Not voting (in your election)

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Place to hang out, memes, share experiences or just vent.

Welcome to all not wanting to vote, not able to vote or just annoyed by the US presidential election taking over Lemmy and other social media.

Coming here to argue about voting will result in a ban.

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Be specifically aware that not everyone here is from the so called USA.

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punkisundead@slrpnk.net

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It's amazing how frequently just enough Democrats cross the aisle to keep Democrat legislation from passing. From Lieberman to Manchen to Fetterman and now Golden (slrpnk.net)

submitted 1 month ago by stabby_cicada@slrpnk.net to c/notvoting@slrpnk.net

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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/47161808

Breaking down the illusion of 2 parties

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[–] theparadox@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I don't believe my vote matters.

I've felt that way at times, but ultimately we disagree on that.

I don't think it's a good idea to deliberately drive the United States into the ground, hoping to trigger collapse and revolution, in the belief that something better might rise from the ashes.

How about deliberately sitting on the sidelines and encouraging other people to stop trying and join you? Sounds kinda like what you are doing.

But frankly? I think a collapse and a revolution is coming.

We agree on this. I'm just hoping that we can minimize the damage by making sure that the rich and powerful have as little control as possible if shit goes down. One party is unquestionably handing the country over to the rich and powerful. The other is a mixed bag. I'd rather try to filter the mixed bag than pretend they are the same thing and do nothing. I'm also hoping the system itself can be altered so that it is more resilient to this bullshit. Preferably something other than two parties and a broken election system.

I think if we avoid it, it'll be because the American government employs tools of repression, surveillance, and social control more extensive than any in previous history. I think both of those options are horrible.

I have the same concerns. Again, I'd like to filter out the mixed bag and try to reverse course - avoid both options or at least hamstring the powers that would most abuse the population under either option.

And I don't think anything I do is going to make one damn bit of difference to the outcome.

Then either find some motivation or, kindly, sit down and shut the fuck up. I truly feel very close to what you are feeling. I even feel the same sometimes, as the last as far as the hopelessness goes. However, doing nothing but screaming "doom" and most importantly telling everyone they can't do anything to fix things isn't helping.

[–] stabby_cicada@slrpnk.net 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Here's the thing. If you read what I rant about, you'll know I suggest plenty of positive shit. Depending on my mood, okay, I'm not perfect 😆

Frankly, I believe that surviving and thriving in the future of the West is going to mean building community networks, building mutual aid groups, building resilient non-governmental structures to meet people's needs in the absence, neglect, or open hostility, of government structures.

I believe everyone's time and energy is best spent on that work.

I believe every dollar and every minute spent on trying to reform government through the electoral process is wasted time and money at best and actively contributing to the collapse of civil society at worst.

And I think every driven, passionate activist, every person who sees the problems with society and tries to fix them by putting the right candidates in office, could do so much more good for the people around them by unionizing workplaces, or fundraising for community organizations, or a hundred other things - hell, if I walked out and picked up one piece of litter off the street, I'd have more of an impact on my community than every vote you've ever cast in your life put together has had on yours.

And honestly, I know a lot of those people, and it hurts to see all these amazing people pissing their time and energy away trying to help one billionaire win a popularity contest against another.

Trying to reform democracy from within is like walking into a crooked casino and imagining you can win if you pick the right machine to play and spend enough money playing it. All the machines are rigged. The only winner is the house.

And that's completely independent of my moral objections to a system based on, essentially, the tyranny of the majority.

So yeah, I'm going to come here, to a community called "notvoting", and talk about not voting and what people could do instead. Because it hurts to see so many good people's efforts go to waste.