So, I just voted. And I hope that you do too. I have given it some thought, and been all over the spectrum on the value/point of voting. I agree that, in all but the most local of races, from a purely rational self-interest optimizing perspective, voting has less impact on my life than the time it takes to research the issues and do it. But the issue with that thinking is that, when its wide spread, it is very problematic. It is similar to the true notion that, selfishly, the carbon emitted by me driving a gas guzzling car doesnt negatively impact me enough to care about it. But when that notion is widespread, its very problematic. When we vote, like when we choose to conserve, we do good not just for ourselves but for our entire community/world. Because when I vote, and I believe this is true of most people I know, I vote for who I believe will create a better world overall. By voting, I make my desire to do good for all heard. And when large groups vote this way, they make that desire more real in the world. Yet the number of people who vote that way is declining, compared with the number of people who adopt extremist positions that benefit them at the expense of every other person who does not fall into their ideological group/special interest. The Economist, in a great article linked below, notes that moderate voters are turned off from politics by extremism and deadlock, and thus choose not to vote. When they do this, they increase the proportion of extremist voters, creating more extremism and more deadlock. The only way out of this cycle is for moderates to vote, despite the frustrating realities we are currently seeing. Now, the best argument I ever heard against voting is that voting, by itself, accomplishes little. And I agree with this whole heartedly. We have to do so much more than just vote to create the world we want to live it. But voting is still important. I did it, and I hope you will do it too. economist/news/leaders/21629371-if-moderates-dont-vote-next-week-extremists-will-thrive-silent-centre
Posted on: Tue, 04 Nov 2014 16:15:29 +0000
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