How to convince that voting does not radically improve something?

[anarchonewbie]

I've been having a disagreement with some of my center-left friends (they're SYRIZA supporters , I'm Greek) about the amount of impact voting has. While they say that the current situation in Greece is bad right now and that Tsipras and all the others are to blame, they're still going to vote him because "he did a great job in a short amount of time, he definitely needs a second chance." :laugh:


When I answered that most of SYRIZA MPs and voters are former PASOK (the party that was constantly torturing Greece for over 20 years) fans , they told me that I'm paranoid and that SYRIZA is the only true left movement in the parliament.

Anyway all these are kind of irrelevant as far as my question is concerned.


I hold the opinion that voting in elections is really pointless for the reason that this process cannot contribute in making the situation in the country drastically better. Most of the electorate hold the view that only voting a God-form leader can make us smile again and magically make us money (trust me , they do believe this.) .


However, my friends also disagree with that point of view of mine, supporting that I, "throw away the best and the most powerful privilege democracy has to offer me. Abstention from elections is only a sign of irresponsibility and political shallowness. Besides, will you let Golden Dawn fascists rise their votes? "



Answering that overthrowing fascism, isn't just a matter of voting any other party than the fascists , didn't really any good as they they characterised me a "fascist" for not wanting to vote and letting the Neonazi party rise. :rolleyes:


How can I convince these bourgeois-pseudoleft idiots that their "best and most powerful privilege democracy has to offer me" does not generally, magically solve all the problems? Why participating as a voter in the bourgeois elections doesn't really work for the best?

[Luís Henrique]

I've been having a disagreement with some of my center-left friends (they're SYRIZA supporters , I'm Greek) about the amount of impact voting has. While they say that the current situation in Greece is bad right now and that Tsipras and all the others are to blame, they're still going to vote him because "he did a great job in a short amount of time, he definitely needs a second chance." :laugh:

When I answered that most of SYRIZA MPs and voters are former PASOK (the party that was constantly torturing Greece for over 20 years) fans , they told me that I'm paranoid and that SYRIZA is the only true left movement in the parliament.

Anyway all these are kind of irrelevant as far as my question is concerned.

I hold the opinion that voting in elections is really pointless for the reason that this process cannot contribute in making the situation in the country drastically better. Most of the electorate hold the view that only voting a God-form leader can make us smile again and magically make us money (trust me , they do believe this.) .

However, my friends also disagree with that point of view of mine, supporting that I, "throw away the best and the most powerful privilege democracy has to offer me. Abstention from elections is only a sign of irresponsibility and political shallowness. Besides, will you let Golden Dawn fascists rise their votes? "

Answering that overthrowing fascism, isn't just a matter of voting any other party than the fascists , didn't really any good as they they characterised me a "fascist" for not wanting to vote and letting the Neonazi party rise. :rolleyes:

How can I convince these bourgeois-pseudoleft idiots that their "best and most powerful privilege democracy has to offer me" does not generally, magically solve all the problems? Why participating as a voter in the bourgeois elections doesn't really work for the best?

If you are not offering any kind of alternative, it is quite likely that they won't listen to you at all, and with good reason. What are you telling them to do instead of voting?

Luís Henrique

[Heretek]

If you are not offering any kind of alternative, it is quite likely that they won't listen to you at all, and with good reason. What are you telling them to do instead of voting?

Luís Henrique

As much as I agree, I believe he is asking for those reasons himself. As for those 'friends,' you could point out at least a few fascist regimes came about via putsch or other less 'democratic' ways rather than election, such as the German putcsh, the Reichstag burning, or simple installation by a government, like the Reichkommissariats or a few governments installed during the cold war, like the DPRK (which is close enough for me, Juche posturing just gives communists a bad name)