this post was submitted on 27 Oct 2024
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Anarchism
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That's basically open to the same critique, it's just more veiled. One could also say the voting improves people's lives in a material sense. You're in here arguing about the optics or whatever, which helps no one, improves no lives. Just telling people "don't do this, it's bad" gets you nowhere, You have to present the thing you can do instead that's better. Just saying "well do direct action" is not compelling because you can very easily do both.
One could argue this, sure, but practically we see that's not the case, given that inequality is rising massively and poverty and wars are spiraling out of control.
Again, the point is that the vote legitimizes the voting system itself and all the effort expended in electioneering. You very assuredly cannot be doing both direct action and electioneering.
This is one factor. I think we can see that Republicans are worse at this than Democrats based on historical trends, though obviously it's going in the wrong direction for both parties. However, this is not the only factor. One point of similarity does not mean there are no differences.
The system legitimizes itself.
The majority of the US population already doesn't vote, hell the majority of adult citizens do not vote. It was even less in the past, seeing as how women and non-whites (and non-property owners) couldn't vote. Not voting makes zero difference in terms of the "legitimacy" of the US government. From a practical perspective, it's not even what should be measured. The idea that the government reflects the vote is what gives the government legitimacy is weirdo liberal bullshit. The government should reflect the people, which it most certainly does not in all kinds of ways. (Though it does reflect the public in some really unfortunate ways, too.)
If they do not vote but also don't do direct action, they're just apathetic, which I also totally understand since the system is faling most in the working class.
It makes a lot of difference if people see others do other things than take part in electioneering to better the world.