
Simon Legrande |

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The government is working fine. It's the people who are broken (in office).
Don't get tricked into thinking this is not the case..
With a statement like that, I'm not so sure I'm the one being tricked.
The current government model would be fine in a country of no more than 3 million people (possibly) and with actual civil servants instead of career politicians who are into cash grabbing.

Grand Magus |

With a statement like that, I'm not so sure I'm the one being tricked.
The current government model would be fine in a country of no more than 3 million people (possibly) and with actual civil servants instead of career politicians who are into cash grabbing.
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Don't vote for them.
Oh, I see, it's everyone else who has the problem -- they keep voting for the career politicians who are into cash grabbing.
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Simon Legrande |

Once upon a time I was young and idealistic. I voted in every election that came along because I thought it would make a difference. Then I grew up and decided that a vote for the lesser of two evils is still a vote for evil; and let's be honest, that's every election these days. I stopped voting then.
If you think your vote actually means something, good for you. I still think it's funny when I look around the Internet and find people foaming at the mouth about corporations running the country and then wanting more of the government that makes it possible.

thejeff |
Once upon a time I was young and idealistic. I voted in every election that came along because I thought it would make a difference. Then I grew up and decided that a vote for the lesser of two evils is still a vote for evil; and let's be honest, that's every election these days. I stopped voting then.
If you think your vote actually means something, good for you. I still think it's funny when I look around the Internet and find people foaming at the mouth about corporations running the country and then wanting more of the government that makes it possible.
And then there's those who think that if we just got rid of government (or at least shrunk it small enough) somehow the corporate power would go away.

Simon Legrande |

Simon Legrande wrote:And then there's those who think that if we just got rid of government (or at least shrunk it small enough) somehow the corporate power would go away.Once upon a time I was young and idealistic. I voted in every election that came along because I thought it would make a difference. Then I grew up and decided that a vote for the lesser of two evils is still a vote for evil; and let's be honest, that's every election these days. I stopped voting then.
If you think your vote actually means something, good for you. I still think it's funny when I look around the Internet and find people foaming at the mouth about corporations running the country and then wanting more of the government that makes it possible.
I'm sure there are, just don't count me amongst their numbers. Power doesn't disappear, the way it's used changes. Who do you think creates more barriers to entry for would be entrepreneurs: Corporations, Government, or both colluding?

thejeff |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |
thejeff wrote:I'm sure there are, just don't count me amongst their numbers. Power doesn't disappear, the way it's used changes. Who do you think creates more barriers to entry for would be entrepreneurs: Corporations, Government, or both colluding?Simon Legrande wrote:And then there's those who think that if we just got rid of government (or at least shrunk it small enough) somehow the corporate power would go away.Once upon a time I was young and idealistic. I voted in every election that came along because I thought it would make a difference. Then I grew up and decided that a vote for the lesser of two evils is still a vote for evil; and let's be honest, that's every election these days. I stopped voting then.
If you think your vote actually means something, good for you. I still think it's funny when I look around the Internet and find people foaming at the mouth about corporations running the country and then wanting more of the government that makes it possible.
If both are actually colluding on a outright goal of stopping entrepreneurs, both together of course. Since most governments are at worst playing both sides there, most of the time that would be corporations, who will naturally want to stop entrepreneurs if left unchecked by some other force. At least competing entrepreneurs.
Remove government, shift all the power to corporations and then we'll be in an entrepreneurial paradise?I'm not entirely sure I'd consider "barriers to entry for would be entrepreneurs" the only or even the most important measure anyway.

