Comments on: Why I Won’t Vote (Part Two)

By: cato on the greens

cato on the greens — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 23:05:43 +0000

PS did I mention the fact that you should not vote if you are voting for the lessor of two evils? One more point, the actual manner that we will change our system is taking our heads out of the cave and stop electing candidates that are seemingly qualified based on education, age, and criminal record. We may want to consider people that have had struggles morally, but are actually changed by them, then individuals, that seemingly have a clean record, but are morally bankrupt, but are such experts of deception, that one cannot see through ther chamelions skin.

Sincerly,
You know Who…

By: cato on the greens

cato on the greens — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 22:57:58 +0000

Although the right to vote is something that should be respected, the right not to participate, especially if one does not feel that the playing field of candiates supports ones owns moraes, should also be respected. Perhaps far more than the person that chooses the lessor of two evils and ethically, Josef is dead on. I defend his decision not to vote, just as I defend the decison of some of the dead heads to vote. Again, I say, if in convicition we lack the veracity to support our choice, we should really not be making the choice at all. If we are going to make the choice let us hope that this choice is an educated one.

Sincerly,
Ralph Figueroa
aka ´Cato on the Greens´

By: Why I Vote (in plenum) « Philosophy On The Mesa

Why I Vote (in plenum) « Philosophy On The Mesa — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 00:10:02 +0000

[...] Josef has an interesting (albeit dispersed) argument for why he doesn’t vote. (Here, here, and here) I agree with (most of) his premises but come to a different [...]

By: Lance Winsaft

Lance Winsaft — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 07:15:47 +0000

I do not wish to comment on the first part of this post since it does address previous tangents expressed by former comments. It is not clear cut for me where the original discussion picks back up, but I will do my best to comment on the matter at hand.

“Couldn’t I be perfectly mistaken (and potentially a danger) if I seriously pursued my own interests to the exclusion of the interests of others?”

The answer to this question seems to be a yes, assuming the interest of others is what is most important. Though, if in fact, one’s own interests ARE what are most important, than voting selfishly seems to work (on a case to case basis of course).

So I will ask which is more important, the interest and needs of the collective or the individual-or is there really a difference, and if so what is that difference?

“why shouldn’t people who have a more direct interest in any particular voting issue be allowed to make their choices without the meddling interference of masses of uninformed and vulgarly interested people”

This idea is something that I have been a proponate of for many years, and not when it just comes to voting. In my eyes, no decision in life should be made without some degree of education on the matter. Stockbrokers do not just buy a stock without first some degree of analysis. The horrible problem with voting is that we have masses of people making uninformed decisions that have an effect on the entire country. 50 Cent and P. Diddy tell us to “VOTE OR DIE” Such ridiculousness in media is one example of how voting is forced among us. The masses run to the polls and line up like sheep to vote for individuals or issues of whom the only thing they no about come from Wolf Blitzer or Anderson Cooper.

Even as an educated voter why should one be content choosing between candidates in a quintessential “lesser than two evils” decision. It seems unfair to me. So if one has a choice: pick between two you don’t like, or don’t pick at all-which is the better option? To make the question more dimensional- Which is the better choice for self and which is the better choice for the masses.

I hope I didn’t miss the point of this post, and I look forward to a respose. My goal was to expand on some of the posters original points and ask some pertanant questions. This is an extremely interesting issue, especially this time of year. And with the current system the way it is, I feel discussion on this subject is of the most importance