What Would It Take For You to Abstain from Voting for President of the U.S?

We have plenty of reasons to vote. It’s part of our national narrative. When I tell people I’m not voting they can’t wrap their minds around it. Even if they can wrap their minds around it they certainly can’t imagine themselves abstaining from such an act. When I ask them what it would take for them not to vote they have no reply. Usually they default back to why they do vote.

When you’ve been told for your entire life that voting is a good thing to do, that it’s not only a right and a privilege but a civic duty, it’s difficult to overcome the feelings of obligation to participate in such an apparently vital activity as our election process. To that, add the weight of the current presidential election and the personal and societal pressure becomes immense for many. However, I’m afraid at this point we must begin to reflect upon our own sanity given the repetition of such a folly.

We get what we accept.

For me it became clear that the State is nothing more than a war machine obtaining resources for hoarding wealth. Once this became obvious I could no longer, in good conscience, endorse such an institution via my participation in it. My withdrawal is not my solution to our political predicament, but rather the use of what little power I have available to me. It’s not a protest, but rather common sense. Given the choice between horrible and horrific I choose neither.

I blame those who continue to endorse such madness.

So, the question remains? What would it take for you to abstain from voting for President of the U.S.? What would have to happen for you to no longer have faith in the voting process in this country on a national level? What circumstances would have to come to bear for you not to participate in the national election process?

Either way, this election will produce an individual who will continue to go to war for resources and to “protect” American interests. If you elect an individual to act on your behalf who orders other people to kill on your behalf you are complicit in those deaths. Now there are plenty of ways we are complicit when it comes to the pain and suffering of people by our very way of life. Voting, however, is a direct endorsement of our way of life and this direct endorsement can be avoided by simply not showing up.

I’m not naive enough to think that my non-vote will put a halt to any violence perpetrated by the State. Its not, however, about solving our political predicament but rather one way of not directly supporting such lunacy. If we look at our military operations historically its staggering. Remember the information linked here only represents the operations that are public knowledge. My guess is the actual list is much longer. To vote is to support and condone such horrific acts of terror. There’s no nice way to justify it or to escape that reality.

Some will argue that among our choice of candidates, that if one particular individual ascends to the throne over the other that suffering will increase upon the most vulnerable in our society and so we must do our part to make sure that doesn’t happen. If we really cared about the most vulnerable, we would be doing something other than voting—or whatever we’re currently doing—to truly and realistically address their needs. Please don’t cloak our inaction by claiming our vote is really an act of justice.

We are approaching our 57th presidential election and the results speak for themselves. We still live in a country where racism, sexism, xenophobia and heterosexism still run deep. Need proof? Trump. But Mike, that’s why we need to stop Trump! If you believe Hilary Clinton will somehow end oppression and violence in this country and the terror we deliver upon those outside our borders then you are certifiable.

When apartheid ended in South Africa, it was because a vast majority of folks stopped participating in the election process. When people almost completely withdraw from the absurd choices they’ve been handed something apparently changes. We’re already on the right path. In 2012 we dipped below 55 percent of eligible voters casting votes. We’ve already been below 50 percent in an election this century. I know, I know, people died for our right to vote. If you believe that then maybe you’re beyond certifiable? People died to expand American Empire and to protect the interests of those who hold power.

When we cut through all of the bullshit and mythology of our indoctrination we can begin to see things as they are. We are trapped because we continue to buy into such mythology. We live in an oligarchy. We are wage slaves. We are consumptive lemmings. We continue to chase the carrot which is an illusion. We are complicit and we continue to ignore our responsibility to resist our overseers. These overseers aren’t some guys who look like the guy on the cover of the Monopoly game, but rather like the image we see when looking into the mirror. We the people are our own prison guards. Our delusional pursuit of what those at (or near) the top possess is our monkey trap. We want what they have and therefore create a life that traps us because of our wealth fantasy.

So, vote away on November 8th and forsake one psychopath for another. Pull out every bargaining and negotiating tactic you have to justify your complicit act. Then watch over the next 4-8 years as we continue with business as usual. Consumption in the name of faux democracy. Consumption without seeing the blood on our hands. Cue Instant Karma. Clearly many have no line in the sand nor moral compass to draw one. Or maybe they’ve  never considered that they don’t have to vote? Don’t worry, in four years we will again have an opportunity to pick one war criminal over another wannabe war criminal. Remember, doing the same thing over and over is by definition; insanity. I see a pattern here.

Power to the sheeple!

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