Is voting useless in the US?

[Torisakia]

The 2020 US election has so far failed to materialise the changes that were expected.

The new administration hasn't even taken office yet. Have some patience. Holy hell, man.

That's how bad it is. They haven't even taken office yet and already they've fucked things up.

America's finest, I guess.

[Esalia]

I'd need corporate support to have a chance at being relevant, and if I somehow did get elected I'd have my hands tied.

Rubbish

Name one major politician that implemented the entirety of their program without receiving a single penny from a corporation.

If the assertion that "I'd need corporate support to have a chance at being relevant, and if I somehow did get elected I'd have my hands tied" is rubbish, there should be at least a handful of politicians who had no corporate support, didn't have their hands tied, and were relevant.

[Nouveau Yathrib]

Absolutely not. Today’s the last day to register to vote in Georgia’s runoff elections for both Senate seats btw. Go register and vote if you’re a US citizen living in Georgia and haven’t already! #warnockforsenate #ossoffforsenate #democratsenatemajority

https://georgia.gov/vote-2020-runoff-elections

[San Lumen]

Given that over the 233 years that the US has been a country we've just replaced one dumbass with another dumbass every 4 years (with only a handful of non-dumbasses in there), I'd say yeah it's pretty useless. Sadly there's almost no way to reduce the number of dumbasses in each election so we're kinda screwed either way.

I’m so sick of talk like this. Politicians don’t fall from the sky from another reality they come from the general public. If you think you can do better get off your butt and run yourself for city council or state legislature.

[Esalia]

Given that over the 233 years that the US has been a country we've just replaced one dumbass with another dumbass every 4 years (with only a handful of non-dumbasses in there), I'd say yeah it's pretty useless. Sadly there's almost no way to reduce the number of dumbasses in each election so we're kinda screwed either way.

I’m so sick of talk like this. Politicians don’t fall from the sky from another reality they come from the general public. If you think you can do better get off your butt and run yourself for city council or state legislature.

And I'm sick of your sole solution being "well go into politics and fix it then!" ignoring the million and one reasons why someone can't.

[San Lumen]

I’m so sick of talk like this. Politicians don’t fall from the sky from another reality they come from the general public. If you think you can do better get off your butt and run yourself for city council or state legislature.

And I'm sick of your sole solution being "well go into politics and fix it then!" ignoring the million and one reasons why someone can't.

Saying everyone sucks and not voting solves nothing either.

[Esalia]

And I'm sick of your sole solution being "well go into politics and fix it then!" ignoring the million and one reasons why someone can't.

Saying everyone sucks and not voting solves nothing either.

It might not, but people have genuine complaints and problems with the system and might not be capable of engaging in it.

Telling them "go into politics and fix it then" is like telling someone "go leave your country if you don't like it". You ignore all the reasons someone might have to not leave, or not go into politics, but still want change. It's a non-solution to the people that suffer the most from a broken system.

[San Lumen]

Saying everyone sucks and not voting solves nothing either.

It might not, but people have genuine complaints and problems with the system and might not be capable of engaging in it.

Telling them "go into politics and fix it then" is like telling someone "go leave your country if you don't like it". You ignore all the reasons someone might have to not leave, or not go into politics, but still want change. It's a non-solution to the people that suffer the most from a broken system.

No its not the same thing. There are plenty of other ways to get involved besides just running for office. You can go work for a campaign. There are organizations to get involved in. Georgia didn't flip this year from people complaining. There was a massive effort to get out the vote and engage people.

[Esalia]

It might not, but people have genuine complaints and problems with the system and might not be capable of engaging in it.

Telling them "go into politics and fix it then" is like telling someone "go leave your country if you don't like it". You ignore all the reasons someone might have to not leave, or not go into politics, but still want change. It's a non-solution to the people that suffer the most from a broken system.

No its not the same thing. There are plenty of other ways to get involved besides just running for office. You can go work for a campaign. There are organizations to get involved in. Georgia didn't flip this year from people complaining. There was a massive effort to get out the vote and engage people.

Even with that explanation, it still sounds like the same thing. A non-solution to the worst affected. A way to say "your complaints are invalid because you're not doing enough" even when they can't do more.

Sure, it worked in Georgia once, just like moving countries has probably worked. But Georgia is not the entire United States of America. Campaigning for a better system in a deep-red state is unlikely to work. People barely scraping by at the lowest rungs of society are unlikely to have the spare time to campaign, even if it would be effective.

It's a non-solution, a lazy way to dismiss legitimate complaints as "you're not doing enough".

[San Lumen]

No its not the same thing. There are plenty of other ways to get involved besides just running for office. You can go work for a campaign. There are organizations to get involved in. Georgia didn't flip this year from people complaining. There was a massive effort to get out the vote and engage people.

Even with that explanation, it still sounds like the same thing. A non-solution to the worst affected. A way to say "your complaints are invalid because you're not doing enough" even when they can't do more.

