Why should I vote?

[carlin]

After reading the Obama Abandoned by Young Voters thread I remembered something that I've been battling with in my mind for a while now.

I'm an anti-statist, which I am aware is a very idealistic position, but I just can't let go of the idea that everything the US has created is a giant waste of time and we would be better off to live without the confines of states and borders and the, "THIS IS MY LAND GTFO" mentality. Maybe I'm forgetting that voting does still work in a place with no states or lines segmenting the area but that is something that just occurred to me so I'm not sure about it yet.

I turned 18 in July of 2010 and most people would be excited to vote. But I looked at it as a part of the system I saw no point to, so why support it. I'm sure there is a flaw in this thinking somewhere but I can't find it. I've asked a lot of people why I should vote and no one seems to give me a good response that will change my opinion. So I come to all you fine people with the same question. Why should I vote?

[Patashu]

Everything the US has created?

How about the telecommunications infrastructure you used to make that post?
Police, fire, legal system, public schooling, electricity, water, regulation of food and other potentially dangerous necessities?

What do you think will happen if everyone decides to not vote, anyway? Democracy won't magically be replaced with something better.

[Emo_Saur_]

Communism, Pat.

Also, I have the same mentality as you so it's no relevant for me to try and persuade you into voting

[Patashu]

Democracy cannot spontaneously be replaced with Communism, it needs to be planned.

[Reincarnate]

lol

unmount democracy
mount communism

[carlin]

Originally Posted by Patashu

Everything the US has created?

How about the telecommunications infrastructure you used to make that post?
Police, fire, legal system, public schooling, electricity, water, regulation of food and other potentially dangerous necessities?

What do you think will happen if everyone decides to not vote, anyway? Democracy won't magically be replaced with something better.

Well definitely not everything. Schools can stay in. I'm talking about the central government. Police, fire, electricity, water, and food have nothing to do with it. It's only politicians I have a problem with.
Other than that, I think you completely missed the point of what I was trying to say. I wasn't even focusing on that part of it. Go read it again.

[Cavernio]

Pat seemed to get your point the way I saw it. You seemingly weren't asking whey you should vote, but why do we need a government, and he told you some of the things they do.
Now, if you want to know why you should vote for a government compared to just letting some dictator take over, that answer's pretty self-evident too. Not everyone who's going to try to get into power is going in with a 'I'm here for the people' attitude, and voting lets you choose which of those people you want in the most, or at least vote against the people you don't want in the most. All you have to do to want to vote is to imagine how awful it would be if someone terrible got into power.
If you want some sort of reason to figure out why you should have states is that its easier for any 'ruling' person or body to look after a smaller amount of people and area where they can have more knowledge of specifics.

But, I still feel like I'm missing your point.

[carlin]

Originally Posted by Cavernio

Pat seemed to get your point the way I saw it. You seemingly weren't asking whey you should vote, but why do we need a government, and he told you some of the things they do.
Now, if you want to know why you should vote for a government compared to just letting some dictator take over, that answer's pretty self-evident too. Not everyone who's going to try to get into power is going in with a 'I'm here for the people' attitude, and voting lets you choose which of those people you want in the most, or at least vote against the people you don't want in the most. All you have to do to want to vote is to imagine how awful it would be if someone terrible got into power.
If you want some sort of reason to figure out why you should have states is that its easier for any 'ruling' person or body to look after a smaller amount of people and area where they can have more knowledge of specifics.

But, I still feel like I'm missing your point.

Well I feel like the part about voting people you don't want down is a good reason to vote for people you don't want, but what about Bush and Kerry where neither one was a good choice. I would have much rather preferred Kerry who maybe wouldn't have done as much compared to Bush who freaked out and sent everyone off to a war that still isn't over.

[Patashu]

When you say 'why should I vote', is your intention to
1) not vote
2) vote or not vote, but at the same time try to change the structure of government itself to reform perceived problems in democracy

[spm515]

Originally Posted by carlin

Well definitely not everything. Schools can stay in. I'm talking about the central government. Police, fire, electricity, water, and food have nothing to do with it. It's only politicians I have a problem with.

If it's the politicians you have a problem with then what do you think voting is for? If enough people agree with you then your problem is solved. If not then I guess your opinion doesn't line up with the majority of america (which sucks actually, we've all been there) But even then you wait around for the next election and see what happens. Politicians are like diapers; they need to be changed frequently and for the same reason. Voting is that power to change. Use it.

[carlin]

Originally Posted by Patashu

When you say 'why should I vote', is your intention to
1) not vote
2) vote or not vote, but at the same time try to change the structure of government itself to reform perceived problems in democracy

My intention is to find a good reason to vote.

