question. If not voting the least evil is there a big picture strategy in not voting this way. Is there an advantage to letting the country go further left by not voting least evil?
The big picture, to me, is that not choosing evil is far more powerful than choosing a supposed “lesser evil” and doesn’t depend on others doing the “right thing” to make your action (or inaction) the right thing. A handful of people doing the right thing could redeem us all. Also voting violates the Golden Rule – if I don’t want my neighbors using voting as a ruse to supposedly legitimate rule over me or others, I cannot do it either – you gotta be the change to see the change and all.
Well put. I would add that no matter how people vote, the country will move further left AND that the worse things get, the harder it is for people to fool themselves that it’s still the land of the free.
Apologies if this image doesn’t display
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Second try
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That one makes me sad…
Yes, Monica, we are so far astray!
If everyone would vote their convictions, not lesser of the evils, alternative candidates could win.
We must stop playing political ping-pong between the Democratic and Republican parties. The only losers in this game are the American people. How are we supposed to get other parties in power if we do not vote for them?
I would also suggest that people vote in the primaries. If they don’t like any of the candidates in a particular race, put “None of the Above” in as a write-in candidate. If all the people who don’t vote, because they don’t like the candidates, would just do this we could change the direction of our country’s political system very quickly.
Roger,
One capital idea you you have! Unfortunately it’s probably not practical as the masses would probably not participate for various reasons. I have long wished that option was available on the ballot.
Don’t forget that the voting system is in the hands of the people in power. They will not allow it to threaten their dominance which is why we have the 2-party psy-op in the first place.