A Few Quick Words on Voting

I've read enough anti-voting comments from libertarian anarchists. I'll try to explain my pov very quickly:

I don't in any way give consent to the existence and abuses of a monopolistic government by sending a government office two pieces of paper with tick marks on them. And the governing "authorities" don't base their treatment of me on whether or not I voted, or whether or not I even consent to their authority. They're not going to go - "Oh, you declined to turn in your ballot last November? Well excuse me, here's the full amount of your fine back."

Voting might be an act of violence, but if you vote "correctly" it's analagous to an act of defensive violence.

The vast majority of anti-voting comments - probably 99% of the ones I've seen - are specifically about voting for candidates. These people speak as if they never before in their life seen or heard of a ballot measure. They seem completely oblivious to the fact that you can help prevent the passage of a bad law by voting against it. And they seem equally oblivious to the voters' ability to enact a law that is less evil than the ones that are in place. When CA Prop 19 fails by a handful of votes, all you libertarian anarchists in my homestate will sit there wondering if weed could have been legalized by you spending a couple minutes ticking "Yes" and dropping that ballot in a box.

Voting can be a fun and creative way to protest the ridiculousness (yes that's a word) of representative democracy. Ever tried writing in "Nobody" for President? Or have you ever considered writing in your own name? (Voting is self-government, right?)

The unspoken truth is that you don't have to vote for anybody when you vote. The ballots I mail in usually have very few candidates marked. Yes, I am afraid of voting in somebody who'll exercise power unjustly. But that doesn't mean I shouldn't turn in a ballot.

In short, I don't think voting is unprincipled, or a waste of time. It can actually be amuzing.