(Don't) Rock the Vote
I don't understand the purpose of getting people interested in voting. It makes no sense to me whatsoever.
I believe strongly that the more people engage in the political system, the better. But if you don't know what you are voting for, how is that engaging? How is that participating in any useful way? You're just causing noise. You are not participating in representative democracy, because you are not selecting the candidate who best represents you.
Let me be very clear: if you are not interested in politics, in understanding the differences between the candidates, then your vote is worse than no vote at all, and I would therefore strongly prefer you don't vote.
So I would prefer rule by the educated? Well, yes. But I would prefer that the majority of Americans were well-educated. I want everyone to vote, but I want them to be educated before they vote. The emphasis behind actions to increase participation should not be "vote." The emphasis should be "learn."
I know that people behind Rock the Vote say that is what they are doing. But I don't believe it is. I believe that is what they are trying to do, I just think they are doing a very poor job. Check out the home page. How many of those links actually educate?
And now that I look at it, the web site is especially partisan, too. It should be the "Rock the Vote against the Republicans" web site. That's not education, that's indoctrination. But that's really beside the point, because they don't educate anyway. They are nothing more than cheerleaders who say "yay, vote!"
The only thing worse than people not voting is people voting igorantly, which is what Rock the Vote is trying to do.
You think I'm making too big a deal out of this? If so, then was the last time you saw a political debate that informed, instead of attempted to sway via mere rhetoric or entertainment?
I believe strongly that the more people engage in the political system, the better. But if you don't know what you are voting for, how is that engaging? How is that participating in any useful way? You're just causing noise. You are not participating in representative democracy, because you are not selecting the candidate who best represents you.
Let me be very clear: if you are not interested in politics, in understanding the differences between the candidates, then your vote is worse than no vote at all, and I would therefore strongly prefer you don't vote.
So I would prefer rule by the educated? Well, yes. But I would prefer that the majority of Americans were well-educated. I want everyone to vote, but I want them to be educated before they vote. The emphasis behind actions to increase participation should not be "vote." The emphasis should be "learn."
I know that people behind Rock the Vote say that is what they are doing. But I don't believe it is. I believe that is what they are trying to do, I just think they are doing a very poor job. Check out the home page. How many of those links actually educate?
And now that I look at it, the web site is especially partisan, too. It should be the "Rock the Vote against the Republicans" web site. That's not education, that's indoctrination. But that's really beside the point, because they don't educate anyway. They are nothing more than cheerleaders who say "yay, vote!"
The only thing worse than people not voting is people voting igorantly, which is what Rock the Vote is trying to do.
You think I'm making too big a deal out of this? If so, then was the last time you saw a political debate that informed, instead of attempted to sway via mere rhetoric or entertainment?
"It is the common fate of the indolent to see their rights become a prey to the active. The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance; which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime and the punishment of his guilt."
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