tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9748383.post2604940740869432443..comments2023-06-24T06:54:23.141-04:00Comments on The Chestnut Tree Cafe: The Mystery Solved!Jim Wetzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07358539074647113747noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9748383.post-2321695815714434662010-11-12T17:04:03.949-05:002010-11-12T17:04:03.949-05:00Phil,
Thanks for your thoughts. I'm not sure...Phil,<br /><br />Thanks for your thoughts. I'm not sure which of your categories to put myself in as a nonvoter; I don't really think the system is "broken" so much as I'm skeptical about the basic mission of the system. I'm inclined to think that the system works pretty well; I just hate what it's doing.<br /><br />And, if the alternative is having a sheriff who "puts them down," I think I'd probably be inclined toward "total anarchy." But that's because I don't see every form of voluntary cooperation between people as a form of government. I don't think we face just two alternatives (one of which is 1984, more or less, and the other a bad Sam Pekinpah movie).<br /><br />Again, I appreciate your thoughtful replies in this thread. I should've responded sooner, but I was devoting my scarce online time this week to drafting a <a href="http://bartlebysfour.blogspot.com/2010/11/rite-of-consent.html" rel="nofollow">case for nonvoting</a>.Jim Wetzelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07358539074647113747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9748383.post-32612525472749018612010-11-09T09:37:33.034-05:002010-11-09T09:37:33.034-05:00Jim, here’s my thoughts on the matter:
Suppose th...Jim, here’s my thoughts on the matter:<br /><br />Suppose that “None of the Above” won for Sheriff, and as a result there was no Sheriff for the next four years. There really wouldn’t be “No Sheriff” though. What would happen is that countless individuals would begin to assert their authority. And since there would be no real Sheriff to put them down, you would have to either challenge them yourself or submit to their will. Abolishing the office wouldn’t work, unless you want total anarchy. <br /><br />My “No vote” option would be purely symbolic, but it would be a way to differentiate those who don’t vote because they truly don’t care, and those who don’t vote because they think the system is completely broken.<br /><br />For an analogy, imagine that you own a Burger King restaurant that is right across the street from a McDonalds. If you see a lot more people going into McDonalds than your store, than you know you have to compete better with them. This mimics the Rep/Dem political dichotomy we have today. They’re both very competitive on prices, and they both offer very low quality food.<br /><br />Now, what about all those people who drive past without stopping at either restaurant? Are they getting their beef at the steakhouse or the grocery? Or maybe they’re vegetarians who won’t eat at your restaurant no matter how low your prices are. These are the independents and non-voters.<br /><br />Imagine a guy comes in, spends a lot of time looking at your menu, then walks out without ordering. Then, he walks across the street and does the same thing at Burger King. This person was obviously ready to eat or he wouldn’t have walked in. And yet he left without ordering.<br /><br />I believe that the lack of real competition in our political system today exists because a majority of the politicians believe that a majority of the populace just doesn’t care what happens. What I want is the chance to tell the politicians that I am hungry, and I’m ready to order, but I think they all have crappy menus.Phil Marxhttp://myhudhouse.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9748383.post-48194007673176511252010-11-08T20:01:54.200-05:002010-11-08T20:01:54.200-05:00Hi Jim, like you I dug the Orlov piece. You might ...Hi Jim, like you I dug the Orlov piece. You might think I'm being fussy, but I'd think a "no confidence" option would be more useful than 'none of the above'.Jonathan Versenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17920597011270157903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9748383.post-88980920097320713782010-11-07T22:14:16.407-05:002010-11-07T22:14:16.407-05:00Then you, my friend, need to move to Nevada where ...Then you, my friend, need to move to Nevada where you can already vote for "none of the above", according to JD Tuccille. Might be worth a little digging to see what they do when NOTA wins.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9748383.post-89899132704575827812010-11-07T20:31:53.735-05:002010-11-07T20:31:53.735-05:00Phil,
Probably not ... but in order to answer def...Phil,<br /><br />Probably not ... but in order to answer definitely, I'd need to know what the consequences of a "none of the above" electoral win would be. Different candidates and start over? Abolish the office in question? Execute the defeated candidates? Somewhere along this path lies something pretty attractive, I think.Jim Wetzelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07358539074647113747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9748383.post-44593514875657547092010-11-07T15:55:11.949-05:002010-11-07T15:55:11.949-05:00Jim,
If there were a “None of the Above” option f...Jim,<br /><br />If there were a “None of the Above” option for each office, would you vote then?Phil Marx(opthttp://myhudhouse.blogspot.com/ional)noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9748383.post-24445612476358151692010-11-03T23:23:50.664-04:002010-11-03T23:23:50.664-04:00Ain't it the truth!
Institutionally speaking,...Ain't it the truth!<br /><br />Institutionally speaking, the two-caucus War Party is never, ever, ever going to allow itself to be voted out of power. And the so-called Tea Party ... well, I remember the first Tea Party "events" or rallies that they held around here. There were some highly familiar local names involved. A Republican by any other name ... smells exactly as bad as a Democrat.Jim Wetzelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07358539074647113747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9748383.post-9916088538451238282010-11-03T16:45:39.057-04:002010-11-03T16:45:39.057-04:00Along the same lines, here's my last tweet:
Q...Along the same lines, here's my last tweet:<br /><br />Quote of the Day: "If elections really changed things they would be illegal." -- Emma Goldman http://tinyurl.com/26ryak3<br /><br />I fear the tea partiers and self-described conservatives are going to be in for a big let-down ... again.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com