No. I will not vote for a neoliberal.
I was struggling to to come up cogent reply to this sentiment, but I realized you did it for me. I don't know you. I don't know your financial or employment situation. But I know that thousands of fast food workers managed to shoulder a significant financial burden when they conducted strikes for a livable minimum wage. You really couldn't make time for a couple of hours of making yourself heard on this point that you felt passionately enough about that you posted about it here? Able? No. I have a day job
I do not welcome the last, greatest evidence of the failure of Democracy to the selfishness, ignorance, and vice of the masses.
You're right, it's more complex than that. I also don't think it makes a difference. I'm not capable of organising a mass protest. Living in a big city, I see lone protesters outside the Capitol all the time. I also see nobody caring. If there were a mass protest in my city, I might go. But even then, those fast food workers didn't succeed. The minimum wage wasn't raised. No laws were passed. Nobody in power cared, and nothing happened. I could. But I wouldn't be. I have written and called congressmen. I got cookie-cutter replies, and nothing changed. They didn't care. Ever signed one of the White House "WeThePeople" petitions? I have. Ever read the Obama Administration's responses when one gets enough signatures? They're all the same. Cookie-cutter "We know it's a problem, and we're going to do everything we can that doesn't involve actually doing anything." I'm tired of participating in the illusion of democracy.You really couldn't make time for a couple of hours of making yourself heard
For so many reasons, I wouldn't be surprised if a good bit of content on this thread resonates with a number of us. Though, when it comes to this: Yet, the disillusionment in government yields to this: I think the appropriate question from here is: Then what's the next course of action? - To stay would be to accept and grind through discomfort. To stay and attempt to make a difference from the inside? Well, we've seen enough of that, I think. To leave would be trading levels of security, rights, 'liberties', for others of different shapes and sizes; which, more than likely, down the line will surface its own institutional problems. - What are the [feasible] options left, if not, unthought of?I'm tired of participating in the illusion of democracy.
Are you willing to protest in the street?
Willing? Yes. Able? No. I have a day job.
It's been argued civilisations require a frontier to be healthy. Frontiers have a lot of advantages for the stability of the old country. It gives the restless and adventurous a place to go. It gives people dissatisfied with the government or the society a place to go. It gives the government a place to send dissidents and criminals, those unable to integrate with society, allowing them to choose between prison and the frontier. Overall, It makes the old country less dynamic, but more stable. It also gives each individual greater choice in their environment, and presumably greater happiness.
If your slightly less shitty mainstream candidate is at risk of loosing because you voted for a 3rd party then you are going to force their platform in your direction. Or your are going to allow your 3rd party candidate to get enough of a foothold to get federal election funding for next time. Then they will become an even more real threat in 4 years.But "voting" for a third party is not voting, it's protesting
Meh that's like saying voting for sanders isn't voting. Its a BS argument that the mainstream parties use to discourage you from voting for someone that actually represents you interest.
I couldn't disagree more. Sanders is running in the Primary of one of the Two Parties. If he wins their nomination, he becomes one of the Two Parties. Third parties cannot win in a First Past the Post system. It's not a low chance. It's zero chance. No third party has ever won in a US Presidential election (discounting party system changes, which aren't actual third parties). See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-past-the-post_voting#Tactical_voting The exact opposite. Trump wants you to vote Green, to take votes from Hillary. And Hillary wants you to vote Libertarian, to steal votes from Trump. The Two Parties want you to vote for the third party closest to their opponent. If Bernie ran on a third-party ticket, he would only steal votes from Hillary, and throw the election for Trump. That's how First Past The Post works. That's the sole argument for voting third party instead of mainstream, in FPTP: the nuclear option. If you're willing to, for all practical purposes, vote for Trump, in order to encourage Hillary more to the left, you can Press the Red Button. But the net effect is the same as not voting. So, as far as "pushing to the left" goes, there's no difference whether you vote third party or don't vote.Meh that's like saying voting for sanders isn't voting.
Its a BS argument that the mainstream parties use to discourage you from voting for someone that actually represents you interest.
If your slightly less shitty mainstream candidate is at risk of loosing because you voted for a 3rd party then you are going to force their platform in your direction
In a 2 party system every voter has the choice to vote -1, 0 or +1 for a candidate. By voting 3rd party aren't voting "For" trump you are just not canceling out a trump supporters vote. Unless you live in a swing state where the two candidates are 5-8% there is no real reason for you to cancel out someones vote with your own because there is no reason to win by a larger margin. The only time it could be a problem is if two candidates are really closely polling in your state, then you may wish to vote for the "Lesser evil" as opposed to the better candidate.That's the sole argument for voting third party instead of mainstream, in FPTP: the nuclear option. If you're willing to, for all practical purposes, vote for Trump, in order to encourage Hillary more to the left, you can Press the Red Button. But the net effect is the same as not voting. So, as far as "pushing to the left" goes, there's no difference whether you vote third party or don't vote.
Ha, thats how I feel too. Trump isn't bad enough IMO that I will vote for Hillary to spite his supports. This election is really all about Trump. Do you vote for him, against him or neutral. I have seen absolutely no reason to vote "FOR" Hillary, only that a vote for her is one against Trump.