To vote or not to vote that is the question
My grandpa (former Steelworker local Union president) once told me if you do not vote then you do not have the right to complain and I totally agreement with this bit of wisdom.
I know some of our choices are terrible (Hillary and Trump), and many of us are disguised by this election or feel disenfranchised; however, let me give you my take on this circumstance.
The elites do not want us to vote, why because if we do not vote then they win. Their minions will vote and advance their causes- their interests, wealth and control of us.
Look at the past 30 to 40 years of declining voter participation. Each election cycle people are growing weary and frustrated and just stop voting, and look at the candidates. They have gotten worse year after year, and look at our country it is sliding into the abyss, why because people do not vote and the terrible candidates are elected and doing freaking nothing to help the voters just advance their interests. If everyone were to vote then we would get better candidates and better representation in our government. However, when people wash their hands of the system and walk away then the establishment just smiles, and cheers because they win.
My approach to life is to play the hand that I am dealt as well as I can. Therefore, I am going to stick it to the establishment and exercise my democratic right to vote. My recommendation to each of you is to please vote, I do not care for whom you or how you vote, but exercise this freedom and prevent the establishment from having more control of us. Guess what, if you hate this current system then work within to change it. The first step of this change is by voting.
If you believe your vote does not count then my vote will be even stronger, but darn it I would like for all of us to vote because if more of us vote (99%) then we can change the course of this country now and in the future.
I have attached a link to a music video of one of my favorite songs about life- it sucks, but we have to fight (row) to live well. If you do not click on the link, please read the first stanza of the song:
“We are all born free, but forever live in chains. And we battle through existence on and on. We'll take whatever comes to be, while keeping hopeful melody.”
Bless each of you and play the game of life as best as you can.
Comments
I've gotta vote. There's a Berniecrat running for senate and
there's an evil state constitutional amendment for a state takeover of "failing" schools turning them over to for profit charters.
I've never felt this bad about an election, though.
"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"
I agree, this election makes me sick to my stomach
I understand, but we need to vote if not then one day we might not have this right.
I've never felt so GOOD about an election.
Finally , an election that show the true colors of the corportocracy and the candidates they run. It's a perfect scenario to get people motivated for the Green Party and #BreakThe2PartyTrap
"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies." - Groucho
Huh?! "choices are terrible". Bullshit.
Jill Stein is a great choice. The others, yeah they stink of Tyranny.
Donnie The #ShitHole Douchebag. Fake Friend to the Working Class. Real Asshole.
Very good point- thank you and I updated my essay
So true, I updated the essay to point out that Trump and Hillary are terrible choices. I am not too hip on Johnson, but he is not like Trump or Hillary in my opinion.
One more item- I like the feedback- fight, fight, fight! We need more of this spirit.
I can write her in because she won't appear on our ballot.
Writing Bernie in would be futile because of our "sore loser law." I'll write in Jill because I'm informed. Too many of my fellow citizens are kept in the dark by the MSM.
"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"
I have to write her in also.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
By the way, I will vote for her as well
I just want people to vote (that is the purpose of my essay), but I will vote for Jill as well. We need a viable and strong third party in this country to end the monopoly of the entitled establishment and to get politicians of their asses to work for us.
Indiana, Georgia and North Carolina are the only states
You can write Jill in. She is on the ballot everywhere else except Nevada, South Dakota and Oklahoma where you CANNOT vote for her at all.
https://ballotpedia.org/Ballot_access_for_presidential_candidates#Requir...
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
Information is power- Please use it
Thank you for sharing and helping us be empowered.
Latest Map Of Green Party Ballot Access
Donnie The #ShitHole Douchebag. Fake Friend to the Working Class. Real Asshole.
Thank you for this post.
Thank you for this post.
This. I keep hear people saying that not voting "sends a message". Yes, it does - the message is "You can do anything you want and I won't be there to stop you". They love it when we don't vote. It just tells them to ignore us.
But the corollary to this is that it is just as important (or even more important) to vote EVERY time, in EVERY election, for EVERY office. The party "elites" didn't come from nowhere - they are who they are because they have been laying the groundwork for years and even decades. They become powers in the party by doing the grunt work and working their way up from the "unimportant" races. You can't change the system from the top down. Go ahead and vote for Jill Stein, but it won't change anything. But voting for a progressive candidate for Mayor or your state legislature next year, or for Congress in 2018, just might help start that change. The knock against progressives has always been "They come out for the Presidential election, then disappear for the next 4 years". Any candidate for Congress or the Senate who has to run in an off-year is campaigning to a mostly conservative Republican electorate - because they are the people who vote in those elections. Is it any wonder we get ignored? Remember - the person running for your town council today could be a Presidential candidate in 20 or 30 years.
