Comments on: Let’s Put the Vote Out of Its Misery and Start Over http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/03/let%e2%80%99s-put-the-vote-out-of-its-misery-and-start-over/ a radical newsletter in the struggle for peace and social justice Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:46:58 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Madelyn Ryder http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/03/let%e2%80%99s-put-the-vote-out-of-its-misery-and-start-over/#comment-20139 Madelyn Ryder Fri, 09 May 2008 02:41:28 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/03/let%e2%80%99s-put-the-vote-out-of-its-misery-and-start-over/#comment-20139 The big shots in DNC should be taught a lesson not only by Florida an Michigan but by all Democrats and Republicans by re-registering as a Independent. All 3 canidates seem to be begging for the Independents to vote for them, and what a laugh it would be for the voters making a mad dash requesting to change their registration to Independents. We need a 3rd party anyway. This would show both parties they no longer have the power to make us vote between 2 persons. Lets get this going and see what happens. Yes I am a Independent and vote for the best person to be President, which could be a Democrat or Republican, any color skin, and i always say to the poll chasers I AM UNDECIDED. The big shots in DNC should be taught a lesson not only by Florida an Michigan but by all Democrats and Republicans by re-registering as a Independent. All 3 canidates seem to be begging for the Independents to vote for them, and what a laugh it would be for the voters making a mad dash requesting to change their registration to Independents. We need a 3rd party anyway. This would show both parties they no longer have the power to make us vote between 2 persons. Lets get this going and see what happens. Yes I am a Independent and vote for the best person to be President, which could be a Democrat or Republican, any color skin, and i always say to the poll chasers I AM UNDECIDED.

]]> By: Julius http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/03/let%e2%80%99s-put-the-vote-out-of-its-misery-and-start-over/#comment-17355 Julius Tue, 01 Apr 2008 16:46:15 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/03/let%e2%80%99s-put-the-vote-out-of-its-misery-and-start-over/#comment-17355 Imagine a house where children need to be fed after they come back from the farm. Once at home, they found that some of the children have already eaten and some not yet. Another food is now prepared for those who've not yet eaten, since they are weak and have no power to do anything else except they eat their own food. Imagine a situation where those who've already eaten decide to seize the food prepared for the hungry ones. What do you think will happen to both the hungry children and to those who've already eaten? Do you think those who've already eaten really need any more food than those who've not yet eaten? To link the above analogy to Vote Sizing, it means that, why should those with economic strength go fight over political strength (vote) that was put in place to serve those who had nothing? Who needs government most? Is it the guy with economic strength or the guy with nothing? Going back to analogy above, I think what will happen to both children is that, those who've already eaten and who have seized the food prepared for the hunger ones will develop constipation (corruption) if the eat that food (political power), and the hungry ones will become more hungry (disenfranchisement, powerlessness and misery) if they continue in that hunger. That is what Vote Sizing is all about, give government to those who really need it - that is those who suffer the most from vices like corruption, embezzlement, insecurity, hunger, illiteracy, and you can name the rest. Another question linked to vote sizing is: who needs school most? Is it the guy who already knows how to read and write or the illiterate who knows not how to spell his/her name? Imagine a house where children need to be fed after they come back from the farm.

Once at home, they found that some of the children have already eaten and some not yet.

Another food is now prepared for those who’ve not yet eaten, since they are weak and have no power to do anything else except they eat their own food.

Imagine a situation where those who’ve already eaten decide to seize the food prepared for the hungry ones.

What do you think will happen to both the hungry children and to those who’ve already eaten?

Do you think those who’ve already eaten really need any more food than those who’ve not yet eaten?

To link the above analogy to Vote Sizing, it means that, why should those with economic strength go fight over political strength (vote) that was put in place to serve those who had nothing?

Who needs government most? Is it the guy with economic strength or the guy with nothing?

Going back to analogy above, I think what will happen to both children is that, those who’ve already eaten and who have seized the food prepared for the hunger ones will develop constipation (corruption) if the eat that food (political power), and the hungry ones will become more hungry (disenfranchisement, powerlessness and misery) if they continue in that hunger.

That is what Vote Sizing is all about, give government to those who really need it – that is those who suffer the most from vices like corruption, embezzlement, insecurity, hunger, illiteracy, and you can name the rest.

Another question linked to vote sizing is: who needs school most? Is it the guy who already knows how to read and write or the illiterate who knows not how to spell his/her name?

