I am so so divided on if I should vote for biden or not. I wanna vote third party to at least do something or should I just stay home and protest and advocate where I can? Thoughts?
this post was submitted on 10 Nov 2023
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While I hope more people can bring their point of view to assist you in your decision-making, I will put my grain of salt. In times like these, I confess I choose anarchy, and a thinker of this position that covers the topic you are talking about is Enrico Malatesta in his text At The Café, which is free for everyone to read at The Anarchist Library.
The way I see it, like many anarchists, is that electoralism is part of the racket. But I understand why some people may see it as an essential part of politics. I'd rather keep working on those grassroots and direct democracy or consensus organizations that require our daily efforts than try to see who we'll put in the decision-making seat and keep taking more power to the people.
This is an attempt to rationalize not voting... a bad one.
If you choose not to participate then you have no grounds to ever complain about the system not working for you. Of course it doesn't work for you, your vote was not submitted.
GO VOTE
Then go vote by all means.
Just be clear about what you want to achieve. As far as I know, no matter who gets to the white house, Cop City in Atlanta is getting built, and USA alignment with Israel and its many interventions in the rest of the world hasn't changed in decades. No matter who is the president.
If something is happening to change, it is thanks to people with conscience who organize to protest and riot. Hence, not asking for the politician to change is making things change.
In South America, there are many conversations about this topic, and as far as I've reflected, I don't want Trump to get to the White House. But I'd rather keep working through direct action to make my community goals become reality, and many times, that happens by not asking but doing.
My goal is not for you to vote or not vote. It is to be reasonable on what you can achieve via voting and what requires more than that.
If you're saying that you see voting as the bare minimum level of participation that a citizen should put into their society, well then I completely agree with you. More is often necessary, but everyone should at least be voting.
Anything that discourages people from voting I very much disagree with.