Untrue that voting for Stein won't change anything.
Voting for Stein could mean automatic ballot access for the Green Party in 2020, which, apart from what it does for the Greens is a first step in cutting against the duopoly.
Republicans have always been unacceptable to me. At this point, New Democrats are so entrenched at every level, including, yes, my city council. It's voting for the duopoly that is proven to change nothing.
Conversely, some people believe if you do vote you
have no right to complain.
[video:https://youtu.be/LQCHjDGhZXw]
Thank you- need your feedback
Big Al, this is great feedback, thank you for sharing. But I truly have a question for you, if you do not vote or participate in the political process and it is screwed then what do you about it? Seriously, this may sound like a smart ass comment, but it is not. Your essay helped me write mine. What do we do about the mucked up system? From my perception, the fewer people that vote the more screwed up things seem to become- kinda of like the Middle Ages- the small royalty class messed up everything. Therefore, if more people vote then these issues should get fixed???
So with this background in mind, what is the best course of action to fixed up this crazy mess we are currently in?
I think similar to Bernie opening up the conversation
abit about wealth inequality, etc., it's about opening up the conversation about our political system. for me I ask people whether they think this political system should ever be replaced. Many agree it should. I ask them, then why not now? If they feel the conditions will be met that require us to replace the political system, then how bad do the conditions have to get before we do that? I think we need to think about what we're doing here and really analyze whether or not there are better ways, because we know right now it is not working for the Serfs. There is zero indication it will.
I've mentioned the possibility of a national referendum system, many people would support that. Our politicians and the ruling elite wouldn't like that. Imagine the Serfs voting on whether we go to war, or provide military aid to Saudi Arabia, or what kind of health care system we want. They don't want that, they'd much prefer we keep voting for politicians in this pretend democracy.
If more people voted? It depends on who they vote for. Sure, if we could get half of the 100 million non-voters to vote for Stein, that could change things. But the system and it's sidekick the corporate media won't allow that to happen. I think this political system actually allows the ruling class to perpetuate their rule.
I guess the question is how to get more to vote. Can that be done under this system or do we need to change things to get more involvement? And shouldn't we change things to make it better anyway?
Thank you!
Big Al, thank you for this feedback, I appreciate and get it (light bulb just went on- only took 48 years).
I had a tough time wrapping my mind around your previous essay. I felt it was a defeatist attitude, but you are thinking my same thoughts- stop doing the same thing and expecting different results. We need to figure out a better way of governing.
We have the technology and means to do better for everything else, why are we still stuck in the late 1700 and early 1800 way of running our elections. It drives me crazy we still need to worry about voter fraud, registration, and political party restrictions.
I will need to think about this topic.
I ask people whether they
Great. So how do you propose to change the system? You want something different? Fine. Now tell me how you plan to get it. That's the question you can't (or won't) seem to answer.
Here's a hint - there are two, and only two, ways to do it.
1. Work within the system to change it.
2. Violent revolution.
That's it. There ain't no third choice. So pick one.
There might me another option
What about a constitution amendment? It would take either vote by congress, that might not happen or 2/3 of states to convene a constitution convention. The goal might be to introduce a new amendment to change how our elections work.
What about a constitution
That, by definition IS 'option 1" - working within the system. The only way to get a constitutional amendment is to vote for it. It doesn't just appear by magic; and there is no mechanism for a public referendum to introduce one. An amendment starts out by getting introduced in Congress, THEN if it passes there it comes out to the states for ratification. So you have to start out by ELECTING congressional candidates who will introduce and then vote for that amendment. So we are right back to "working within the system". Which means VOTING in EVERY SINGLE election. EVERY office, EVERY year. Every time you sit out an election, you have just set your own cause back 2 or 4 years.
First, Congress will not pass any amendment that might upset the
apple cart. If they do, it won't get ratified. No Constitutional amendment that was even mildly controversial has been ratified since the Eisenhower Administration--including the Equal Rights Amendment giving women equal rights with men, which should have been ratified in a cake walk.
