Yep. My best friend didn't vote in 2016 and regrets it. I still rag on him about it.
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Can you be friends with people who chose not to vote?
- Thread starter AnansiThePersona
- Start date
If putting children in cages disqualifies a party from receiving your vote, then I guess you don't vote for either of the major US political parties.
Well, there you go right there. I never said those who voted Republican, I specifically said those who didn't vote Democrat, which are not the same thing.
Oh right the people that didn't vote... well apparently they couldn't care enough for the well being of people who need help so why would I want to be around people like this?
I know a few uninformed people who dont vote regularly. Considering that many of them dont have the same education level as me, had much harder lives growing up than me, and come from a much different background than I do...I dont really hold it against them. I encourage them to vote and give them the necessary information to do so but it's not my business whether they do or not.
Again, I didn't say people that didn't vote, I said people that didn't vote Democrat, which doesn't necessarily mean that they voted Republican or that they didn't vote at all.
Vote shaming is unproductive. Offering an inspiring candidate people want to vote for is a lot more effective.
So for an independant? I mean I would say the independant US parties have their own questionable shit, but I certainly wouldn't outright dismiss them for voting as such.
Lucky me, I'm not in the US and not stuck with their shitty system. And yet the point stands, the people close to me can actually be bothered to give a shit.
Every loud and proud racist that is out there in 2018 under Trump was out there in 2013 when Hillary was secretary of state. The US didn't magically become a family destroying racist police state in November 2016, it was under 8 years of Obama and 5 years of Hillary. Nothing exists today without their prior stewardship.
Anyone who wants to pretend otherwise is either 100% in on the con or are willfully ignorant and like to make up for it by pointless, self aggrandizing grandstanding on internet gaming forums.
If either of those two people don't want to "be friends" with me because my scruples prevent me from actively participating in and legitimizing a disgustingly corrupt system then I am better off for it.
Anyone who wants to pretend otherwise is either 100% in on the con or are willfully ignorant and like to make up for it by pointless, self aggrandizing grandstanding on internet gaming forums.
If either of those two people don't want to "be friends" with me because my scruples prevent me from actively participating in and legitimizing a disgustingly corrupt system then I am better off for it.
Oh, so you can't vote in US elections, but you're willing to shame others who don't? I think that you should do more research on what the Democratic Party has done, it's not so black and white as you try to make it out, where there is an outright good and an outright evil, either way you're going to get an administration that commits atrocities. If you come to terms with that you can understand why someone may just decide to not vote at all.
You're making the assumption that if someone happens to not vote that automatically means they don't give a shit. I know people who vote that really don't give a shit and people who don't vote that absolutely do. It may seem easy to say never when you're abstracting it out, but these things are more complicated in real life.
Not this time. I'm one of those who never did. And to be fair my state has anyways voted the way I would have so it was one of those "no point in voting" opinions but in a good-ish way. I'm an ex-pat now and have found it very difficult to get registered at this point. So awkward spot.
Well at least you have insulated yourself with like-minded individuals.
Amazingly, other countries' news cycles are still dominated by US politics. And yet, issues like the treatment of immigrant families, the treatment of LGBT individuals, mass fucking shootings etc. still directly concern me, or affect people like me.
And since fucking when did I paint Democrats as some measure of perfection or nobility? I'm painting them against the fucking GOP who are a fucking cancer.
I have a friend at work who's pretty indifferent to all this and doesn't keep up with the news. I was baffled at first,but it really was a waste of energy to try to get him to care about it when I don't even do all that much outside of retweets and actually voting.
You mentioned independent parties doing questionable shit, which implies that you would judge those who vote for them over Democrats, when the Democrats have done far worse than the independent parties ever could. I don't see how any of those things would be solved by them, considering those issues all existed during the Obama administration.
Maybe they did. Politics don't come up, so like I said don't really care if they voted or not. They might have and just not mentioned it. O:
So because school shootings still happened during Obama, it's the Dems' fault? Even with people pushing for gun reform, etc? I'm not even getting into international policy which is all the way fucked, but there's a fuck ton more at stake and affected than one single element of government relations.
And yes, I question independant policies but can't outright blame them for much because again, the US is dominated by two parties.
Well, who's fault was it then? Are we at the point where we're not going to fault them for what happened even when they were in power? That's the exact same tactic that Republicans are using right now, blaming the Democrats when things go wrong.
What positive reformations are Republicans pushing for that Democrats are blocking? Keeping in mind that the inverse example is Democrats trying to push against the availability and ease of access for fucking guns?
I didn't say anything about positive reformations, I mentioned assigning responsibility.
So you can't think of anything?
So you're going "SEE THEY BLAME THE OTHER ONE" and yet one is pushing to make things better and the other is actively making things worse.
