13 REASONS YOU'VE GOT TO STOP VOTING
The most common activist strategies, such as street
demonstrations, protests, etc., rarely seem to bring
about any change in government. There is only one
nonviolent tactic that has been proven to work.
Recently I asked the new president of a local activist group that had banned me from speaking, if I
would be allowed to speak under the new leadership. I explained that I'm an election boycott advocate. The reply I got was:
"So my question is - how does NOT voting change
anything? I can see actually writing in someone you
believe in - but not voting simply is giving up."
I decided to answer the question as thoroughly as I
could. Here's what I wrote, which I'm posting here
with the person's name removed:
South Africa endured many years of violence under
the Apartheid regime. Many people and countries
worldwide boycotted Apartheid, but the US government insisted on supporting the Apartheid regime, saying that while the US abhorred Apartheid,
the regime was the legitimate government of South
Africa. Then the Apartheid regime held another
election. No more than 7% of South Africans voted.
Suddenly everything changed. No longer could the
US or anyone else say that the Apartheid regime
had the consent of the governed. That was when
the regime began to make concessions. Suddenly
the ANC, formerly considered to be a terrorist
group trying to overthrow a legitimate government,
became freedom fighters against an illegitimate
government. It made all the difference in the world,
something that decades more of violence could
never have done.
In Cuba, when Fidel Castro's small, ragged, tired
band were in the mountains, the dictator Batista
held an election (at the suggestion of the US, by the
way). Only 10% of the population voted. Realizing
that he had lost the support of 90% of the country,
Batista fled. Castro then, knowing that he had the
support of 90% of the country, proceeded to bring
about a true revolution.
TheSovereignVoice.Org