Optimistic thinking! But I’m afraid such protests are futile for many reasons. The biggest issue is that refusing to vote has no visibility; it is not like a real protest or real activism. You simply disappear in numbers small enough to not matter, and those in power will continually claim the power until contested.
There is no reconciling with those in power through pacifism. History teaches us this time and time again. Continue to vote while you can, and remember Trotsky’s ideals for when things go bad.
It’s never worked in the past. So surely it will work this time!
The system doesn’t care if you think it’s legitimate or not. Especially if you don’t vote. They’ve worked hard to take the votes of many, nullify the votes of others. They’ll just laugh at the ones that waste theirs.
I’m sure the people on the right — who already actively engage in suppressing the vote of people who do want to vote — will feel deeply concerned about the legitimacy of their increased power due to people on the left deciding not to vote.
And I’m sure the Democrats, who will then have even less power in the federal government, will somehow use their non-power to pass laws to make things better in order to woo these non-voters who have proven their unreliability.
Our system is pretty broken, but if you’re given a lever to pull (voting) you may as well pull it. There is no benefit to be gained from opting out.
Idk, seems like one way to peacefully make a system illegitimate and obsolete
Optimistic thinking! But I’m afraid such protests are futile for many reasons. The biggest issue is that refusing to vote has no visibility; it is not like a real protest or real activism. You simply disappear in numbers small enough to not matter, and those in power will continually claim the power until contested.
There is no reconciling with those in power through pacifism. History teaches us this time and time again. Continue to vote while you can, and remember Trotsky’s ideals for when things go bad.
It’s never worked in the past. So surely it will work this time!
The system doesn’t care if you think it’s legitimate or not. Especially if you don’t vote. They’ve worked hard to take the votes of many, nullify the votes of others. They’ll just laugh at the ones that waste theirs.
On paper, totally !
I’m sure the people on the right — who already actively engage in suppressing the vote of people who do want to vote — will feel deeply concerned about the legitimacy of their increased power due to people on the left deciding not to vote.
And I’m sure the Democrats, who will then have even less power in the federal government, will somehow use their non-power to pass laws to make things better in order to woo these non-voters who have proven their unreliability.