Voting is actually stupid

Philosophy Forums Society, Government, and Economics
1

How can you think you are making a difference by voting? I am being literal and serious here.

You think your one vote will affect the outcome? Oh really.

Let’s imagine two possible scenarios: 1) the election happens and you don’t vote, 2) the election happens and you do vote.

Now what is the difference in outcomes between 1 and 2? Oh that’s right, nothing.

Whoever wins will still win, and whoever loses will still lose, no matter if you vote or not. Your one vote will have literally ZERO impact on the outcomes.

So why the fuck are you so obsessed with the so-called power of your vote? I can answer that for you, it is because you are brainwashed by the system’s media and propaganda telling you that voting matters. That your vote is important, it is your right or duty or whatever. That is the lie you are fed over and over again every 2-4 years, right? You see it everywhere, on signs and on TV and radio commercials, on little cute stickers “I vooted!” that retards proudly wear.

And this whole thing you actually thought your vote mattered. Yikes. Just… wow.

You know what would matter? If you started a politically oriented group and talked about the issues, if you pushed your ideas and convinced a few other people of them. If you were to get just 2 other people to agree to vote for who you want to win the election, well then you just doubled your political impact over your one little vote. Imagine starting a non-profit or a PAC or running for office yourself, or just joining your local school board or sitting in for city council meetings, or just getting your neighbors together and convincing them of a few of the ideas you care about. THAT would amount to some real political influence… but naw, you don’t do any of those things.

You do nothing that might actually have any real political scope of impact, because you are lamely convinced that your little act of casting your 1 vote is somehow altering the course of history.

Ok bro. Good luck with that. And yes i am also speaking to those of you who are the whole “well just voote for the lesser of two evils!” crowd. Like, omfg. Really. Are you actually that… oh yeah, you are. Shit, my bad. Ah um, apologies I suppose… I hope you can get on the right combo of meds to help with that whole thing.

2

I didn’t read the whole thing, and I kind of agree that the thing is rigged even before you go to the poll because people don’t get elected & sh** doesn’t even get on the ballot if their supporters don’t have money. However, I’m voting because I’m here to confuse people. If a person looks at my ballot they’re going to have infinite question marks in their brain walking away from that. They’re not going to know their right from their left. I laughed the whole time.

3

That’s not what he said. I’m pretty sure he’s talking about the general fact, conspiracy theories aside, that because millions of people vote, your vote will be drowned out and effectively meaningless, even if it’s not rigged.

4

Let’s not play he said - she said.

5

You clearly don’t know what that phrase means. Don’t be weird.

6

Impossible.

1 Like
7

Anyway, now that you know it’s not about rigged elections, do you have any thoughts on what he actually said?

8

Other than my initial response? Fine. I wrote in “self=other” on the president/VP part, and it is a false dichotomy that one “either” votes “or” … contributes to society in other ways. Some of the contributions mentioned only make sense if the vote matters. Dude is a riot. Replace r with id. lol nk

9

This isn’t acceptable behaviour here. I’m going to request that you stop there. If you disagree with him, this is a philosophy forum, you’re expected to express your disagreement with reasoning, not just calling people idiots.

I know there’s a bit of irony in me saying that in defense of Humanize, given how vitriolic he is, but still.

10

He called people retarded & I can’t call him an idiot? Not very fair and balanced, are ya? You asked for my thoughts… may not want to do that while unfairly regulating mine over others’, sire.

curtsies

walks backward with head slightly below yours to the exit

spins around and flips you off with both hands backwards while still exiting, never again looking back

FJ ovates the performance, stands, and exclaims “Encore!”

Ichthus77 shouts, “Make up your mind!”

FJ shouts back “I was just kidding!”

Ichthus77 shouts back, “I know, me too! BFFs?”

FJ shouts back, “Oh f** a spider!”*

Ichthus77 shouts back, “You… (trails off, inaudible, interrupted)

atomic bomb goes off

Fin

11

Did he call you retarded here in this thread? If he did, let me know, that’s not acceptable.

And everything after the first paragraph is very questionable content from you. Please pull it together.

12

What does it matter who he called retarded? He shouldn’t call anybody retarded.

I will pull it together if you can identify it.

13

That’s a good point. @HumAnIze let’s lay off the insults that you direct at group of people who don’t share the same belief as you. It’s completely within the scope of the spirit here to argue against voting and say why you think it’s illogical, but there’s no value in adding insults to it. In fact I’d say that it’s directly counter productive.

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14

Humanize believes that voting is a waste of time, and useless
and then he wonders about the malaise this age is in…
his attempts to negate people is nihilism… voting doesn’t matter,
you don’t matter, you are just a pawn,… all of these he has
said in the past…and the effect of his words is to nullify
and negate people…why bother if I have no effect on the
world, why bother even getting up in the morning if
I have no impact or influence on the world… for all the
impact I have on the world, I may as well die… it doesn’t matter
and then they wonder why other people have given up, have simple
stopped trying to do anything… why should we do anything if
it has no meaning or impact?

and therein lies the danger of Humanize words… why bother to even
live? Humanze practices nihilism… the negation of people’s lives…
he is a nihilists… and he is most likely quite proud of it…
(he is also a holocaust denier, so there is that)

So, I am here to say, your life does matter, it does matter
if you vote, it does matter if you live… despite what
nihilists like Huminze believes… a solitary voice in the
wilderness can reach civilization and impact it…
the trick is to keep at it… no matter how deep the silence gets…
I write for days on end without any response… and yet,
I keep at it… why? because my voice does have some
impact… and I may never know what impact that is, but I
trust in the words I write… and you too, should trust
your words… your voice does matter…
keep at it…

Kropotkin

15

I’m sorry I behaved like a court jester, sire.

Worcestershire.

I’m twice as sorry now.

16

It’s even basic math. Only if two candidates were exactly neck and neck and who won was up to your vote would your vote make any difference.

And yet, your vote does add to the total aggregate votes making one of the candidates win if and when that one individual who’s vote does make a difference, votes.

But then this only matters if the candidates were literally neck and neck when that last individual votes. And how often in the history of presidential elections have the candidates ever been literally neck and neck?

So there’s an incredibly incredibly slim chance that your vote would ever matter.

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17

Exactly. Thank you.

The whole point of voting, for the “vooters” who care about that shit, is to assuage their own egos. To feel part of the group, the crowd, like they are doing their part. Voting is an EXCUSE for politically lazy people to, once every 2-4 years, pretend to themselves like they really care. It’s all about their emotions and wanting to feel on their own egoic level like “I’m invested, I did my part, I’m on the team” and has literally nothing to do with affecting actual outcomes in reality.

18

ken
1987 book, written by Ken Livingstone - “Red Ken” as he was called by the press. A staunch critic of Margaret Thatcher. Not a very entertaining read, but the book title pretty much captured the reality of the situation (at that time :thinking:)

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19

.
Like the recent UK General Election changed nothing?

Riiiiiiight…

.
The words “ruining the country” come to mind.

The current government sure is making the shadow cabinet work hard for their money honey, in ensuring that the current government doesn’t do anything further that will be detrimental to its people or country.

20

You are perfectly correct, Mags.

The tory government, which, incidentally, contained several members of the current shadow cabinet, spent the past 14 years “ruining the country”.

In the recent election, Mister Starmer appears to have been selected - by approximately 20% of the electorate - to apply the finishing touches.

Generally speaking, many of those who seek to change the status quo are frowned upon (if they are lucky). Many more are imprisoned, some are killed. Tough to vote out those unelected bods who would stoop to such behaviour! :grinning: