Compared to voter turnouts in other developed countries, America doesn’t bode well. While we hover around 50 percent, Belgium and Turkey top the charts with roughly 88 percent and 86 percent respectively. Some may view this situation with a “glass-half-full” outlook, but excluding the aforementioned nations still leaves nearly 30 ahead of us. If we already don’t vote, why not just get rid of it altogether?
Americans are not losers, so I propose we do just that. The time has come to stop voting.
Voting is only a recent development in terms of world history. A constant recurrence of fads that have come and gone has swept over America throughout the years. When is the last time you heard someone call for justice for Kony since 2012? People forget and life moves on. So, why not group voting among these fads and sweep it under the rug?
History, however, has not forgotten the fruitful states and empires that have made their mark on the world with limited to no voting rights for their citizenry. In fact, we need not look back little more than 240 years ago to find our ancestors in this very situation. We were part of the arguably greatest empire the world had ever known—the British Empire, where the sun never sets. Americans at the time were simply selfish and too self-centered to see the big picture. Yes, we were taxed without holding seats in British Parliament and famously cried “No taxation without representation!” But weren’t those taxes necessary to the common good of the British Empire? Our “revolutionary” policies based off of citizen participation through voting that we implemented were near-sighted and put too much trust in the general population.
Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), a renowned philosopher, was recorded to have said, “Government is necessary, not because man is naturally bad … but because man is by nature more individualistic than social,” which illustrates my point that governing should be left in the responsible hands of those in government and not in our amateur or self-interested ones. We need to stop dirtying politics with our biased opinions and inherent evil nature.
At this point you are probably asking yourselves, “If we don’t vote, then how will government officials obtain their jobs?” Well, my solution is simple. Rapid technological advancements have led to the development of complex computer operating systems. Rather than we the people choosing representatives, a computer system will do it for us. Say goodbye to human error! The program will choose citizens based on income, race, gender, and religion to ensure there is no difference in opinion. And for anyone worried about a government program being a vital part of our everyday lives, just think back to how well the online website for the Affordable Care Act worked!
Now, don’t lose sight of the big picture here. America is the greatest country on God’s green earth. This is because we can adapt to the world around us. Eliminating voting should be seen as progress and ingenuity.
Just look at what these characteristics of progress and ingenuity have made us today: the land of the freedom and the home of the brave. However, being brave and free is time-consuming—not to mention voting! Driving to a voting booth, registering that one time in your life that takes about five minutes, the long lines of the four to six elderly women who actually vote, and not to mention remembering your driver’s license. What a drag! I want to be brave in “Call of Duty” and free to do whatever I want with my time. Where is the valor in voting when I can be eliminating terrorism from my living room?
This is not to mention all of the other important aspects to our lives that we could give our full attention to once voting is gone. Once a labor-saving means of choosing government officials is firmly established, we’ll all be able to fully immerse ourselves in Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram and “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.” The next justice of the Supreme Court is not an issue; what Kim K. is wearing is the real news, people!
The only obstacle in our path is the half of all Americans who care to attempt to have their voice heard in government, while the rest of us want to be spoon fed. Attempting to convince the rest of the nation to partake in voting and ensure their representation would be too arduous a task and logistically unrealistic. So, allow the government to do the work for us. We need to take this voting “thing” off our chests and worry about more important matters in life and enjoy being awesome. Life is short, so don’t spend it trying to make a difference.
Thankfully there is still time to change our political culture and join the ranks—no, rather the best—of the great nations where the yoke of voting is not worn. Quite simply, stop voting and allow the government to run our country’s course. This will eliminate democracy as we know it, but we hate democracy. We say it all the time. It is a complicated machine that consistently breaks down and comes to gridlock. Keeping our current government is like being in a bad relationship. It’s complicated and neither party wants to admit they are wrong. This is why we have to “be the bigger man,” so to speak, and admit that it is our fault. It is time to walk away from the relationship. It is time to stop voting.
A first-rate example of who we should emulate is the the People’s Republic of China. The name is a deterrent, but “Republic” is used loosely in this case. The actual communist government in place only allows the group that represents who is in power to vote while the rest of the Chinese can go about their daily lives without being hassled by annoying ads of candidates. It’s a fair approximation that no one is discussing the hand size of China’s president, because who cares? Better yet, it’s not even legal to partake in such actions since there is no freedom of the press! Just one more thing taken off our plate so that we can focus on ourselves.
China is also flourishing economically. America alone owes the Chinese government $1.3 trillion. We can eliminate this IOU and even turn the tables with my proposed plan, because instead of allowing one group to vote, we will have none. Just imagine yourself as the U.S.: Trying to spend your annual income for your best interests when there are hundreds of millions of other people pulling your funds in various directions. Not effective.
That is not to mention the cost of running a campaign. Billions of dollars that could be put forth for scientific research or lowering college tuition are poured into political races. By eliminating voting, we will be eliminating campaigns and the dirty money from powerful interest groups that comes with it. Stop the rich from controlling our government! However, this is America, and all men are created equal. So, if the rich can’t have their say then neither can you. I’m sure that the congressman who doesn’t have to base his actions off your interests to ensure reelection will keep you in mind.
As stated in Federalist Paper 10, factions, groups of people who share common interests and thus represent those interests, are essential to a democracy. The problem with factions, however, is found in their very definition. With the exorbitant amount of factions and interests being represented, nothing can be accomplished in America. And better yet, they will naturally be eliminated through the eradication of democracy itself.
It is not the Founding Fathers’ fault that they were not fortune tellers who could foresee the stagnancy of a democracy. But, nevertheless, voters are practically tying the government’s hands behind its back by providing so many contrasting wishes. Not even a charismatic political outsider like Trump with his powerful rhetoric can truly make America great again with us standing in his way.
Speaking of a presidential candidate, the political races that draw the most substantial crowds are presidential elections. But those who waste their time casting a ballot do not even have a direct impact on the outcome of the race.
Members of the electoral college are those who truly elect the office holder of the executive branch. As recent as 2000, it was promulgated to the nation that George W. Bush, whom did not win the popular vote, would be the next leader of the free world.
Bush’s opponent in that race was not happy with those results, nor were the majority of Americans who would also not be happy with this either—voting is harming the environment. Yes, Al Gore, circle the wagons and rally the troops! Millions upon millions of innocent pieces of paper are wasted each year for Americans to fill in the bubble next to some stranger’s name on the ballot.
Aside from slashing trees, imagine the costs that come with voting! What is worth more, us being allowed to choose who governs over our very lives or saving money? Why, saving money of course! Anyone who would not want to save the world while simultaneously saving money is not truly American.
I am calling on you, the true Americans, to make America great again. In order to do that, we cannot continue on our current course. We have conflicting views, backgrounds and opinions that are heard through voting and impede our progress as a nation. We are the melting pot that is added too much cornstarch to become stagnant. Until the majority of eligible voters embrace their responsibility to be informed citizens and the opportunity to vote, then my plan is the only feasible answer. There is no sense in having a representative democracy where all voices can be heard and minorities are protected from being outspoken by the majority if everyone does not choose to represent themselves. The system will not be fixed if there is no attempt made to do so.
So, do your part and fix the system. Stop voting like the rest of America and don’t pay attention to the world around you. If America ever comes between a rock and a hard place, just live under the rock.
