How to avoid supporting bad politicians
For several elections, I have been trying to figure out why choosing between predetermined candidates in a voting booth on Election Day was really all that important. For years, people have attempted to persuade me that my meager choice between political candidates was really a great exercise in democracy. Some have even told me that it was my ‘civic duty’ to cast these votes. Apparently, if I didn’t vote then it would somehow be my fault if I disapproved of the policies imposed by the next ruling body.
Unfortunately, as I eagerly searched for political candidates worthy of receiving my powerful little vote, I was surprised to find that I really only had two choices to pick from. “It’s a two-party system” I was told, “you’re supposed to pick the one you think is best.”
Since I never really liked either party (or the candidates that represented them) and there was rarely much of a difference between them anyway, I naturally wondered what I was supposed to do with my powerful little vote if I didn’t want to hire one of the candidates offered. “Figure out which one is the worst, then vote for the other one!” is what they told me, “Vote for the lesser of two evils!”
Seriously? This is what our ingenious democracy boils down to? We invest all our power in people and ideas that are second from last? Somehow I fail to see the utility in this.
It didn’t take long for me to realize that participating in this two-party system was useless, and that it was more productive to not even vote at all. Some have said that by not voting I am neglecting to voice my opinion, and that I have no right to complain about whatever politicians are subsequently put into office, but I think these people are wrong on both points.
First of all, by not voting I am voicing my opinion: Our nation would be better off with political offices completely vacant than to fill them with inept, corrupt representatives of wealthy special interest groups who parade around as if they can fix everyone’s problems. I think these politicians do more harm than good, and no one should be given the sort of power incumbent in any position of authority unless he or she is actually the best of all possible choices—not second from last.
Secondly, I will always have the right to complain about whatever these politicians are doing. Just because I am not given the option of voting for what I really want—the firing of incumbent politicians and leaving their seats empty—does not mean that I am therefore bound to accept whatever nonsense these elected officials spew. These people do not represent me, and I do not intend to give any of them the impression that I approve of what they do by participating in the very system that is supposed to prescribe power to them. Therefore, by not voting I choose not to empower hazardous candidates. Naturally, the late George Carlin said it best with the following:
“I don’t vote…I believe if you vote, you have no right to complain. People like to twist that around – they say, ‘If you don’t vote, you have no right to complain’, but where’s the logic in that? If you vote and you elect dishonest, incompetent people into office who screw everything up, you are responsible for what they have done. You caused the problem; you voted them in; you have no right to complain. I, on the other hand, who did not vote, who in fact did not even leave the house on election day, am in no way responsible for what these people have done and have every right to complain about the mess you created that I had nothing to do with.”
November 19th, 2008 at 13:24
It’s as if you took my brain and put it on paper! This is precisely the answer I’ve been giving to all of those people who wanted to know “who I’m VOTING FOR!?” *Sigh* As I read more of this article I kept waiting to see if you were going to use George in there. You did not disappoint. Working with a broken system will never yield success. What would you call us anyways? A Biarchy?