]]> By: hp http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/03/let%e2%80%99s-put-the-vote-out-of-its-misery-and-start-over/#comment-17306 hp Mon, 31 Mar 2008 17:26:15 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/03/let%e2%80%99s-put-the-vote-out-of-its-misery-and-start-over/#comment-17306 "It's not the people who vote that count, it's the people who count the votes." 'Uncle' Joe Stalin “It’s not the people who vote that count, it’s the people who count the votes.”
‘Uncle’ Joe Stalin

]]> By: Roxy http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/03/let%e2%80%99s-put-the-vote-out-of-its-misery-and-start-over/#comment-17299 Roxy Mon, 31 Mar 2008 15:19:41 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/03/let%e2%80%99s-put-the-vote-out-of-its-misery-and-start-over/#comment-17299 In relation to Pauli's comment... I think that the problem of people "not voting" has been answered pretty clearly in the article. People don't vote when... -they feel their voices aren't heard -they feel their vote doesn't matter -they feel their choices all lead to the same undesirable end. I think that has been the case for years in the US. It's sad that the popular vote went to Gore and yet the super del's put Bush in power. That's VERY disheartening, even for the most politically savvy! Then there were the malfunctioning voting booths in places like Ohio and Florida, with corporate entities creating voting machines to help Bush get added votes... THAT is just insane! And you're right. Now we have a couple of all-powerful overseer idiots (*cough*Howard Dean and friends *cough*) deciding that votes in Florida and Michigan don't count because they said so. It's not "shiny objects" that distract people... but rather, murky corruption. That being said, You have to hand it to any of our current candidates. They have all attracted certain demographics that don't usually go to the polls, whether it be the youth, the independents, the African Americans and Latinos, women, etc. Each one offers something special that makes this election season more monumental than ever before. Right now I'm just praying that the outcome is fair and that we aren't left with monumental disillusionment as well. At any rate, perhaps Steve is right and what we will REALLY need is a complete overhaul of the system. In relation to Pauli’s comment… I think that the problem of people “not voting” has been answered pretty clearly in the article.

People don’t vote when…
-they feel their voices aren’t heard
-they feel their vote doesn’t matter
-they feel their choices all lead to the same undesirable end.

I think that has been the case for years in the US. It’s sad that the popular vote went to Gore and yet the super del’s put Bush in power. That’s VERY disheartening, even for the most politically savvy!
Then there were the malfunctioning voting booths in places like Ohio and Florida, with corporate entities creating voting machines to help Bush get added votes… THAT is just insane!
And you’re right. Now we have a couple of all-powerful overseer idiots (*cough*Howard Dean and friends *cough*) deciding that votes in Florida and Michigan don’t count because they said so.

It’s not “shiny objects” that distract people… but rather, murky corruption.

That being said, You have to hand it to any of our current candidates. They have all attracted certain demographics that don’t usually go to the polls, whether it be the youth, the independents, the African Americans and Latinos, women, etc. Each one offers something special that makes this election season more monumental than ever before.

Right now I’m just praying that the outcome is fair and that we aren’t left with monumental disillusionment as well. At any rate, perhaps Steve is right and what we will REALLY need is a complete overhaul of the system.

]]> By: Pauli http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/03/let%e2%80%99s-put-the-vote-out-of-its-misery-and-start-over/#comment-17287 Pauli Mon, 31 Mar 2008 12:59:52 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/03/let%e2%80%99s-put-the-vote-out-of-its-misery-and-start-over/#comment-17287 Don't poor and middle class folks already have kind of a "weighted" vote? I mean, there are many more of them than there are evil, rich puppet-masters pulling the strings. The problem is that poor people DON'T vote. As one analyst not-so-nicely put it, they are distracted by shiny objects on the way to the voting booth. I'd also like to briefly note that the Republicans, who are supposedly a bunch of power-hungry control freaks, don't have the Florida and Michigan problems nor so-called "superdelegates", which are nothing if not a way to "weight" the pimary vote in the opposite direction, i.e., in favor of the rich and powerful. Without these characters waiting in the wings, Hillary would be on her knees begging for a VP slot from Obama. Boy, would that win the photo of the year contest. Don’t poor and middle class folks already have kind of a “weighted” vote? I mean, there are many more of them than there are evil, rich puppet-masters pulling the strings. The problem is that poor people DON’T vote. As one analyst not-so-nicely put it, they are distracted by shiny objects on the way to the voting booth.

I’d also like to briefly note that the Republicans, who are supposedly a bunch of power-hungry control freaks, don’t have the Florida and Michigan problems nor so-called “superdelegates”, which are nothing if not a way to “weight” the pimary vote in the opposite direction, i.e., in favor of the rich and powerful. Without these characters waiting in the wings, Hillary would be on her knees begging for a VP slot from Obama. Boy, would that win the photo of the year contest.

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