#not voting as some sort of vague moral rejection of the current system?

[mini-starfruit]

I love how, as election season comes up, I get to see essentially mindless election discourse float across my dash. Voting for genocide, voting against genocide, voting for the guy who listens to reason, voting for the guy who isnt a cryptofascist—its so silly.

I live in New York, so my perspective is definitely influenced by that, but like. The MIC is going to exist no matter what you vote for. The parties will support the genocide no matter what. Thats not what its about on our end, "our" meaning american "leftists". Voting is not a chance to do no wrong, a chance to make some deontologically ethical action; it is one of many chances to wield the miniscule amount of political agency afforded to you as a citizen. You can use that agency to *not* vote, but unless youre forming a concerted anti-voting bloc (which do exist!!), not voting isnt a signal of any kind. It doesnt say anything, it doesnt indicate anything meaningful to the halls of power. They already know theyre failing to capture the american left, and they dont care. Leftism is anathema to their establishment.

Moreover, voting does not turn you into some sort of branded individual. You can vote and then turn right back around and throw bricks at cops or organise local support systems. These things are not mutually exclusive.

So, what does voting do? Its a ballot cast for a guy to be in the office. What does the guy do in the office, then? He appoints members of the cabinet and supreme court, and effects policy. I don't know about you, but I would like people moderately more left in cabinet positions (because that stuff DOES matter, to the domestic US, to countries economically involved (euphemism) (read: every country) with the US.)

The duopoly sucks!! I dont want neoliberals to be in charge. Unfortunately, they will be, and exercising your influence over them does not curse you forever to be incapable of resisting them in other political avenues. When did understanding your actions via their consequences fall out of vogue?