Why would I think of anything? Do you think I like the Republicans? I don't know how you can genuinely say that one is pushing to make things better, unless increasing mass surveillance, torturing suspects, droning and killing civilians, deporting massive amounts of people, etc. can count as pushing to make things better (all policies done under the Obama administration). I don't see how you can't see why people are so hesitant to vote, remember that this topic is not about discussing the merits of the Republican Party, it's about not voting, and I'm telling you why people would choose not to vote.
Because all of those same things are being done by Republicans, except with a deliberate platform of bigotry and white supremacy, and suppression of the poor at play?
Not voting doesn't mean no one takes that seat.
Saying "oh I don't support that policy, and I don't support the other guys' policy" doesn't mean there isnt a clearly fucking worse option between the two. Not voting is someone doing nothing to push against that worse option.
And if that's not enough, contacting your representatives is a thing... y'know to air grievances with policy.
OP
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Well it's not like I'm asking folks about politics whenever I meet new people. Just in my specific instance where the first convo we really have starts with "I didn't vote because both candidates were terrible" then I don't really wanna get to know them like that. And in the second instance, my friends would complain about Trump and didn't vote at all because they think voting is stupid. That is annoying as fuck and pissed me off whrn the subject of Trump would come up because they would complain about him after not trying to vote against him.
So, for you the rhetoric is more important than the actions? If someone repressed LGBT rights, put children into camps, etc. but did it with a smiling face to the public, that'd make it more acceptable? You know that by shunning people merely for abstaining from voting is exactly what is beneficial for them. Instead of focusing on who truly is the issue (the people with the actual political power), going this way creates a conflict and that divide and conquer tactic works so efficiently.
Can't be friends with anybody who doesn't vote for the big D. If you don't vote or vote R, you are putting my life and many other lives at risk.
Since when did I say "smiling" changes anything?
This isnt about swaying voters, this is about who you surround yourself with. In which case why am I surrounding myself with people to whom I have to prove my right to exist? Who I have to convince to vote in defense of marginalized groups?
I think the main question is: are you okay with voting for the Dems despite them doing all of the things Oheao said? It's hard to take the moral high ground when the party who has been acting in our name and with our votes has been killing civilians, deporting a massive amount of undocumented immigrants, etc. Shit, there was a time when the ACLU sued a judge who argued that three year olds can act as their own immigration attorney and Obama's DOJ fought the lawsuit. I understand that Trump must be stopped and while the Dems are better, that also doesn't necessarily mean that they're good.
That's silly. Ones vote is often meaningless if they are in a dominating state/district. And not voting in the past doesn't mean you won't in the future.
Did you read your previous post? Your issue with the Republicans is the platform that they run on. I also don't think you realize just how deep-seated racism, sexism, etc. is, voting someone in is not just going to fix everything. Also, non-Hispanic whites have a higher turnout rate than blacks, Hispanics and others, so you're turning away the very people you're claiming to be standing up for.
Yes, but hear me out.
I live in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
our electoral system is designed after the British system of FPTP. so if you live in a riding that always goes one way in every election... for or against, sometimes voting in those ridiings is near meaningless, especially to people who are not interested in politics.
i will take the non-voter anyday over the conservative or the separatist
I find talking about politics in real life pointless; a) I'm already Super-Partistan, there is no convincing me. b) i don't want to hear the oppositions' talking points
I live in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
our electoral system is designed after the British system of FPTP. so if you live in a riding that always goes one way in every election... for or against, sometimes voting in those ridiings is near meaningless, especially to people who are not interested in politics.
i will take the non-voter anyday over the conservative or the separatist
I find talking about politics in real life pointless; a) I'm already Super-Partistan, there is no convincing me. b) i don't want to hear the oppositions' talking points
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Again, this idea that there wasn't extremely obvious shit at stake is disingenuous. Literally no one is calling the Dems good. But that doesn't mean walking away at risk of the Republicans taking office.
I will tell my friends to vote.
If they don't and aren't happy with the results, it's on them and they aren't even permitted to say jack shit against it. Vote to at least be unhappy about the results.
Breaking a relationship over it though, no way, I'm reaching 30 years in two months and all my friend are there since a long ass time. I'll tell them they're dumb shits if they didn't vote and that'll be all.
If they don't and aren't happy with the results, it's on them and they aren't even permitted to say jack shit against it. Vote to at least be unhappy about the results.
Breaking a relationship over it though, no way, I'm reaching 30 years in two months and all my friend are there since a long ass time. I'll tell them they're dumb shits if they didn't vote and that'll be all.
There was extremely obvious shit at stake, and yet people still didn't vote. Antagonizing someone over not voting isn't going to do anything. It's not going to get people out to vote in large enough numbers. It's not a winning tactic. It's better and easier to offer a candidate that people want to vote for.
What if you aren't into politics?
Hate how religion and politics create separation. Vote or no vote shouldn't devide.
Hate how religion and politics create separation. Vote or no vote shouldn't devide.