Simon Legrande |

If both are actually colluding on a outright goal of stopping entrepreneurs, both together of course. Since most governments are at worst playing both sides there, most of the time that would be corporations, who will naturally want to stop entrepreneurs if left unchecked by some other force. At least competing entrepreneurs.
Remove government, shift all the power to corporations and then we'll be in an entrepreneurial paradise?I'm not entirely sure I'd consider "barriers to entry for would be entrepreneurs" the only or even the most important measure anyway.
I didn't expect you would, most people don't. That's how we end up where we are. Sure corporations want to stop competition before it even starts, but they can't do that without a government to help them out.
Corporations would become as large an powerful as they are if there was no government to help them get that way? How about banks, they're one of the things safe to hate on these days aren't they?
Meh, I'm not expecting to change anyone's mind here anyway. I know it won't happen.

thejeff |
thejeff wrote:If both are actually colluding on a outright goal of stopping entrepreneurs, both together of course. Since most governments are at worst playing both sides there, most of the time that would be corporations, who will naturally want to stop entrepreneurs if left unchecked by some other force. At least competing entrepreneurs.
Remove government, shift all the power to corporations and then we'll be in an entrepreneurial paradise?I'm not entirely sure I'd consider "barriers to entry for would be entrepreneurs" the only or even the most important measure anyway.
I didn't expect you would, most people don't. That's how we end up where we are. Sure corporations want to stop competition before it even starts, but they can't do that without a government to help them out.
Corporations would become as large an powerful as they are if there was no government to help them get that way? How about banks, they're one of the things safe to hate on these days aren't they?
Meh, I'm not expecting to change anyone's mind here anyway. I know it won't happen.
The idea of there being no government is kind of ridiculous anyway. The first thing that happens when there is no government is that all the people who want to be in charge fight over it until someone wins and he becomes the new government. Small enough groups can get by with informal arrangements, but those don't scale up well.
Technically, you're right. Without government, there wouldn't even be corporations, since corporations are chartered by governments. There would just be powerful people with the ability to impose their will on others. Simply by force or by denial of access to resources.
Some of the older, more socialist anarchist approaches seem to have some validity, though those still have problems with scale. Modern libertarian individualist anarchy is just fantasy.

Comrade Anklebiter |

Ah yes, the super cool cynicism of the anti-voters.
It's like hipsters, but for politics.
Interestingly enough, back when I was a wee goblin militant, there weren't many hipsters on the rev left. In fact, we were mostly a bunch of nerds. In fact, I had to quit rev politics to be a hipster.
Nowadays, there seems to be a bit more "hipster douchebaggery," as I believe Citizen K(e)rensky calls it, among the comrades.
In retrospect, I should have skipped being a commie when I was a teenager, devoted myself more thoroughly to hipster douchebaggery and debauchery (sorry, I'm starting to combine multiple threads) and waited until Occupy to become a commie.
Voting is still for ninnies!
(Unless you live in Seattle, then please consider voting for Comrade Spear.)

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It's actually a nice day to go stand in line for a while. (We have "early voting" in my state.)
"On Tuesday, November 4, 2014, the U.S. Midterm Election will be held
for all 435 members of the United States House of Representatives and 33 of the 100 members of the United States Senate.".
Why bother. You should be representing yourself.

Kain Darkwind |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |

Grand Magus wrote:Why bother. You should be representing yourself..
It's actually a nice day to go stand in line for a while. (We have "early voting" in my state.)
"On Tuesday, November 4, 2014, the U.S. Midterm Election will be held
for all 435 members of the United States House of Representatives and 33 of the 100 members of the United States Senate.".
Yes, all 300 million of us. Good idea.
Alternate response, "He is. By voting."

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yellowdingo wrote:Grand Magus wrote:Why bother. You should be representing yourself..
It's actually a nice day to go stand in line for a while. (We have "early voting" in my state.)
"On Tuesday, November 4, 2014, the U.S. Midterm Election will be held
for all 435 members of the United States House of Representatives and 33 of the 100 members of the United States Senate.".
Yes, all 300 million of us. Good idea.
Alternate response, "He is. By voting."
A billion seat parliament so everyone can self represent is better than one with five hundred who are representing themselves.

The 8th Dwarf |
3 people marked this as a favorite. |

Voting is compulsory in my country (Well turning up to vote is....What you do with your ballot paper is your business).
I think it's a $50 fine for not turning up.
I disagree with my Comrade... Voluntary voting is one of the many ways the proletariat is disenfranchised by the bourgeois.
By making polling stations difficult to get to and having voting on days that make the task financially burdensome, you diminish the voice of the worker.
If you think your system is broken then work to change the system, get active and vote for an alternative to your big two parties.
Small victories.

