First, I understand your apathy towards this government (empire) and aversion to power systems, trust me I understand. But if you really do not want to support this government (empire) you need to stop paying taxes. Money=Power in our government. If you are anti-empire you need to protest our government where it really hurts, in their pocketbook.

Second, If you do decide to abstain from voting you are actually giving power to the politicians instead of taking it away. Politicians actually do not want you to vote because the more people involved in the process the more honesty is required from both candidates. If you look back at our nations voting history you will find that a large percentage of Americans have not voted for one reason or another for many of the recent elections and things have not changed when it comes to elections. When the people in the middle do not vote it allows each of the two sides to become more and more extreme and then elections become about who can piss off enough people against the other candidate so they can win.

Third, you can bitch all you want about government because we all fund the government, but you also need to do all you can to make it better.

And finally, WHY YOU SHOULD VOTE AGAIN:

The Preamble to the Constitution:
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Middle of the Declaration of Independence:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

Here is the problem: The US Government is the people (you, me, everyone) and when more and more people become disenchanted and uninvolved you give more and more power to a select few. I know that this form of government is not perfect, but the more uninvolved you become, the more imperfect our government becomes.

Let’s put this in a church context: No church is perfect. Would you rather be part of a church where the Pastor, a Board, and the people who had the most money (largest offering) had all say over the day to day operations of the church or would you want everyone in the church to not only have a say in the day to day operations, but be involved in making changes?

THE PROBLEM WITH OUR GOVERNMENT IS THE LACK OF INVOLVEMENT OF THE PEOPLE.

Well-said. For many things, I do end up ignoring them. Governments will be governments and they aren’t going to stop just because of me. Why I feel I must speak out as well as refraining from voting is the entanglement of Christianity with the political powers. I cannot in good conscience allow people to think that is what Christ looks like.

-mike

Now if you want to rant about politics, decry the entire system, and wish it would be changed — but then refuse to vote at all, then I might start agreeing with Jason just a little more than I already have. Vote. Even if it’s empty – and I’d say, vote ESPECIALLY if it’s empty. It’s your direct feedback mechanism into politics. It’s the one voice every politician HAS to listen to.