Re: AUT: A Reply to Noam Chomsky

["George Ciccariello Maher" <gjcm@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>Abstentionism, in the US, fits perfectly into the agenda of the
>worst of the worst.

This may be true of a stable abstention rate, as exists now. But increased abstention could very easily create a virtuous cycle, in which such a decline reinforces the general belief that elections are shit, thereby further encouraging abstention. The fiction of democracy can maintain itself at 50% turnout, but it would be hard to see it doing so at 30% or 20%.

>And yes, people should be forced to participate into the crappy electoral system.

bizarre, disturbing, and internally contradictory to top it off.

> You are entirely free to cast an irregular vote. But I just don't buy it that someone who stays at home >and lets the spectacle pass by is necessarily making any kind of statement.
>Besides , as you know very well, saying nothing will be understood as consent, which makes the >argument that voting would be understood as consent a very trite one.

this is based on the same old ridiculous assumption that those not voting aren't doing anything else either, which isn't true. moreover, often it seems that precisely the opposite is manifested - i.e. people feel that they have done their duty as a citizen by voting, and therefore don't do anything else...

geo


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