Do you have the right to complain if you don't vote?

[Aquaman]

Lets put it another way.
Here is the ballot list for president:
Adolph Hitler
Idi Amin
Saddam Hussein….
Well you get the picture.
Still going to vote?
That is where I am at now.
Part of the problems we have is degrees.
The candidates today (all of them ) are of a lesser degree than my list, but they suffer from the same moral decay, rot, lack of morals and ethics (to a lesser degree, but still there) than those on my list.
By supporting any of them, I send the wrong message that they (and the system) are ok and they are not.

Another GREAT analogy. This is exactly how i feel...

[Dino]

OK Lets cut to the chase.
The system is here.
The candidates are picked and on the ballot.
Who out there thinks that they are doing something to improve our (the world) lot by voting? <--- I doAnd how exactly is just casting a vote, hindering the triumph of evil? <-- The quote was to be taken figuratively not literally

Which one is evil? McCain or Obama? <---moot...if you accept the above.
You have to pick one and obviously the other is evil, not? <---moot
Brendanp and I, by our decision not to vote are doing what we have within our power.
Not participating. <---agreed but I stand by if you don't participate then you can't complain
That is not surrendering or doing nothing. <----I would submit that it is...
That is a boycott of the dishonesty, corruption, greed and evil that exists.
If the majority of people didn’t vote, that would indicate to the majority of people that they were not happy with the current system, and then they may organize and do something to change it. <---Or the majority could put up a candidate that is not "dishonest, corrupt, greedy or evil" If you are not willing to do that then you are doing nothing.Participating in it, as it is, does not allow for fundamental change, but gives whatever candidate who wins, a mandate that he is OK, accepted, agreed with and supported.

I'll be the firist to admit that the process is not perfect but it is the best out there. If you have spent any time anywhere else in the world you will know that is a fact.

[Dino]

Lets put it another way.
Here is the ballot list for president:
Adolph Hitler
Idi Amin
Saddam Hussein….
Well you get the picture.
Still going to vote?
That is where I am at now.
Part of the problems we have is degrees.
The candidates today (all of them ) are of a lesser degree than my list, but they suffer from the same moral decay, rot, lack of morals and ethics (to a lesser degree, but still there) than those on my list.
By supporting any of them, I send the wrong message that they (and the system) are ok and they are not.

I did not know things were so messed up in the great white north.

[dadofthree]

The First Amendment to our US Constitution gives us the right to complain without voting.

But,

Our complaints have no meaning, our vote has little to no meaning.

[Mr Bogus]

then you get behind someone you can support.. if you feel this strong about how "corrupt" and broken the system is, you get involved at the local level and get people you do trust in office.. you think that you start at the top and work your way down? and another thing, the ballot you propose are all people that came to power because the masses became apathetic and lost the "privilege" to vote..

You could recite and opposite ballot (Jim Jones, Jesus, Dali Lama or Gandhi) and you are not going to vote for any of them because they are all good?

drink the cool-aid and be quiet...

[CBXRider]

To offer a comparison, even to a lesser degree as you say, between McCain/Palin or Obama/Biden to the three evil dictators you listed is just ridiculous. Please stay in Canada.lease: Sorry Canada!

[Dino]

then you get behind someone you can support.. if you feel this strong about how "corrupt" and broken the system is, you get involved at the local level and get people you do trust in office.. you think that you start at the top and work your way down? and another thing, the ballot you propose are all people that came to power because the masses became apathetic and lost the "privilege" to vote.. <---Excellent point!

You could recite and opposite ballot (Jim Jones, Jesus, Dali Lama or Gandhi) and you are not going to vote for any of them because they are all good?

drink the cool-aid and be quiet...

Jim Jones???

[thrasherfox]

Those of you that do not vote are one example of what is going wrong with this country. Do you think your not voting is doing anything productive?

Boycotting in the general sense hurts a company because they are not pulling in the money they used to pull in.

A boycott on something that does not have a negative effect on the thing you are boycotting is a waste of time and just an excuse.

the more people who dont vote, the closer we are to being TOTALLY controlled by our government.

people think it is bad now, not even close.

It is sad to think of all the people that have died in this world so people have the right to vote and then people just snub their noses at it.

[skydivr]

I think of the men and women of our armed forces who fought and died for people, in ours and in other countries, to have the right to SELF-DETEMINATION...depressing attitude here. But, then again, they also died for our right to say it.

