Is voting useless in the US?

[Fahran]

It was something like 70% of Republicans who believe the system is rigged.

The system is rigged in some respects, though probably not in the way that they believe.

[Fahran]

Why? Someone so young winning statewide office proves its not useless and the system works

If young people having office is of consequence, the Qing did quite well with Puyi.

I already explained in as much detail as I could with a lazypost.

[Fahran]

Voting in a liberal democracy is never useless, however one could argue that due to mass voter suppression and asymmetrical federalism, we don't live within a liberal democracy.

You could argue that, but you'd be wrong.

I think that voting is quick and easy, and everyone should cast a vote if they're able, but activism should never end at the ballot, direct action such as sit ins and marches are more effective at getting real change done.

Direct action doesn't have a direct impact. It's effectively a way of generating publicity and leveraging the popular will to lobby officials on a particular set of issues. It's most successful when it interacts with more formal institutions and processes.

So vote, but never stop there.

Absolutely.

[The Lone Alliance]

Congratulations. Now what reforms will be put in place that actually matter? Do you think your friends in blue voting to bomb [developing country here], ignoring rampant poverty, and refusing to solve the US healthcare crisis is an improvement over definitely-not-90%-similar enemies in red (who don't share the same corporate donors, not at all!) doing the same?

Oh I’m sorry we can’t wave a magic wand and fix everything tomorrow.

You fail to realize that the people in power actually have zero interest in 'fixing' things. Because for them and the people around them, everything is fine and functioning normally.

If they aren't the ones personally suffering, they, as a whole, do not see anything that needs fixing.

[Sanghyeok]

Why? Someone so young winning statewide office proves its not useless and the system works

If young people having office is of consequence, the Qing did quite well with Puyi.

I already explained in as much detail as I could with a lazypost.

I guess Qing China was more democratic than the United States.

[San Lumen]

Oh I’m sorry we can’t wave a magic wand and fix everything tomorrow.

You fail to realize that the people in power actually have zero interest in 'fixing' things. Because for them and the people around them, everything is fine and functioning normally.

If they aren't the ones personally suffering, they, as a whole, do not see anything that needs fixing.

Completely untrue.

[Sanghyeok]

You fail to realize that the people in power actually have zero interest in 'fixing' things. Because for them and the people around them, everything is fine and functioning normally.

If they aren't the ones personally suffering, they, as a whole, do not see anything that needs fixing.

Completely untrue.

I don't know, didn't your team's congresspeople refuse to vote in favour of expanded stimulus checks some time ago?

[United Dependencies]

Why did it take several decades, Lumen? Why?

Because there were and are a very large number of racists people in this country who also had(and have) the ability to vote.

[-Ra-]

Why did it take several decades, Lumen? Why?

Because progress is slow lmfao.

[San Lumen]

If voting didn’t matter one political party wouldn’t be trying so hard to make it harder.

[Senkaku]

Yesterday's events should demonstrate that while voting may not be useless, judicious and well-coordinated use of force is certainly much more effective.

[Cordel One]

If voting didn’t matter one political party wouldn’t be trying so hard to make it harder.

If voting mattered we'd have more choices than two rightist parties.

[Cordel One]

Yesterday's events should demonstrate that while voting may not be useless, judicious and well-coordinated use of force is certainly much more effective.

[-Ra-]

If voting didn’t matter one political party wouldn’t be trying so hard to make it harder.

If voting mattered we'd have more choices than two rightist parties.

Democrats are centre-left, Republicans are right-wing. And anyway your political parties are more like broad coalitions (think like the difference between Bernie Sanders and Joe Manchin) than actual parties. Stop complaining and go register to vote. I have links in my sig.

[San Lumen]

If voting didn’t matter one political party wouldn’t be trying so hard to make it harder.

If voting mattered we'd have more choices than two rightist parties.

There are third parties. If they got the most votes they'd win. Amazing concept I know.

[Western Fardelshufflestein]

It’s not an excuse. Things don’t change overnight. Civil rights took decades so did same sex marriage.

Why did it take several decades, Lumen? Why?

Because some people were stubborn bastards about it. Jim Crow laws were disgusting.

[-Ra-]

Yesterday's events should demonstrate that while voting may not be useless, judicious and well-coordinated use of force is certainly much more effective.

This is such a stupid take I feel so sorry that you posted it. The rioters failed in every single one of their aims. Joe Biden has officially been certified as the president-elect. All they succeeded in doing is mobilising more of the country against Trump and possibly leading to his forced removal from office.

If anything this demonstrates that violent action does not work.

[San Lumen]

Yesterday's events should demonstrate that while voting may not be useless, judicious and well-coordinated use of force is certainly much more effective.

This is such a stupid take I feel so sorry that you posted it. The rioters failed in every single one of their aims. Joe Biden has officially been certified as the president-elect. All they succeeded in doing is mobilising more of the country against Trump and possibly leading to his forced removal from office.

If anything this demonstrates that violent action does not work.

and turning off even more people to the party as a whole.

[Intaglio]

Was he

Putting Cordel's argument aside, Jefferson's relationship with Sally Hemmings makes it difficult to dispute the fact that the dude was absolutely a predophile and rapist.

His hypocrisy needs not be mentioned; most of the Founding Fathers were.

To be fair, by the standards of their society, she was legal, but yeah, their relationship probbly wasn't consensual.

[Kexholm Karelia]

Yesterday's events should demonstrate that while voting may not be useless, judicious and well-coordinated use of force is certainly much more effective.

You think yesterday’s events helped Trump?

[Senkaku]

Yesterday's events should demonstrate that while voting may not be useless, judicious and well-coordinated use of force is certainly much more effective.

This is such a stupid take I feel so sorry that you posted it. The rioters failed in every single one of their aims. Joe Biden has officially been certified as the president-elect. All they succeeded in doing is mobilising more of the country against Trump and possibly leading to his forced removal from office.

If anything this demonstrates that violent action does not work.

Yesterday's events should demonstrate that while voting may not be useless, judicious and well-coordinated use of force is certainly much more effective.

You think yesterday’s events helped Trump?

Were yesterday's events judicious or well-coordinated? I understand sometimes reading a whole post is hard, but it was one sentence.

[Cordel One]

If voting mattered we'd have more choices than two rightist parties.

There are third parties. If they got the most votes they'd win. Amazing concept I know.

But they don't have money or corporate support, meaning they aren't able to advertise their candiates like the Democrats and Republicans.

[Katganistan]

The GOP thrives on convincing people that it's useless to vote.

Go vote.

I don’t think the OP is a republican

I did not state anywhere that they were.

[San Lumen]

There are third parties. If they got the most votes they'd win. Amazing concept I know.

But they don't have money or corporate support, meaning they aren't able to advertise their candiates like the Democrats and Republicans.

Doesn’t mean you can’t vote for them. Third parties have won before. Teddy Roosevelt won several states in 1912.

Saying corporate support or lack of money Is such a dismissive answer. The new 33 year old senator from Georgia didn’t have corporate backing and neither did the other.

[Sanghyeok]

But they don't have money or corporate support, meaning they aren't able to advertise their candiates like the Democrats and Republicans.

Doesn’t mean you can’t vote for them. Third parties have won before. Teddy Roosevelt won several states in 1912.

Saying corporate support or lack of money Is such a dismissive answer. The new 33 year old senator from Georgia didn’t have corporate backing and neither did the other.

Nobody is saying you're not allowed to vote for them, but rather those votes don't matter. The fact you have to go back over one hundred years to give a single example is rather funny.