Not only was the ERA not ratified, but Congress made sure to kill it, so anyone wanting to resurrect it has to start from zero, rather than just getting a few more states to sign on. No one knows if that is even Constitutional, but they did it.
As far as a Constitutional convention, we have not had one of those since they came up with the Constitution. I doubt you will get enough state legislatures to sign on to upsetting the apple cart, either. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_states_and_blue_states
And, if state legislatures do vote for a Convention, which has not happened since 1787, the entire Constitution (and Supreme Court cases decided under it) will be up for grabs-free speech, free press (remember, Obama and Difi wanted the power to decide who is a "publisher" for purposes of First Amendment Freedom of the Press); choice, privacy, freedom of association, how much states can regulate under the Second Amendment, right to counsel, cruel and unusual punishment--the whole ball of wax. Hell, I'd vote against opening up all that and I'd love me some changes. Which is probably why we speak of "THE Constitutional Convention," and not "the Constitutional Conventions." See also, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Constitutional_Convention_of_the_Un...
More realistic, IMO: work on a state by state basis and/or try to get Congress to pass another, more meaningful "Help America Vote" bill.
Hmm. Think I will make this a blog entry.
I agree
Until when and if there is a violent revolution, voting within the system is what we have. The threat of being thrown out on their ass is the only thing that gets the pols to do anything for the people especially at the local level. By not voting it sends the message that we don't care what they do and if think shit is bad now you haven't seen anything yet.
Do we really have it, though? Every time we have an election
anymore, Democrats or some subgroup of Democrats claim it was stolen. Gore, Kerry, Bernie.
Either a lot of people are full of poo, or our alleged right to vote is an illusion.
Maybe we ought to be working on ways to make elections more secure?
Too late. Who’d be *in charge* of making elections more secure?
State and federal agencies and departments (Homeland Security?) whom one would be a fool to trust, staffed as they are, and would be in the future, with the same fallible and corruptible yet supremely arrogant “meritocratic” caste we have now.
A few years ago, I would have said, “Yes, advances in technology will make possible a new form of secure elections.”
Now I look at the powers of monopoly, surveillance, and mass-opinion-shaping which Facebook, Google, and Amazon have amassed in the hands of their respective owners — powers even John D. Rockefeller and William Randolph Hearst could only dream of. And I think, “Oh, that’s the type of person and institution that has an interest in giving us free and fair elections? Suuure.”
The Constitution and Bill of Rights will be (if they haven’t already been) replaced by a 616-page “terms of service / user agreement” that can be revised at any time without notice.
Not advances in technology. Regression.
Paper ballots and a pencil and hand counting, plus some low tech, Luddite system to make sure the vote counters are honest, such as human watchers at every polling place babysitting the ballots on behalf of each candidate and certifying the final count. (I'm not trying to think through a foolproof system, just trying to give a ballpark idea of what I mean.)
After 2000, my state chucked the machines and went back to paper ballots. Sadly, after an election or two, they then got machines to read the ballots.
FYI: The Bill of Rights has already been replaced with, "At any given time, you shall have whatever rights government chooses to afford you."
“These rights will be afforded on an as-is, best-efforts basis,
with the understanding that they may be withdrawn at any time; and are provided without any warranty whatsoever, whether express or implied, of life, liberty, merchantability, or fitness for a particular purpose.”
Word to the wise: Keep a low profile on Tuesdays and
don't ever be going to weddings or funerals in the Middle East. In fact, don't go to the Arab Middle East unless you are a Kardashian opening a new mall in Dubai or Riyadh. No one else has a legitimate reason.
Do you think people who are working outside the
political system are just wasting their time?
Working outside the system, no.
But if all you do is refuse to vote, yes. Not you, Al, but people in general who don't vote. If they stay home on election day and say, "OK, I have made my statement," they haven't. TPTB just think, "Yay! Apathetic!"
Something else has to happen. And I think that something else can happen whether you vote or not: Working toward a different voting system, changing to a referendum system or ranked choice, an end to Citizens United, whatever. You can vote now and still work toward a different system now and later. In fact, I've been part of Wolf-PAC for a while. But it takes a long time to get all states on board. Meanwhile, I'm voting. One doesn't negate the other.
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Working toward a different
And how exactly do you define "working"? Every single thing you mention here requires a constitutional amendment. And the only way to get that is to elect representatives who will pass it. So unless you are "working" to elect people to Congress who will do that, you are doing nothing at all.
