Thursday, September 17, 2009

 

I Don't Vote, Not Even for Ron Paul

In a previous post, I mentioned that I didn't vote for Ron Paul in the election. A few people expressed surprise in the comments. So I should clarify that I didn't vote for RP, because I don't vote (in political elections), period. My reasoning is pretty simple: My vote won't make a difference in any remotely plausible scenario, and so there's no reason to vote as a "pragmatic" measure. (It might be justified to torture a guy who has planted a hidden bomb, but it's definitely NOT justified to torture a guy who had nothing to do with planting a hidden bomb just because you're worried.)

And to the obvious retort, "What if everyone acted like you?" I respond: That would be awesome. I hope everyone does. That's why I spend so much time writing, after all, to get people to see why our current system is insane and evil. If only the candidates' moms voted in the next presidential election, the welfare-warfare state would collapse pretty quickly.

Here's an article on voting that I wrote after attending my brother-in-law's high school graduation and listening to the motivational speaker tell the kids to help their country by always voting. Really, if you actually analyze the arguments for voting, you'll see they're shockingly bad.



Comments:
Would you at least voted for Peter Schiff if you had the chance?
 
?? Ron Paul is ten times cooler than Peter Schiff. They are tied on monetary policy, and I don't know what Schiff's views are on foreign policy.
 
Hey Bob, thanks for clearing this up for us and I look forward to checking out the article you wrote to better understand your view on not voting at all.
 
I don't know, I thyink Schiff is straight up the most badass Austrian out there. His analogies are best. No other Austrian gets people as riled up on national television than this guy. Did you see him on the Ed Show? What a champ.

Here's his Morning Joe interview declaring his senate run and answering policy questions, including health care, and I guess one question on foreign policy. Mind you, he's no an-cap http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj75s5w5yDA&feature=sub
 
After procrastinating on registering to vote to the point where it was too late to vote in the recent election, I finally realized that it was a waste of time and wasn't going to make any difference.

I think your arguments helped point me towards my apathy.

Even worse than the fact that it won't help, voting gives implicit consent to the government itself. It's like saying "I don't mind if you steal, regulate, and run peoples lives, just do it in my favor, okay?"
 
I get and am sympathetic to your argument about the value of not voting Bob but what about all those ballot propositions like medical marijuana legalization, "temporary" sales tax hikes for sports stadiums or light-rail systems, etc, ad nauseum. The only real reason I go to the polls is because I can have at least some, albeit infinitesmal, influence in how these things are decided.
 
Though we would disagree on many things in the privacy of the polling booth, I strongly suggest reading Myth of the Rational Voter by Bryan Douglas Caplan... after reading it, I make sure that I vote (once each time, of course!)
 
Those who vote have no reason to complain. They got what they asked for. Non-voters, however, have every reason to complain: they didn't even try to impose their will on others, but are imposed upon.

Always keep in mind that voting in a political system is an act of violence.
 
I guess ballot initiatives are different from picking the lesser of two evils among candidates. I still don't vote in ballot initiatives just because it's not worth my time, but I agree it's different to vote "don't increase my taxes" versus "I want Ron Paul to be the guy taking my money blah blah blah."
 
It might be justified to torture a guy who has planted a hidden bomb, but it's definitely NOT justified to torture a guy who had nothing to do with planting a hidden bomb just because you're worried.

So it was 'ok' waterboard the three 9/11 conspirator douchbags?
 
Interesting fact, 99% of Americans voted for a socialist in the last presidential campaign. (I actually don't know the real figures, I'm just making a joke about McCain and Obama.)

I registered to vote in the last election but was moving across the country during election day and really didn't feel like doing the absentee ballot.

Isn't it a sad irony, that Ron Paul actually lost by just two votes? Ya'll should be ashamed.
 
The only thing less funny than a Libertarian President woud be an atheist Pope.
 
I am not sympathetic to your argument about the value of not voting Bob. What about legalizing NAMBLA and polygamy? The only real reason I go to the polls is because I like to go in the booth to jerk off.
 
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