I'm honestly surprised that there is such an overwhelming preference for "not voting" in the replies. Very interesting.
I guess I expected that even anarchists might generally prefer to maximize their potential political impact within the existing system.
I think the best strategy is to simply think defensively. If you vote, vote for the thing that will cause the greatest disconcensus in the political sphere, or vote toward an explicit and singular goal.
For example:
ā¢ if I voted for RFK Jr it would be solely to see him go after the pharmaceutical industry. I don't really care about his stance on war because every politician's stance on war is dogshit. So why do i care which one gets in for that issue?
ā¢ If I voted for Trump it would be purely and only due to his promise to free Ross (plus the general political chaos it would cause would be entertaining). I don't give a shit about his other stances or absurdities. Every possible candidate is dog shit on SO many issues, so what difference would it make?
I totally get your point but the devil's advocate would say that the public sphere still looks at each vote the same way: as a full endorsement.
Biden can claim that 75 million americans "endorsed him", even if that's obviously not true.
It just gives them an extra propaganda card to justify their power and actions.
Sure, I don't vote for this reason, but I'm not so dogmatic about it. My last vote was for Ron Paul int he primaries and it may stay that way.
On the propaganda note though, they *always* have some bullshit excuse, and I just don't consider that one very powerful. It only work on people who are stupid and accepting enough of the system, that literally *any* other excuse or bullshit they peddled would be swallowed whole regardless. So the question, in my mind, is whether the "75 million people support me" is a special and specifically useful propaganda, or if it's just one of the huge batch of dumb shit they pull out every time?
I lean toward the latter. They always have the "good sound bite" that proves they are the best and that everything good that happens is directly because of them and everything bad that happens is either unavoidable or caused by the last guy.
So i get what you are saying, but generally don't find it a very special or particularly convincing line of BS. It only convinces the same people who are convinced by literally anything they say, imo.
I think more people are just turning their back to the absurdity and doing their best to improve their own lives.
At the very least vote local. Like your own neighborhood local
I always vote - because I believe that demoralizing voters is one of the goals of the system that presents two impossible candidates. It drives up angst and feelings of hopelessness. Itās just one more grind that makes people amenable to āsolutionsā they would otherwise reject with force.
In 2020 I couldnāt get myself to vote for Trump even though I expected a horror show from Biden. I think I voted for the libertarian candidate, but I donāt even remember who that was.
Definitely not voting for Biden this time: that really is the fastest route to a single global state. Nobody knows whoās actually deciding things for that guy. They will somehow keep him propped up for at least 2 years and a day before he retires due to a sudden medical condition.
Not sure about voting for trump. The recent trial almost sucked me in. If he wins, the level of resistance, protests, violence, and unbelievable manipulation will be astounding.
No joke: Iāve literally weaped for the future several times over the past few years.
Live is constant voting. There is no situation where you don't vote for something over something else.
Once you understand this. The vote they present you with becomes meaningless. And your everyday decisions become your true power.
It costs nothing to go an vote for the lesser evil, even though you know its all bullshit
Not voting is super easy. You can always says it is because of "them". We all live in a system: if you want to change it, you have to play by the rules. It is not easy but that's the game, and if you don't want to play, just stop complaining.
