Last week Dan Sanchez proposed that one way to protest war and criminally inept government is to stop attending political events and not voting in elections. I agree with him on this much: that to boycott public appearances by warmonger politicians makes a powerful statement. (On the other hand, chatting, texting, and taking selfies during a speech might embarrass a demagogue politician even more.)
But I definitely don’t agree with Dan when it comes to not voting. It isn’t necessarily clear to the powers that be what mere abstention signifies. They might take it to mean people have given up, beaten into what psychologists call learned helplessness. That would be positive reinforcement: nothing would please the political establishment more than for us to give up and accept serfhood.
Instead I believe it’s much better to take positive action by voting for antiwar and pro-peace candidates. This registers dissatisfaction with the war-duopoly much more directly and effectively. The Democrat/Republican establishment will covet every vote an antiwar Green, Libertarian or independent gets.
Continue reading “Voting for Peace: A Response to Dan Sanchez”