Originally Posted by spm515

If it's the politicians you have a problem with then what do you think voting is for? If enough people agree with you then your problem is solved. If not then I guess your opinion doesn't line up with the majority of america (which sucks actually, we've all been there) But even then you wait around for the next election and see what happens. Politicians are like diapers; they need to be changed frequently and for the same reason. Voting is that power to change. Use it.

I would agree with you but at the same time I have to point out that it isn't that easy. One person can't just take out all the politicians they want and put in new ones. I guess what I want is to have the power to say to people, "you have no idea what you are doing and you make stupid decisions, get out of office." Of course then everyone thinks it's a dictatorship and suddenly I'm screwed. What's the point of any of this.

[Glucuronolactone]

Originally Posted by carlin

My intention is to find a good reason to vote.

I would agree with you but at the same time I have to point out that it isn't that easy. One person can't just take out all the politicians they want and put in new ones. I guess what I want is to have the power to say to people, "you have no idea what you are doing and you make stupid decisions, get out of office." Of course then everyone thinks it's a dictatorship and suddenly I'm screwed. What's the point of any of this.

Technically, one person can take out all the politicians and put in new ones. One vote does make a difference. An outcome can win by a landslide or by a hair. It's up to you.
You do have the power to say that, and the way you do it is by voting.
It's only 5 minutes out of your busy life.

EDIT: To the comment below me:

Originally Posted by Hakulyte

How does one evaluate accurately who's the best person to vote for?

Ah yes, how do we know what's true amidst the mudslinging? I was shown a site called factcheck.org that gives unbiased opinions of the candidates. Also, I remember the Plain Dealer wrote an unbiased section in their newspaper last president election about the two candidates. There are probably more unbiased sources that you can check the candidates on, but I do not know of any more offhand, sorry.

[Hakulyte]

How does one evaluate accurately who's the best person to vote for?

[spm515]

I would agree with you but at the same time I have to point out that it isn't that easy. One person can't just take out all the politicians they want and put in new ones. I guess what I want is to have the power to say to people, "you have no idea what you are doing and you make stupid decisions, get out of office." Of course then everyone thinks it's a dictatorship and suddenly I'm screwed. What's the point of any of this.

Lol we all feel like this at times. But all we get is one vote, just like everyone else. I know it can feel at times like there's now way that your vote counts when you have the overwhelming masses against you, but you have just as much say as everyone else. Case and point:

Technically, one person can take out all the politicians and put in new ones. One vote does make a difference. An outcome can win by a landslide or by a hair. It's up to you.
You do have the power to say that, and the way you do it is by voting.
It's only 5 minutes out of your busy life.

Recently my school district had a 'budget override'. Which is basically "if you vote for it we can divert some of your taxes on housing over to schools." It was really important for my school cuz if we didn't get it everything but core classes were gonna close and a lot of good teachers would get fired. On the day of the count it lost by 200 votes. However the absentee ballots (late, mailed-in ballots) came in over the next few days and turned the vote around to +500. If every one of those 500 people had said "I feel like my vote doesn't count" I assure you that every one of us students who lost something in that change would tell you it did.

[carlin]

You guys are awesome. THIS is the kind of answer I was looking for. THIS is a real reason to vote. Putting together posts 12-14 has given me a perfectly good reason to vote. Thanks everyone. I may still disagree with the idea of states and lines and borders but I can see that voting does help things.

[rushyrulz]

If you want an iphone for christmas and you don't tell anyone you might not get an iphone.

If you want sarah palin to be president and you don't vote for her, she might not become president.

Voting is just the medium to get your opinion across on how you want things to be.

[kommisar]

too many retards to make your intelligent vote matter sry to break it to ya


An ideal system will never fully have support no matter how well you think it'll work. For every decent thinker there's 10 others who think "HERPADERP COMMUNISM SOCIALISM IS BAD GET OUTTA MY PAYCHECK".

Unfortunately this sort of democracy is the best working system the world has right now. Imagine not having any rights and living in china?

[Aldentron]

My excuse to vote is because it's what I'm stuck with.

I believe in anarchy, but unfortunately I don't live in an anarchist state, nor do I want to, honestly. The way I see it, people are completely capable of living in communities without a designated leader over the many, but of course there are ALWAYS going to be some assholes to screw that all up.

You have to play with the cards that you're dealt.

Now, you may not feel like your vote will make a difference because you're ideal candidate has a slim chance at winning an election. But why should that stop you? A vote for anybody else is a vote that's not for who you don't want to be elected, and that should be a good enough excuse.

[G.S.M]

I never have voted once. Not once. I don't care what decisions are made because most of them are stupid. Hell, I'll take whatever they throw at us average citizens... for good or bad.

Family came from ww2 germany (my grandma) with nothing and came to America 70 years ago. It has it's shining moments, of course. Done many a great things, but as I said... regardless of all the good... I do not care for voting, at all.