Well, with Wolf-PAC we're working toward getting an
Amendment through the states. See http://www.wolf-pac.com/the_plan
We think it's faster and easier to go state by state than through the federal system. Five states are on board so far. It will probably pick up after this election.
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This is still "working within
This is still "working within the system" - and it fits right in with what I said earlier - it still requires people to get out and VOTE. And what you are describing here means specifically voting in your state and local elections. Every poster here who is refusing to vote is working against this process. And every person who only comes out to vote in the Presidential years is doing nothing to help it.
I am planning to vote for Jill and the most progressive people
on the ballot and I do vote every election.
But see downthread. Some posters suggest economic boycott and such that would work regardless of elections. But I would say since they can work whether you vote or not, you should still vote. Vote and do an economic boycott, live more resiliently, etc.
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Please read this diary and the first few replies, esp. duckpin's
http://caucus99percent.com/blogs/henrywallace
Depends on what they're doing and what results, if any,
they've been getting, no?
Without that info, I can't answer a question like that.
It's not binary, either. It could be that all peaceful means are not working, full stop. It could also be that violent means won't work, either. The only major shake ups we've had have been the American Revolution; the New Deal, which, IMO, was to staunch the possibility of a second revolution; and the War on Poverty, which we got when it looked as though the peaceful and not so peaceful wings of the civil rights movement might combine with each other (for example, as the Black Muslims began providing security for MLK, Jr.), with the economic justice movement (where MLK, Jr. already was) and with the anti-war movement.
Ever since the 1968 activists started expressing regret that they had not voted for Humphrey, thereby opening the way for Nixon, we've been stuck with LOTE voting. As long as we keep electing Thing One or Thing One Point Two, the PTB could care less if we vote or not--and may just have a preference for low turnout.
There is a third choice
of sorts, but it's not so simple. Alternative economic structures, getting people out from under corporate dominion, getting access to resources as much as possible w/in people's reach, if possible alternative currency/ies. A lot of things Gerrit files (rightly) under resilience.
The thing is, all that stuff needs to happen anyway, revolution or no; it's necessary to a revolution; it's also necessary to just surviving better, so if you work on it, you know your efforts pretty much can't be wasted.
As for constitutional amendments, etc., I'm not sure at what point the PTB would allow an accurate vote count of our elections, but I'm pretty sure a vote to change our basic system would be quashed as easily as a vote for Bernard Sanders.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
The best choice is an economic boycott revolution.
If people got together and strategically boycotted corporations who supported unpopular positions that would get their attention. Since money runs our country you leverage the power of money to make headway. Hit in the wallet where it hurts.Instead of going after HRC, go after her supporters. Boycott television first. Unsubscribe to your TV portion of your cable bill. Cripple the MSM first while using the web for information. Stop watching all of it.
"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies." - Groucho
I already do that in my one
I already do that in my one and only little life...boycott the corporations that don't meet my standard of approval. Its a personal choice, live with my conscience, use my money for integrity type of thing. However, imagine if that purchasing power were multiplied by all the progressives across the country? It would send a message AND would fulfill our integrity requirements.
This may be a really stupid idea
but I like the idea of a federal referendums on everything from going to war to what health care system we have, etc. I'm thinking a lot of people might like that idea.What if started going door to door with a petition calling for national referendums? Not just us of course, but any other groups we can sell it to. I wonder if even apathetic, never vote people would sign? And if you get millions of signatures across the country, you could force a constitutional amendment. What Big Al was saying above in his comment ought to do it. And the worst that could happen is that a lot of people start thinking about the possibility of having a different kind of government in this country. That conversation is a win.
People hate this election. They hate the 2 "major candidates". So now might be a good time to start.
Okay. Go for it. Tell me all the reasons not to consider this.
I have been posting for a couple of years that,
with the internet, there is no reason why we cannot have an actual democracy instead of a Republic, meaning we vote on things like whether or not we go to war, whether or not we raise taxes, etc. Is that a great idea, though? I'm not sure. Do I want even half the people I see on reality shows voting on the national budget? I don't know.
