Maybe it's because I'm a naturalized U.S. citizen, but when people threaten to withhold their vote in protest I can't help but wonder what the actual fuck they think they're accomplishing by a) demoting themselves into non-citizen status and b) announcing their asinine decision
@DataDrivenMD I've voted in absolutely everything since becoming a naturalized citizen. There is enough disenfranchisement, FFS don't do it to yourself.
@DataDrivenMD I'll repeat my post here.
To my #American buds. You have an important #election coming up and I'm hearing lots of people saying they're going to not vote -- because you don't like ONE issue. Maybe it's a big issue. But there are a lot of other issues and topics that are just as important.
IMHO withholding a vote to make a statement about ONE issue ends up making someone else's vote for the other guy mean more.
Yes, there's #Gaza. There's also #abortion, women's rights, #democracy, insurrections, gerrymandering; fairness, equality and safety for black populations; #climate change, regulations around pollution and #environment, propping up or transitioning away from #oil and gas, subsidizing education (or making it more costly), trans rights, freedom in education, international relations around the entire globe, dealing with spies and hacking, access to voting, and so much more. Seriously? You're going to pick ONE issue and chuck the rest out the window?
It's a concern because whatever the outcome, it affects the globe
@DataDrivenMD As a born citizen, it seems counterproductive UNLESS the person does not believe in the two-party system (which, at the moment, is not doing the average U.S. citizen any favors and coddles the wealthy). But then IMHO those people need to be actively working to change the system that they understandably do not believe in. Democracy does not pan out if your elected officials do not serve the will of the people. And that’s become a real issue in the U.S. They serve $$.
all of that is true but you change it by voting. this is the only reason MAGA is relevant: they vote, meanwhile, all those not voting aren't changing anything, they are only making sure everything they care about doesn't matter to those in power
what else is there? revolution? and in fact, some do romanticize that, not knowing the vast injustices and suffering during that, and who comes out on the other end the victor could be even worse
@benroyce@DataDrivenMD But voting can be illegally influenced and hacked, which Russia proved and everyone seems to have forgotten. What happens when AI and outside agents impact the voting system? What do we trust about our one vote? Also: Black people DIED for the right to vote so I always do. The system’s in need of of change. (Voting redistricting 😡) Can you effectively change the system from within? Or do you just move the checkers around on the same board?
i share with you every concern. AI can kill democracy. even before AI, traditional social media gave us trump, which almost killed democracy, and it has another shot
but long before all of that, going back to voter disenfranchisement of black voters, including in the very founding of this country, the point was to disempower
the malice was always there
but: we have had improvements, there has been change. not good enough
@benroyce@DataDrivenMD I want to believe that. But I have the sinking feeling that the kind of change we’ve made (and has been reversed around the country even though folks get out and vote) is like treading water in a swimming pool on a sinking ship. Sure, the water is heated and the pool chairs are comfy and we all have access to fancy drinks… but what has essentially changed when both parties serve corporations that are screwing everyone??
imagine if the left voted with the same conviction as MAGA
but they don't precisely because it becomes this self-fulfilling prophecy: "i won't vote because it doesn't matter"... things get worse... more impetus to not vote
the truth is it's simply a matter of turn out = effective change
there's a lot more to do besides vote. but voting is such little effort for some effect, why not? what is there to lose? because there's a lot to lose by not voting
This is such a rare occurrence as to be almost nonexistent making the question a strawman.
The reality is that there is often a very large difference between the candidates even if you don't love the far better candidate.
In the end, if you choose not to vote, you are handing the power of your vote to someone else who very likely does not share your values and will vote against them.
@yaldi@DataDrivenMD If people overwhelmingly vote for the slightly less repellent option, then being less repellent becomes seen as a successful election strategy. Then, in future elections at all levels you'll start to see more slightly less repellent candidates. Rinse and repeat and you might inch yourself to healthcare the same way the right has inched it's way to ending Roe v Wade. If people overwhelmingly don't vote, you don't win anything, you just lose your democracy.
Add comment