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Voting is compulsory in my country (Well turning up to vote is....What you do with your ballot paper is your business).
I think it's a $50 fine for not turning up.
I disagree with my Comrade... Voluntary voting is one of the many ways the proletariat is disenfranchised by the bourgeois.
By making polling stations difficult to get to and having voting on days that make the task financially burdensome, you diminish the voice of the worker.
If you think your system is broken then work to change the system, get active and vote for an alternative to your big two parties.
Small victories.
Really? I'm yet to be fined.

lorenlord |

Hey, good for the original poster and all of those that go out and vote, even if it's to write-in your own candidate. People fought, bled, and died for your right to vote, among other freedoms, and many countries don't get to even have the voting process. SO kudos to you for enacting one of your rights, even if you don't think it makes a difference, get out and pay respect to those who died before you to give you that right.
And everyone else who didnt vote cause they're too cool, I hope you have a lovely evening doing what ever brings you happiness. Have a great night.

Fergie |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |

Just got back from the polls. Small town, no lines, and last time I saw my cool 11th grade social studies teacher working the table.
Comrade Anklebiter will be reluctantly proud that I voted for Howie Hawkins for NY governor.
"Hawkins works at UPS unloading trucks, where he is a member of Teamsters Local 317 and active in Teamsters for a Democratic Union, US Labor Against the War, and the Labor Campaign for Single Payer Healthcare."
It's the next best thing to voting for Anklebiter himself!
The best opinion I've found about voting is from one of the greats... George Carlin
Garbage in, garbage out...

Comrade Anklebiter |

Howie Hawkins, IIRC, is also a member of Solidarity, and his vice-gubernatorial candidate, or whatever you call it, is a member of the International Socialist Organization.
My own particular organization of sectarian Trotskyists worked on his campaign, even though I, personally, have ultraleft thoughts about the Greens. Nonetheless,
Huzzah!
Break with the Democrats!
Vive le Galt!

Comrade Anklebiter |

When I was leaving the Newbury Street Shutdown in solidarity with Ferguson two weekends ago, I overheard a passer-by commenting about how she "hoped all those people are going to vote Nov. 4th and maybe do something constructive [makes sneer face]" and my first reaction was to laugh and my second was murderous rage.
Different strokes, I guess.

Comrade Anklebiter |

I didn't vote today, even though Bomber Bernie asked me to vote for Jeanne Shaheen when I heard him speak at UNH. No way.
That being said, I will be very disappointed in my fellow New Hampshireans if they fall for Scott Brown's bullshiznit. (Among other things, that Rand Paul ad made me first want to vomit and then commit heinous acts of torture and violence against my former hetero life partner's Libertarian girlfriend.)
EDITED: Turns out my internal definition of "hector" was incorrect.

Comrade Anklebiter |

Where Should Scott Brown Run for Senate Next?
[Sighs in relief]
I saw a vid in which one of the NH AFL-CIO tops was bird-dogging Scott and a member of one of the building trades (I forget which one) taunted "Hey, if you don't win this time, I've got some property in Maine you might like..."
EDIT: After all that stink I made in the Street Harassment thread, I feel it is necessary to add that Comrade Anklebiter doesn't approve of the use of the term "carpetbagger" even if used against someone like Scott Brown. Finish the Civil War!

NobodysHome |

I have to say, I'm really becoming impressed by the whole, "Open Primary" idea in California.
In 30 years of voting, I've always voted for independent candidates to express my displeasure at the party system, then placed my well-researched votes on the bevy of propositions that are California's bane.
So they modified the primary laws so only the "top two" candidates are listed for every office. Guess what? The result is what you'd expect: California now essentially mandates by law that you have to vote Democrat or Republican!
Amazing.
The problem isn't voting. It's that they let just anyone do it. :-P
EDIT: And in case anyone wonders what I did, or wants to get froth-in-the-mouth furious with me, I just voted Democrat-Republican-Democrat-Republican down the ticket, figuring neither party is essentially different from the other (any more) in any way I can ascertain.
My friend just left his all blank. I worry that his ballot will be invalidated, and the propositions are (as always) very important.