Do you vote anyone else? Or do you not vote at all?
From my point of view, you've lost already as a country, big time (we join you, since I am from Germany). Can Trump be worse than Harris?
I'd vote for Trump. Not because I like him (liking or disliking has not much to do with it). But to estimate the people who he is surrounded by, to have some sane influence over him like J.D. Vance, RFK, Tulsi Gabbard, Vivek Ramaswhami, Peter Thiel and Elon Musk (though I am skeptical about the last two).
The other thing which would probably make me voting for him is that he
- does not need the money (actually invested a lot of his own money in his first run for the presidency, which was a high risk investment)
- was shot at
- seems to care about the country itself
If I would have had been the victim of an assassination, I'd probably say "to hell with it" and make my life cozy with all the millions in my pocket. So, he does not. To contribute everything to a disturbed personality, I think, would go too far. But that is only my estimation from afar. What do I know. My question therefore would be if his last presidency caused you significantly great misery. Also compared to the current administration.
This post may have been ranting against Harris, but I have a laundry list of complaints against Trump as well. While I can make a case that he is probably the lesser of the two evils, he is not a good man, and he has a lot of terrible policy proposals, so and I cannot support him in good conscience. I know which way my state will go, and my vote is mathematically irrelevant at the national level.
At a state and local level, by vote may be slightly less insignificant, but I have become persuaded that the entire political process is illegitimate. Democracy is the political manifestation of the bandwagon and false choice fallacies. Power corrupts and attracts the corrupt. Government usurps authority no one can rationally give it. We are raised with the mantra that, "if you don't vote, you can't complain," but I think George Carlin was more accurate when he said the opposite was true in his comedy act over 20 years ago. And last but not least, as a Christian, we have no long but Christ, and we may be in the world, but we are not of it.
All of these points could be expanded considerably, and I have tried to write about many of them in old posts.
The idea of not voting at all is often debated. However, as it will never be the case in reality that an entire population will not take part in elections, this is a pious wish. Illegitimacy is not affected by this. Because this is the case, citizens are playing for time, aren't they? They choose the least painful option from their point of view.
Since we cannot predict the future due to a lack of knowledge of all the forces involved, as this always includes the possibility of a wild card, I am more inclined to position myself politically anyway, to defend my preferred ‘election programme’.
One thing happens here: the painful realisation of what is going on inevitably leads to theological questions at some point, if one doesn't close ones mind to it. In this respect, as a Christian myself, I see this as salutary. It saves me from cynicism and I think many Christians feel the same way. When the mood is better than the situation, that's what I'm trying to say.
Greetings to you.
The majority already does not participate. The illusion of legitimacy is crumbling.
That doesn't change it, actually. Since the show still goes on. And enough people make their bet.
But if you were to imagine that NOBODY would vote anymore, then you would probably already have a totally desolate and disintegrated society, i.e. an absolute state of emergency or war. Or complete devastation after a war that has already taken place, with only a few survivors left. That would then not be a success at all, but the total defeat of a people. I consider this to be an otherwise absolutely impossible scenario, as never all the people of a country end up with zero or almost zero voter turnout, unless, see above.