Re: Whoops! The Atlantic Makes Trump Look EPIC In Cover Intended as a Smear

On Fri, 25 Oct 2024, William Hyde wrote:

D wrote:

  On Thu, 24 Oct 2024, The Horny Goat wrote:
 

On Tue, 22 Oct 2024 08:44:52 -0700, Paul S Person
<psperson@old.netcom.invalid> wrote:
 

One of the Initiatives I voted on (ballot in mailbox [one of the new
ones where the sliding slope is replaced with a slot] yesterday, will
be picked up today, should be getting the "we got it!" email tomorrow
or Thursday) involved some changes to how a major natural gas seller
is required to behave. The most interesting arguments were:
1. If you don't pass this, "they" will take your natural gas away.
2. If the power goes out, gas furnaces and stoves keep working.
Our house doesn't have gas, and I can confirm that, if the power goes
out, so does the furnace, the water heater, the stove, and so on.
Also, as became evident some years back when the connections were
marked with little blue flags for some reason and our house was the
only one I went past that didn't have them, a very large number of our
neighbors /do/ have natural gas, so I would not be surprised if it
passes.

 I'm from BC (Canada) and had our provincial election Saturday. I voted
in the advance poll at our local recreation center which is about 2-3
miles from home and fairly close to my favorite grocery store. Can't
recall whether I voted first shopped after or vice versa but it was
the same trip away from home. My candidate didn't win but that's not
the point - far better to have voted and lost than not to have voted
at all.
 

 I disagree. If there is no candidate that represents my view, I would be doing democracy a disservice by voting.

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I have never voted in an election here in Ontario where there was not a wide spectrum of choice, from Libertarian to Communist (generally, in fact, two communist parties) plus occasional independents.
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By not voting, I send a clear signal

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Any signal you think you are sending utterly overwhelmed by the vast numbers who do not vote out of laziness or lack of concern. Absolutely nobody cares that you do not vote.

I disagree. I send this signal indirectly and it is noted with concern when the nr of citizens participating in elections decreases, and I am proud of it. I also send the signal directly when debating with you and with friends and acquaintances, and when I talk with journalists, or on the extremely few occasions when I've run into a politician.

Many years ago the Rhinoceros party ran on a platform of resigning if elected.  Sounds like a party you could vote for!

No, since that would require me to practice violence, and my principles forbid me from initiating force. I keep my hands and soul clean by not participating in the process of a majority oppressing a minority. That is unethical and a revolting way to live that eventually leads to wars and violence.

William Hyde
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