Forum Post: Voters Strike!
Posted 12 years ago on Nov. 5, 2011, 11:08 a.m. EST by striker
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The OWS movement seems to get bogged down by individual issues, thus it becomes difficult to define. Disparity in political representation appears to be the core problem of these issues. Put simply, 99% of cast ballots count for little to nothing. So why vote at all? In fact, why not drive down the voter particpation rate to...1%? Why not take away the politicians claim that they represent the people, when, after all they don't. Instead of occupying streets and parks which only annoys and accomplishes nothing, why not occupy each and every polling station on voting day with throngs of protesters to deter (not stop) voters from exercising their right to vote. What I am proposing is a voters strike. There is plenty of time to organize it and voter apathy has given it ready made momentum. Politicians and news pundits always lament over voter apathy. An unprecedented, active and vigorous voters strike should bring that to an end and start raising alarms. If it doesn't, then we're all going to have to revisit the definition of democracy.
Digital democracy proposal from the 15-M Spanish Revolution. Three viable proposals of direct participation essential for citizens to recover the sovereignty that politicians are not giving them.
A system of PERMANENT PLEBISCITE of the citizens additional to or substitutive of Congress, Senate, Autonomies, City councils…, using computers to vote with confidential identification, one citizen one vote. A system to veto laws and decisions of the politicians which are not accepted by the citizens.
A system of REVOCATION OF POLITICIANS BY PLEBISCITE, also by computer, to vote for permanent control of elected political authorities, councilmen, etc… so they can be dismissed immediately when they lose the confidence of the citizens, expressed by means of permanent votes.
A system of CITIZEN’S INITIATIVES WITH PLEBISCITE, to pass citizen´s initiatives through computers by all citizens, to be approved without the politicians being able to prevent it only with their votes.
It is not 99 % against 1 %. If the US has 312,348,000 inhabitants and the protest is against the 400 richest, then the aproximate percentage of these 400 richest is 0.000001275 and the percentage of the rest is 99.999998725.
Digital democracy proposal from the 15-M Spanish Revolution. Three viable proposals of direct participation essential for citizens to recover the sovereignty that politicians are not giving them.
A system of PERMANENT PLEBISCITE of the citizens additional to or substitutive of Congress, Senate, Autonomies, City councils…, using computers to vote with confidential identification, one citizen one vote. A system to veto laws and decisions of the politicians which are not accepted by the citizens.
A system of REVOCATION OF POLITICIANS BY PLEBISCITE, also by computer, to vote for permanent control of elected political authorities, councilmen, etc… so they can be dismissed immediately when they lose the confidence of the citizens, expressed by means of permanent votes.
A system of CITIZEN’S INITIATIVES WITH PLEBISCITE, to pass citizen´s initiatives through computers by all citizens, to be approved without the politicians being able to prevent it only with their votes.
This is still too advanced, though may be the future, but in the meantime, 1) abolish lobbys, they are institutionalised corruption. 2) No private money for political campaings, only public money, 3) Nationalise the FED, 4) No more secret wars, nor based on lies, or undeclared wars, where more bombs were dropped than in IIWW (Plain of Jarre, Cambodia, Vietnam War, Irak etc.) 5) Abolish the Patriot Act, which converted the Constitution into toilet paper, 6) Grow up to European standards in education, health, human rights, etc. Are you not ashamed that the richest country in the world is surpassed by many European countries in social issues and the US shows up in world lists among African countries? etc. etc.
Traditionally only half of US people have voted, they intuitively knew it will change nothing, as both big parties are corrupt, so yes, considering how corrupt the system is, votes only legitimate the system, and the only way to expose it is a massive not attendance at the ballots. Each vote is a vote for Wall Street now.
What a copout. Perhaps if the idiots had gotten off their butts to vote, things would be different. Don't vote? If I was a Republican, I'd be on here encouraging people not to vote too.
Lobbying is institutionalised corruption. Money for candidates has to come from the people, from taxes, not from private corporations nor individuals. There will be no democracy but corruptocracy until this is so
That may be so, but not voting is not the answer. Learning about the candidates and making an educated vote is the ONLY way. Voting is not just a right, it's an obligation to your community.
Learn about the candidates, bot Mc Cain and Obama had to perform the rite of praying in the Wailing Wall before they could be president of the US, in order to be acceptable for Wailing Wall Street. Do you still believe in Santa Claus too? People are waking up in the US, I hope you will soon too.
Here's an idea. Find people in your camp (not literally) to represent you. Grass roots. Do something. You're not changing our form of govt anytime soon, so work within it. Yes, money out of campaigns. Not participating in voting is a pointless statement that does nothing.
Perhaps, you only know when you try. But see what participation has brought.
See what lack of participation has brought.
Not a bad idea, the current voting system is not reliable, votes can easily be added or subtracted before counted in Washington. We saw this in florida and ohio!
We should strike the old system and demand a continuous, publicly verifiable, internet system along with voting access for all Americans. With a good, continuous voting system -- that actually means something-- Americans will flock to the internet to get their say in. This will quickly change the laws in favor of the people, one way or another. Excellent post!