While voting does not, and has not historically brought about significant, necessary change, it might get you a small victory before the moderates claim total victory (see the American civil rights movement).
Being anti-electoral without advocating other options for political action in a climate that emphasizes voting as the method of political action has a political nihilism to it thats kinda shitty. I don’t think the answer to good political mobilization is screaming from the hilltops that voting is pacification and therefore you should toss out voting as political action, even if you are right about voting having a pacifying effect, and even if the impacts of voting are frequently minimal.
Even if the impact is insignificant, you should still vote. Having a diverse set of tools is one of the things that have gotten big successes in the past.
Ultimately, direct action gets the goods. The big victories of the civil rights movement came directly from political action, not voting. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t vote.
By all means vote. Especially for local issues. But, like you said, change on the national level only occurs through direct action. People should be aware that voting isn’t enough. You need to join an organization, a movement.
While voting does not, and has not historically brought about significant, necessary change, it might get you a small victory before the moderates claim total victory (see the American civil rights movement).
Being anti-electoral without advocating other options for political action in a climate that emphasizes voting as the method of political action has a political nihilism to it thats kinda shitty. I don’t think the answer to good political mobilization is screaming from the hilltops that voting is pacification and therefore you should toss out voting as political action, even if you are right about voting having a pacifying effect, and even if the impacts of voting are frequently minimal.
Even if the impact is insignificant, you should still vote. Having a diverse set of tools is one of the things that have gotten big successes in the past.
Ultimately, direct action gets the goods. The big victories of the civil rights movement came directly from political action, not voting. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t vote.
By all means vote. Especially for local issues. But, like you said, change on the national level only occurs through direct action. People should be aware that voting isn’t enough. You need to join an organization, a movement.
I agree with you, I just think this meme is sending the wrong message