Sure, it worked in Georgia once, just like moving countries has probably worked. But Georgia is not the entire United States of America. Campaigning for a better system in a deep-red state is unlikely to work. People barely scraping by at the lowest rungs of society are unlikely to have the spare time to campaign, even if it would be effective.

It's a non-solution, a lazy way to dismiss legitimate complaints as "you're not doing enough".

Why bother then? So much easier to just whine and complain about how unfair everything is.

[Esalia]

Even with that explanation, it still sounds like the same thing. A non-solution to the worst affected. A way to say "your complaints are invalid because you're not doing enough" even when they can't do more.

Sure, it worked in Georgia once, just like moving countries has probably worked. But Georgia is not the entire United States of America. Campaigning for a better system in a deep-red state is unlikely to work. People barely scraping by at the lowest rungs of society are unlikely to have the spare time to campaign, even if it would be effective.

It's a non-solution, a lazy way to dismiss legitimate complaints as "you're not doing enough".

Why bother then? So much easier to just whine and complain about how unfair everything is.

Sure, you should try to change the system.

Dismissing complaints with "well go fix it" is a lazy way to ignore faults within the system, and the inability of certain groups of people to fix those faults.

[Torisakia]

Given that over the 233 years that the US has been a country we've just replaced one dumbass with another dumbass every 4 years (with only a handful of non-dumbasses in there), I'd say yeah it's pretty useless. Sadly there's almost no way to reduce the number of dumbasses in each election so we're kinda screwed either way.

I’m so sick of talk like this. Politicians don’t fall from the sky from another reality they come from the general public. If you think you can do better get off your butt and run yourself for city council or state legislature.

We've been through this before, Lumen. I'm not repeating myself from a month or so ago. But you are implying that it's the American people who are fucking the country over which I'm inclined to agree with.

[Eukaryotic Cells]

It depends on where you live. I haven't seen an analysis on this, but I would think most Americans have at least one decision of consequence (that is, a vote in a competitive race) on their ballot.

[San Lumen]

I’m so sick of talk like this. Politicians don’t fall from the sky from another reality they come from the general public. If you think you can do better get off your butt and run yourself for city council or state legislature.

We've been through this before, Lumen. I'm not repeating myself from a month or so ago. But you are implying that it's the American people who are fucking the country over which I'm inclined to agree with.

Who choses our leaders? The people.

[Torisakia]

We've been through this before, Lumen. I'm not repeating myself from a month or so ago. But you are implying that it's the American people who are fucking the country over which I'm inclined to agree with.

Who choses our leaders? The people.

Yes that was the point I was trying to get to.

[San Lumen]

Who choses our leaders? The people.

Yes that was the point I was trying to get to.

Ok and what will change but not voting or doing anything to change it and instead chosing to whine and complain?

[Cordel One]

We've been through this before, Lumen. I'm not repeating myself from a month or so ago. But you are implying that it's the American people who are fucking the country over which I'm inclined to agree with.

Who choses our leaders? The people.

And who presents us with the options? The parties. And whose funds are neccessary to become relevant? The companies.

[Sanghyeok]

We've been through this before, Lumen. I'm not repeating myself from a month or so ago. But you are implying that it's the American people who are fucking the country over which I'm inclined to agree with.

Who choses our leaders? The people.

Who choses our leaders? Not regular people, at least in our bourgeoise democracies.

[San Lumen]

Who choses our leaders? The people.

And who presents us with the options? The parties. And whose funds are neccessary to become relevant? The companies.

no primaries are what choses the candidates.

[Cordel One]

And who presents us with the options? The parties. And whose funds are neccessary to become relevant? The companies.

no primaries are what choses the candidates.

And how does one become distinguished in the primaries?

[San Lumen]

no primaries are what choses the candidates.

And how does one become distinguished in the primaries?

By presenting yourself as the better candidate and convincing people to vote for you.

[Sanghyeok]

Yes that was the point I was trying to get to.

Ok and what will change but not voting or doing anything to change it and instead chosing to whine and complain?

You seem to be far too attached to the Democratic Party, despite their mainstream offering nearly no useful change. Perhaps their policies are truly something you agree with, and that's fine (not really but I digress). But don't think leftists in your country will vote for them, receive nothing, and then be fooled into voting for them again. Here, maybe my meme can help you understand?

[Cordel One]

And how does one become distinguished in the primaries?

By presenting yourself as the better candidate and convincing people to vote for you.

And how do you present yourself as the better candidate? How do the people find out who you are?

[Sanghyeok]

And how does one become distinguished in the primaries?

By presenting yourself as the better candidate and convincing people to vote for you.

You mean by having more corporate donors?

[San Lumen]

By presenting yourself as the better candidate and convincing people to vote for you.

And how do you present yourself as the better candidate? How do the people find out who you are?

campaigning.