Voting is necessary civil engagement: but it is insufficient. Both parties agree on the two-party system. Both parties agree on first past the post voting. Both parties agree on taking money from “good” billionaires (i.e., legal bribery). Both parties agree on insider trading. Both parties agree on government bailouts. Both parties agree on proxy wars. And so on. In a two-party system, who do we vote for to address these issues?
Of course there are meaningful differences between the parties. But they use social issues (e.g., immigration) to divide the American people so they do not notice just how much both parties agree on. We need deeper systemic changes to this system that literally will never happen through voting.
Rather than complaining that both parties are the same, try voting in congressional primaries. They see less than 15% turnout. You know who always votes? Retirees, and they have very different needs than the working class.
Again, there is too much overlap on the Venn Diagram. The source of these problem is the two-party system itself, which means it will never change through voting. We effectively have a democratic voice for things that the parties disagree on, but do not have a voice for anything that both parties agree on.
So if the two-party system is the problem, how do you think continuing to avoid participation will change something? Try something different and vote in primaries.
I’ve endorsed voting five times already in this thread and yet I still get the same response. It’s like Americans think civil engagement begins and ends at voting. Ironically, the point of this post is to call that very line of thinking into question.
They’re not even voting. That’s my point. Less than 15% attendance in congressional primaries is the reason nothing changes. We need people to actually vote before we can say voting doesn’t do anything.
Let me guess: Democrats are completely innocent in our present state of this affairs, right? If we just get more Democrats in all three branches of government, they will fix all our problems. Is that it?
I don’t blame you: I used to think the same. But what does it take to see this is a bipartisan problem? We have President Biden and Bernie Sanders both warning about the oligarchy, and you people think they’re just talking about Republicans. For fucks sake…
Voting is necessary civil engagement: but it is insufficient. Both parties agree on the two-party system. Both parties agree on first past the post voting. Both parties agree on taking money from “good” billionaires (i.e., legal bribery). Both parties agree on insider trading. Both parties agree on government bailouts. Both parties agree on proxy wars. And so on. In a two-party system, who do we vote for to address these issues?
Of course there are meaningful differences between the parties. But they use social issues (e.g., immigration) to divide the American people so they do not notice just how much both parties agree on. We need deeper systemic changes to this system that literally will never happen through voting.
Rather than complaining that both parties are the same, try voting in congressional primaries. They see less than 15% turnout. You know who always votes? Retirees, and they have very different needs than the working class.
Again, there is too much overlap on the Venn Diagram. The source of these problem is the two-party system itself, which means it will never change through voting. We effectively have a democratic voice for things that the parties disagree on, but do not have a voice for anything that both parties agree on.
So if the two-party system is the problem, how do you think continuing to avoid participation will change something? Try something different and vote in primaries.
I’ve endorsed voting five times already in this thread and yet I still get the same response. It’s like Americans think civil engagement begins and ends at voting. Ironically, the point of this post is to call that very line of thinking into question.
They’re not even voting. That’s my point. Less than 15% attendance in congressional primaries is the reason nothing changes. We need people to actually vote before we can say voting doesn’t do anything.
“I’ve tried nothing but complaining, and I’m all out of options.”
Let me guess: Democrats are completely innocent in our present state of this affairs, right? If we just get more Democrats in all three branches of government, they will fix all our problems. Is that it?
I don’t blame you: I used to think the same. But what does it take to see this is a bipartisan problem? We have President Biden and Bernie Sanders both warning about the oligarchy, and you people think they’re just talking about Republicans. For fucks sake…
You want to point fingers but we all play a part. The electorate are complacent, lazy, moronic, consumers, who think civics is a car made in japan.
Agreed, but I can’t be too critical of the American people. Most of us are kept in a perpetual state of “getting by”.