I can only talk for the German system here. But I looked at the numbers and calculated, that there is no reason for me to vote.
My individual vote does not change anything, but gives the mainstream-parties money for their campaigns. As I firmly do not believe in their agenda, I try not to compensate them.
I was once a party member, and having seen their inner workings disgusted me and robbed me of everything, I believed to be true in an democracy. So giving money to them by voting is something, I cannot square with my conscience.
But we have a different political system here. And there are some interesting ideas on the theoretical ROI of voting in different US-States. So the situation might be very different for you.
From a German, totally subjective, perspective, I really hope, that Obama wins. But either way, I do not believe, that the outcome of the ballot really changes a lot (on a global scale).
Lobbyists will push legislation, firms will try to make money and the world will turn to another day tomorrow. War will be the way to secure some national agendas and poor or middle class people will try to make a living.
Well, if a substantial percentage of voters thinks this way, maybe democracy has run its course. After all, sovereign democracies haven't changed much since the french revolution. Personally, i find rising trends like libertarianism rather frightening though.
BTW, i'm not american, i'm greek so i know what a broken democracy looks like. I 'm split on the US election; was disappointed by obama so far to be honest.
Well my goal was to determine, when the radical right parties would have a seat in parliament. I detected, that really an unrealistic lot of people would have to stay at home.
I wanted to debunk the popular argument, that the one who does not vote, votes for the extreme parties.
My individual vote does not change anything, but gives the mainstream-parties money for their campaigns. As I firmly do not believe in their agenda, I try not to compensate them.
I was once a party member, and having seen their inner workings disgusted me and robbed me of everything, I believed to be true in an democracy. So giving money to them by voting is something, I cannot square with my conscience.
But we have a different political system here. And there are some interesting ideas on the theoretical ROI of voting in different US-States. So the situation might be very different for you.
From a German, totally subjective, perspective, I really hope, that Obama wins. But either way, I do not believe, that the outcome of the ballot really changes a lot (on a global scale).
Lobbyists will push legislation, firms will try to make money and the world will turn to another day tomorrow. War will be the way to secure some national agendas and poor or middle class people will try to make a living.