Non-Voting ACists and Ron Paul

[AWoodside]

A lot of ACists/Voluntaryists seem to be against voting in any circumstance. I think they make some compelling arguments, but ultimately I'm unconvinced.

I want to know if there are any ACists on this forum of the non-voting variety that would re-evaluate their position if Ron Paul happened to win the Republican primary. Would you vote for Ron Paul? If yes, why the exception. If no, do you think your decision to abstain would be +EV or -EV as far as freedom is concerned?

[Borodog]

I may do it for feel good purposes, knowing full well that it will make no difference.

[AWoodside]

[ QUOTE ]
I may do it for feel good purposes, knowing full well that it will make no difference.

[/ QUOTE ]

In the hypothetical that Ron Paul won the Republican primary you think it will make no difference? Is this because of the electoral college and other ways the election process is broken? Surely you don't mean to say that Ron Paul as president wouldn't bring us closer to a voluntary society?

[CallMeIshmael]

I think the question at heart is simply: "are the chances that my vote changes the outcome worth the time it takes me to drive to the place where I vote?"



I think for many, the amount of utility you get out of the candidate winning multiplied by the chance your vote matters isnt worth it, and the remaning utility comes from "fulfilling your duty". Some people dont get much utility out of that last part, so they dont vote.

[Borodog]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I may do it for feel good purposes, knowing full well that it will make no difference.

[/ QUOTE ]

In the hypothetical that Ron Paul won the Republican primary you think it will make no difference? Is this because of the electoral college and other ways the election process is broken? Surely you don't mean to say that Ron Paul as president wouldn't bring us closer to a voluntary society?

[/ QUOTE ]

No, just voting itself; it's meaningless and pointless.

[Nielsio]

Some people can find the energy to 'work from within the system'. Personally, I cannot. The mere idea of 'working within the system' is soulgrindingly boring and moot.

My modus operandi is to cast out the whole system and undermine it in every way I can. One of those ways is to point and laugh at people who want me to scribble for the suggestion box for slaves.

[Misfire]

If it were put up to a popular vote whether to dissolve the federal government, replacing it with nothing, would you vote?

[pvn]

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If it were put up to a popular vote whether to dissolve the federal government, replacing it with nothing, would you vote?

[/ QUOTE ]

I probably would. I am probably what the OP considers a "non-voting" person, but I *have* voted recently. The last time I voted, I simply voted "No" on all of the proposed referrenda, and left all of the offices blank.

My vote didn't matter, and would not have mattered on any of the races I abstained from. But I would probably vote in your hypothetical. I'm not morally opposed to ALL voting, but I do have a problem with casting a vote to impose a preference upon others when there are people who do not participate in the vote among those who are burdened with the outcome of the decision.

[Nielsio]

[ QUOTE ]
If it were put up to a popular vote whether to dissolve the federal government, replacing it with nothing, would you vote?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm already voting for that, except not in a poll created by the state itself.

[AWoodside]

[ QUOTE ]
I think the question at heart is simply: "are the chances that my vote changes the outcome worth the time it takes me to drive to the place where I vote?"



I think for many, the amount of utility you get out of the candidate winning multiplied by the chance your vote matters isnt worth it, and the remaning utility comes from "fulfilling your duty". Some people dont get much utility out of that last part, so they dont vote.

[/ QUOTE ]

Fair enough. I've never really voted for this exact reason, I don't see it being +EV given the hassle. For whatever reason I would consider voting for Ron Paul +EV though. Probably because there is a lot of irrational warm fuzzy nonsense that I associate with him emotionally. To date I've only voted once, and it was because I promised my mom I would so she'd feel better (she has a very strong sense of civic duty, which I do admire... she just hasn't reasoned critically or openly enough about some things). When I voted I wrote in myself though...