Moreover, I don't think millions of signatures will be obtained, at least not enough to make a dent in a population of 350 million, give or take. If obtained, they will be ignored. The most we may get is politiciansplaining of why this won't work.
http://caucus99percent.com/comment/190237#comment-190237 (about Constitutional amendments and Constitutional conventions)
Yep. Like after Brexit, the Smart Kidz (meritocrats) in the U.K.
were writing op-ed pieces saying, “See? That’s why ‘too much’ democracy in the form of referendums is a bad idea and doesn’t work! The people are dumb! An elite should always make all the real decisions!”
So, Brexit is why the Queen can't have nice things?
It hasn't even happened yet, has it?
we have to spread the word about Jill
And convince people not to be brainwashed into voting for the failed 2 party system, no matter how hard the media tries to persuade/brainwash us
It's the women who are brainwashed. Jill isn't a women in their
eyes. Only women in race is HRC. A vote for Jill is vote for Trump. Women embarrassing themselves.
"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies." - Groucho
" if you do not vote or participate in the political process
and it is screwed then what do you about it?" Dunno.
If you do vote and participate in the political process and it is screwed up, what do you do about it? Dunno
Voting doesn't change the answer.
Au contraire, I vote for the underdog who rarely wins, then
I have the right to complain because if everyone voted like I did, we would have better politicians in office.
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It's very important for people in FL to vote.
There's a rotten ballot initiative masquerading as a pro-solar initiative. It isn't. It's the opposite.
As someone who hopes to put solar panels on my house someday--or maybe even one of those integrated roofs--I care about that a lot.
I'll post an essay about this soon, and maybe repost it on Election Day; it's important those of us who give a damn about alternative energy do vote, and vote the right way (it is a very sneaky amendment, designed to get well-meaning people to vote against their beliefs).
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
I'm aware of the Florida pro-solar amendment
You are correct. On it's face, It offers Floridians a right which they already have. The right to generate electricity from the sun or wind. What it really is, is a back door for the major utilities to make money of off people that install solar.
"I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones."
John Cage
Here's what you said:
If everyone were to vote then we would get better candidates and better representation in our government.
I'm not entirely sure about that, given election fraud and a corrupt legal justice system--BUT
However, when people wash their hands of the system and walk away then the establishment just smiles, and cheers because they win.
That is definitely true. They don't seem at all upset by low turnout. In fact, I've started wondering (half seriously) if this whole election cycle isn't aversion therapy.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
I just not sure- but something is not working
I truly believe the fewer people that vote then the political class is okay with it.
Think about the chances for reelection of an incumbent (all offices). I think the overall total is at least 90%. Wrap your mind about that fact- 90%. Most politicians are not well liked and their overall rating of their job performance is low, but some how the are magically reelected nearly 9 out of 10 times- why? Because no one freaking votes, and it works for them because they keep their jobs and do not have to work that hard. What a gig; great salary, people kiss your rump, great power and benefits while very little is expected of you.
I know--I'm saying I think they're disgusting us on purpose
as a long-term effort to keep us in a permanent state of passive, disgusted cynicism.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
That is a great point
Make the public so turned off by the election, that only the few (minions) with vote now and forever. Thank you for sharing.
Sure thing!
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Know what pisses me off about the fraud?
Is that I did not get to vote due to registration fraud. I've written about so much. Same address, never changed my party. Found out me and my husband were the victim of registration fraud and I don't believe it was the Russians or Rapepublicans either.
Over 50K Oregonians were not allowed to vote in this "election"
Then I get told... YOU HAVE TO VOTE!!! You must vote for Rodham.
Yeah, that's like watching thugs steal your car, only to come back and demand gas money.
Even IF I could get this registration crap all fixed up ... I will never vote for a fucking Clinton.
I will do my best to vote for Jill Stein.
"Love One Another" ~ George Harrison
DJ, are you registered now?
It's time for all of us to keep checking our registration status, right up to Election Day, as often as one thinks of it.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
You just made me wonder
Did slick Willie diddle Monica knowing it would cause a decline in voter participation? Nah...
“He may not have gotten the words out but the thoughts were great.”
Good luck with that "voting" notion.
some of us have already figured out that it's all fucking faked.
One day, you're "right to vote" will be frauded and no one will want to talk to you about it.
Not even the elections office. Secretary of State didn't seem to care. After a few days, neither did the Sander's folk care.
It's all just a big con game.
Otherwise EVERY vote would count. We would not have super delegates or electoral colleges...
