this post was submitted on 31 Jul 2026
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this is only relevant for gringos, the rest of the people like me in the world keep getting fucked. i don't give two fucks about your blue/redmaga bullshit. i want your country to stop being a fascist empire.
Then maybe stop mocking the institutes that have more chance at changing things than assuring people voting doesn't matter, only contributing to the problem in the long-term.
The tools and mechanisms of democracy may be faulty and not work 100% of the time, less so in some places, but it is worse without them.
Even if they don't matter, truly, for some time, people taking part in the ritual stay way more politically active as opposed to not doing even as little. This makes them more likely to continue, like maybe rally or contact their representatives or maybe get more people involved. None of this is perfect or guaranteed, but the alternative is letting the more politically active opponent win.
I myself live in a place where voting means more than people actually realize, but still think very little of it, only making it easier for the status quo to prevail through lies, propaganda and rigging, because if nobody voted, then nobody feels as screwed over, and that energy doesn't flow in the way that may actually have some positive change.
You may not believe in voting or take part, but at least don't be discouraging people from as little. Especially if you believe in something more immediate and reactionary - that just can't come from nowhere, certainly not from "Nothing I do will ever matter".
the United States is also a one-party state but, with typical American extravagance, they have two of them.
— Julius Nyerere
I shall not go to the polls. I have not registered. I believe that democracy has so far disappeared in the United States that no "two evils" exist. There is but one evil party with two names, and it will be elected despite all I can do or say....
— W.E.B. Du Bois
half of the things you said don't apply to me because i live in your backyard, amigo. i'm not telling anyone to not be political, i'm saying they should stop pretending they live in democracy because you dont. you're one step away from feudalism. be political, organize, read, help union shit, join the communist party. but stop pretending McWhite is going to not be bought by capital. there is no, there will never be an ounce of democracy in the filthy states of america, until it collapses and is rebuilt.
My backyard is across the ocean. Not really sure why would you assume me to be American for defending an institution that to political action is what softer drugs are often to harder drugs - a gateway.
I agree with you on being political, organizing, taking action towards the better future, even if that future is not for us to enjoy. But it just doesn't happen from scratch: people must start somewhere, they must start taking any political action, no matter how small, rigged, insignificant, "complacent" or whatever. This is what gets them going and what sets things in motion, eventually leading to enough inertia and momentum that lets people take action that I assume you would see as more desirable.
That's especially important for countries where voting is not as much of a farce as it is in other places. USA is far from perfect, but it is an influential part of the world's state of affairs, so it kind of is important to have Americans voting for the person that might not be as hostile to your interests if you're outside the country. This attitude towards one of the simplest civil, political actions one can take and can hopefully make a difference is one of the things making people not bother voting at all, making so much easier for people like Trump to end up or stay in power.
Again, if you want to see the alternative in people literally starting revolutions and burning tires, cars, police stations, killing politicians, seizing power, etc., it cannot start from nothing. That takes a lot of political momentum, which voting - especially failed or rigged or stolen - helps build tremendously, even if it's not enough on its own.
And just calling for action without ever specifying the action, or especially calling for the action that involves a lot of risk and sacrifice and pain without the prior action having taken place, without the right political momentum, is definitely more useless than voting, if not harmful in its tendency to turn off people by the numbers large enough that make your desire to see unionization, organization, being political, unrealistic and juvenile.
Ew, dude.