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How Can Nerds Make a Difference In November?
Scott Aaronson offers an intriguing call for ideas on how nerds can supercharge the political process this year. He's clearly an Obama admirer and phrases his challenge this way: "What non-obvious things can nerds who are so inclined do to help the Democrats win in November?" But the question itself is not inherently partisan. The analogy Aaronson gives is to the Nadertrading idea in 2000 (which we discussed at the time). What's the Nadertrading for 2008? "The sorts of ideas I'm looking for are ones that (1) exploit nerds' nerdiness, (2) go outside the normal channels of influence, (3) increase nerds' effective voting power by several orders of magnitude, (4) are legal, (5) target critical swing states, and (6) can be done as a hobby."
Good luck getting anyone to vote in this country. We've had some of the lowest rates of voter turnout of any democracy for many, many election cycles now.
As long as elections in the US are a choice between fascism (Republicans) and socialism (Democrats), I will vote for NONE OF THE ABOVE by abstaining.
I write sci-fi for metalheads
Yes, like abstension would have helped ... "Obama can't make a decision, or doesn't care about the issue".
McCain can't say that, since he didn't vote. It would've helped Obama a great deal to not vote on this one.
The whole point is, whatever decision he made, the opposition would have found a way to twist it to their favour.
Not if he didn't vote. Your opponent can't credibly criticize you for doing something he's doing. Obama is smart enough to know this, and voted yea anyway. He's a traitor to our people.
"16MB (fuck off, MiB fascists)" - The Mighty Buzzard
You could do better by going and casting an empty ballot. Or even putting down your own name for president. Or Crusty the Clown or Mickey Mouse. Or even a damned ficus tree would be a better action than choosing to not vote.
First off, I'm not going to waste gas driving down to the polling place in order to vote for my cat on a write-in ballot. Second, every person who casts a vote is doing nothing but rubber-stamping this tyrannical government of ours. When you vote, you are choosing a proxy who will rob and coerce others in your name. I want no part of that.
I write sci-fi for metalheads
"and if it was done the other way would you feel the same about it?"
(Dons flame suit.)
Sure. Politics is war without the shooting, and I'd have learned a new trick.
"Preventing people from casting legitimate votes, regardless of their political affiliation, race, religious background, or any other criteria covered under law, is both legally and morally irresponsible."
Hmm, choosing between the destiny of a nation or screwing over people who are ones enemies and dumb enough for a sucker play. If you are a Repub, you know the Dems are out to wreck much of what you hold dear, and the reverse is also true.
If you can manipulate the enemy, then do it. Your enemy is corrupt (true for both parties) so you should feel free to use corrupt methods if effective, unless the martyrdom of honest defeat is somehow more important than stolen victory. In a war without good guys, I'm fine with my side being effective bad guys.
"This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."
So, get involved. Ignore what people tell you about "throwing away your vote" or "as good as a vote for the bad guy." Vote for what you think is best.
No. If I vote, then I am turning my back on my belief that no individual has a right to tell another individual how to live.
I write sci-fi for metalheads
could you just vote for Obama this time and save the hippy crap for next election? it's kind of important
Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart, he dreams himself your master.
You're a god damned idiot. There is no single characteristic of the world which is as you see it, so the sum total of what you think about the world is a close as possible to the opposite of what is actually true. I'm absolutely mystified at the misperceptions you must apply to absolutely every event you experience outside your home to continue to think as you do without serious cognitive dissonance.
Not only that, but your kind of thinking is actively harmful to the world as a whole. We don't need idiots like you creating arbitrary distinctions between people and then escalating them to the level of enmity, and, it seems, almost to the point of not acknowledging them as fellow human beings, all simply based on an opinion on a political system you don't understand in the slightest.
ResidntGeek