You see if me and mine didn't get counted, what makes anyone here think that their "vote" counted??????
Registration Fraud. Voter Fraud.
Reform.
"Love One Another" ~ George Harrison
Dude, you can always talk to me about it.
I know, pretty close to exactly, how you feel.
The question is, how do you reform it via laws which need votes, or else need incumbents to actually take the issue up and institute reform, when you have a corrupt system?
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Thank you
We have no voice nowadays. None.
We just got screwed by Wells Fargo. Nothing will happen. $30 a month they screwed me. We don't even know for how long.
You get beaten and sprayed in the streets for trying to speak against the 1%. Nothing.
You get assaulted and people will mansplain how it's just lockerroom behavior. Nothing gets done.
You get your right to vote taken away and people still pretend things are A okay.
I don't know what to do about reform at this point. I'm filled out so many documents regarding our story. I've met people at the elections office and I've been completely ignored by the politicians and SOS.
But I do know pretending there is an election, talking about fucking election polls isn't going to change anything.
The only people in this country who have rights, it seems, are the fucking gun nuts and they don't even understand theirs.
"Love One Another" ~ George Harrison
Maybe we could write a joint diary about it.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Stein needs to win the blue states -- TURN THEM GREEN!!!!!
“I never did give them hell. I just told the truth, and they thought it was hell.”
― Harry Truman
I think we need
term limits. That's a starting point. Representatives term out after xx years, Senators, two terms. Do the people's work and go home! It should not be a full-time job. They only work part-time in the guise of full-time, so let's cut it down to three sessions a year, or some such nonsense. Let's get back to government being of, for, by the people. My $.02.
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
California tried that already
California tried that already. You know what happened? The elected officeholders never got enough experience to figure out how to do anything, so they became absolutely powerless figureheads. While the unelected staff people, who stayed there permanently in the background no matter whose name was on the office door, held all the power.
I'm sorry, but the idea of the "citizen-representative" disappeared with the agrarian society of the 18th century. And in fact, it never really was average citizens back then, it was only the wealthy landowners who could afford to take the time off to be in Congress. So it was actually a holdover from feudal society, where the lords of the manor made the laws and the serfs (us) had no say at all. No thanks. For all it's faults, I'll still take a system of professional politicians who actually know and understand what they are doing, and have to at least go through the motions of appealing to the electorate.
The Voters ARE The Term Limits!!!
Case in point - here in CA there is a campaign to oust a 20-year Congressman from his Orange County seat. These people pushing this ouster recognize that the voter is the ultimate authority on whether an incumbent gets returned to office. Those who don't see this are too lazy to keep their franchise.
California has a term limit law. The only outcome was that officeholders would trade seats to avoid losing their government pay checks. They remained in some office -ANY office- despite the intent of a badly-written law.
So stop avoiding your responsibility as a citizen and vote wisely. If you think someone has been in office too long, vote someone else in.
Vowing To Oppose Everything Trump Attempts.
I do take offense at your remark
You don't know me nor how/if I vote. If your intent was not to admonish, in the future, think carefully when you post comments to people.
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
I've Always Voted
I never miss a chance to vote. You need to let TPTB know that you are still out there. There are 218,959,000 Americans eligible to vote, but only 146,311,000 are registered. That's a difference of 72,648,000 people. In the 2012 Presidential election, 126,144,000 (57.5%) voted who were eligible to vote. Why aren't more people registered to vote?
http://www.statisticbrain.com/voting-statistics/
I emailed the U.S. Census Bureau requesting very
similar info after the 2008 election. The emailed reply was that it did not collect this information. I was stunned. Yet, your source cites the Census Bureau as the source of the info. I am thrilled if the Bureau changed policy in time for the 2010 census.
General strike.
How to organize it is another question but it is a third option, just before "violent revolution".
"When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained." - Mark Twain
Sigh.
That was supposed to be a reply to Ken T, upstream.
"When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained." - Mark Twain
Good point.
There's a lot of steps other than violent revolution, but they often trigger one, b/c the PTB don't take kindly to those actions.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
it is a third option, just
Not really. Because if it ever gains enough traction to even be noticed, it will inevitably lead to violence.
Not only do we vote
But we keep winning.
For president, at least.
IMAGINE if you woke up the day after a US Presidential Election and headlines around the the world blared, "The Majority of Americans Refused to Vote in US Presidential Election! What Does this Mean?"