Yeah, OK, so this is American and the web site does not apply to Canada and the rules are slightly different.
But the reasons to vote remain the same everywhere, don’t they?
Leonardo says, “Please Don’t Vote”
Glenn Hubbers » Glenn's Right Brain
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Leonardo says, “Please Don’t Vote”Yeah, OK, so this is American and the web site does not apply to Canada and the rules are slightly different. |
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Now there’s a boat load of propaganda if I’ve ever seen one. They should have stopped at “Don’t Vote”, it makes more sense.
Why should we vote in a system where 38% of the popular vote is considered a national majority – is that democracy at work?
Why should we vote in a riding where the MP that goes to Ottawa will do so based on the opinion of the greatest minority? Is that democracy?
Why should we vote for a representative on Parliament Hill when the fact is that through party orders and use of the whip MP’s actually represent their party and not their constituents? Is that really a representative democracy?
Why should we continue to support such a flawed and undemocratic system?
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I hear ya! All of your points are spot on!
In answer to your questions:
Is that democracy at work? NO
Is that democracy? NO
Is that really a representative democracy? NO
The only reason why you should vote under the circumstances you have listed, would be to vote for a politician or political party who will change the system at their very first opportunity to do so.
It’s the ultimate Catch-22.
All of your reasons to not vote are completely understandable. And yet to have any other system requires us to vote for someone who will change the system. It’s that or accept that the system will never change and we will continue to not have a democracy. For my part, I’ve not given up and will continue this fight.
The Green Party is committed to changing the system and, to quote Andrew Coyne of MacLeans magazine, “While many have proposed proportional representation, the Greens actually mean it.”
–Glenn
Actually there is another option, an option that I and growing tens of thousands of others are exercising – voluntarily removing ourselves from this flawed process, and by doing so reducing its’ credibility.
Some are simply disgusted and silently refuse to go to the polls, others, like myself, actively encourage people to not to vote, and to tell their politicians why they have chosen not to participate.
Eventually, when the participation numbers reach low enough numbers, the government may actually have to pay attention and engage in a democratic reform process that does not set the party above the citizen.
Tell me, what is your parties official stance on implementing a recommendation by Canada’s Chief Electoral Officer after the general election of 2000 that would allow Canadians to decline the ballot?
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It is, of course, your right to take this position.
But I disagree with you that the participation will ever get low enough to cause the government to pay attention or to understand the reasons for lack of participation. After all, we are talking about parties who have formed majority governments with the support of only 25% of eligible voters and then acted as if they had majority support, which I know you and I agree is complete BS.
(To check my math, 40% supoort x 60% participation = 24% of eligible voters)
So it they already they have a majority mandate with 24% support, why would they be particularly perturbed if that number drops to 20%? 15%?
You may be correct and that there is a theoretical number where they will pay attention, but I believe it is more expedient to change the system by voting for anyone who commits to change it.
–Glenn
I got the visual equivalent of tl;dr on that – lots of people that our culture holds up as respectful telling me not to vote, so maybe I won’t. Too clever by half.
I was considering not voting. Until a local politician answered my questions with little to no delay. Then I realized, perhaps this person understands the issues of today, maybe just maybe he/she can make a change. Vote with your heart not with the propaganda you’re faced with.
My vote counts for me whether the candidate wins the seat or not.
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Not to mention that the popular vote count also provides funding to parties who achieve over 2% of the popular vote, so by voting with your heart for the party whose policies are most in line with your own values, you are helping fund them getting their message out.
This is another problem with so-called strategic voting. You’ll be helping to fund a party you may rank as second worst.
If someone doesn’t want to vote Green because of our policies, then my reaction is either I likely did not do a good enough job explaining our policies, or this person has valid viewpoints that I would like to consider. But if someone doesn’t vote for us because they are ranking us as “more of the same”, then I think they have a serious misunderstanding of what the party is all about.
–Glenn