[Dino]

Those of you that do not vote are one example of what is going wrong with this country. Do you think your not voting is doing anything productive?

Boycotting in the general sense hurts a company because they are not pulling in the money they used to pull in.

A boycott on something that does not have a negative effect on the thing you are boycotting is a waste of time and just an excuse.

the more people who dont vote, the closer we are to being TOTALLY controlled by our government.

people think it is bad now, not even close.

It is sad to think of all the people that have died in this world so people have the right to vote and then people just snub their noses at it.

[johnnycrash]

Those of you that do not vote are one example of what is going wrong with this country. Do you think your not voting is doing anything productive?

Boycotting in the general sense hurts a company because they are not pulling in the money they used to pull in.

A boycott on something that does not have a negative effect on the thing you are boycotting is a waste of time and just an excuse.

the more people who dont vote, the closer we are to being TOTALLY controlled by our government.

people think it is bad now, not even close.

It is sad to think of all the people that have died in this world so people have the right to vote and then people just snub their noses at it.

D@mn good post!

[mike1180]

I did not know things were so messed up in the great white north.

Yeah eh.
Yeah we are done up here.
Only 58% of all the eligible voters voted.
Of those, only 37% voted for the winning party.
So… 21.5% of the eligible voters picked our current rulers.
Where are the other 78.5%.
Well with me of course, eating back bacon, drinking beer and planning our next beaver hunt with our dog sleds eh?

[Aquaman]

Ron, you know I respect you, and all other members here. I look at you guyz as brothers. So no matter what I say in this thread, dont mean we couldn't enjoy a good beer and ride together.
Think of it this way. I work in a company (for 23 yrs) and all I hear from people is how this place "sucks" and they are unhappy! But! they will never leave.

I tell them, lets all get together and "walk out"
And I also tell them, I will be first in line,,,, but you and everyone else has to walk behind me. If you dont think for one minute that my company would be brought to their knees if this ever happened, seeing that they have contracts to fill, just as the Gobment has issues to take care of, you are NUTS!

and the sorry part is, is if we did that, we would "take back" what is ours! What the freaking workers come in and do everyday of our lives for this company!

It really is no difference! We are the people who make the salaries for the Scumbags that run this country soo currupt! but yet, none of you will stand for yourselves and fight back! My fight is NOT to vote!

By you voting for the same old sh!t every 4 years is no difference than the *****es who come in everyday and make their paycheck, only to whine everyday... You want to make a change, you gutta get tuff!
and it will never be by voting for guys like osama, (ooh, did I say osama? I meant obama... and as far as mcCaine goes,,,i totally respect what he did when he was in a camp in vietnam.. (If you all dont know,,,,then do your homework...A real man) but it really dont matter... cause in the end, it is always the same old Bullchit!!

[mike1180]

To offer a comparison, even to a lesser degree as you say, between McCain/Palin or Obama/Biden to the three evil dictators you listed is just ridiculous. Please stay in Canada.lease: Sorry Canada!

You misunderstood my point.
I was merely stating that at some point the candidate list will be so bad that none of us would vote.
That is a matter of degrees and each of us has an individual threshold, as where it is we step off and won’t vote.

A short story may help to illustrate.
A man goes up to a beautiful woman and asks her: “would you sleep with me for 10 million dollars?â€
She thinks a bit and answers “yesâ€
He then asks “would you sleep with me for $10?’
Offended she barks “NO What do you think I am?â€
He answers “We have already determined what you are, we are just negotiating the priceâ€

A man is either honest or not, truthful or not, moral and ethical or not, trustworthy or not.
The degrees don’t work with me.
We are not negotiating the price. Labels are black or white and not subject to degrees.
Steal a paper clip and you are a thief. No degrees, No well he could afford it, he owed me… No excuses. A thief is a thief.
Tell 1 lie however small and you are a liar. No degrees no excuses, no reasons.
Withhold pertinent truths that are needed for someone to make an informed decision and you are dishonest and untrustworthy.
That is the problem with the world today.
We can rationalize, and make excuses for any behavior.
I want and demand a higher standard from my leaders.
To say that we cannot find anyone among us that will not lie, will not steal, will disclose all the facts, is in itself the failure.
They are out there. Convince them to run and I will vote.
Until then I won’t discuss degrees, as they all have not even been elected yet and the deceit, withholding, name calling, lying and false promises coming from the whole lot makes me sick.
Wait and see when 1 of them has tenure and can do what they want.