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We have a class of friends who say they are heartily sick of politics, but they continue in them for the purpose of reforming the government - a very laudable end, but rather questionable means. They say they shall lose all effective influence in the political world, if they take the Non-Resistant position.
A few words to those friends. What is it you are so much afraid of losing? Your influence! And what is your influence in the political world now? You feel the force of your conscience and moral obligation. Do your political parties feel it? Will they permit you to apply your moral principles to anyone of their favorite doctrines or measures? Will they allow you to direct, or even to qualify materially any one of those measures? Will they allow you to lead or to advise them? Will they suffer your scruples to interfere with a single unprincipled scheme they chance to embrace? Never. Do they come to you to inquire who are suitable men for office? Never. And when you object to their candidates, on the ground that they are immoral people, will they give way to your objections? Never.
The only chance you have to acquire consequence among them is to yield your scruples, compromise your principles, and support their measures. Then they can use you. Then your high principles, and good moral character, serve them well. They are proud of you; and by the help of your respectability, they can hold up their heads in their iniquity. "See," say they, "don't you see what good moral people, what honest, upright, worthy men belong to our party! Would they be with us if we were so very corrupt!" Thus you serve them as cloaks to hide their deformity, and are the veriest tools in their hands - the tail, and not the head of the party. Is not this the naked truth?
What, then, is your influence? Nothing for good, but much for evil. You cannot lead. Your advice weighs nothing. But your respectability is first rate capital in the hands of selfish demagogues. Take yourselves out of the way, every one of you. Stand on your own ground. Withdraw your respectability, and make it felt in reproof, rebuke, and utter disfellowship of wickedness. Then you will have some influence on the right side. Then you will give a check to popular wrong and folly, which politicians themselves will not know how to overcome.
"But will not bad people do all the voting, and hold all the offices?" And what if they should? How much worse will the conditions of things be than now? The only difference will be that bad people will then work with their cloak off, and without good people to back them up. The consequence would be that their reign would be disgraceful and brief. They would soon fall into a quarrel and devour one another. Meantime the eyes of the multitude would be opened; and they would call for a new and better order of things - for a government of justice, mercy, love and peace. Therefore the influence of good people does not lie in voting at the tail of corrupt party organizations, nor even in holding a few inferior offices at the expense of their moral principles, but in falling back upon moral power, and unitedly insisting on righteousness, equity and goodness, as the basis of individual; social and national happiness.
"But what can so few do?" What do they now do where they are? Mischief, absolute mischief. Standing by themselves, they will become a mighty moral host; increasing every year in numbers and influence, till the world shall recognize them as its true friends. If every town in the United States had an average of fifty men in it, of stern, unbending moral integrity - standing aloof from its ballot-box, and its cartridge-box - ever vigilantly watching its political and legal proceedings, approving the good and rebuking the evil, would the effect be injurious to society? Would not those moral power bands be the greatest conservators of social order and prosperity in their respective neighborhoods? No doubt of it. To this complexion things will gradually come; and from such a complexion they will advance to a peaceful but complete revolution of political institutions. Then will civil government become a simple, efficient and perfectly beneficent means of promoting universal rectitude and happiness in the earth.

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Try separating that into paragraphs, bro.

Precious few people are going to have the fortitude to wade through 'Attack of The Blob'. 

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31 Reasons to Vote

by Rob

Don’t blame me, I didn’t vote. ~ Jeremy Sapienza

My barber believes passionately that everyone should vote, and since one of my primary objectives is to persuade people to abstain from politics, I often raise the subject with her during election season. Although our conversations remain cordial, usually they are short and intense (at least her part). Last week she asked me, “Why would you not vote? I think that’s the most dishonorable and un-American thing you could do.” But it seems to me that it is the voter who must justify his actions, since voting is an affirmative act. Since most voters have never really considered why they vote, I have decided to assist them by providing a list of reasons to vote:

1. You believe that a majority of voters has the right to impose their will on everyone else through the use of force.

2. You want to steal from other people and/or force them to do certain things, but you’d rather have someone else point the gun for you.

3. You believe that the State is legitimate, and want to provide legitimacy to it for the next two to six years.

4. You believe that democracy is a legitimate decision-making process, and don’t mind being bound by the results.

5. You believe that voting will protect you from government or slow the growth of the State.

6. You want to live in a political society instead of a civil society.

7. You prefer to wield political power because you’re too lazy to work for social power.

8. You want the politicians to have a mandate and to be able to say, “The people have spoken!”

9. You don’t mind if the government helps you decide by narrowing your choices for you.

10. You’re a follower who needs to be led, and believe that everyone else needs “leaders” who are selected by a majority of the voters.

11. You believe that millions of people gave their lives to defend your right to vote.

12. You want to honor the victims of 9/11, who were killed because some foreigners didn’t like the fact that we live in a democracy.

13. You believe that voting is the way to make your voice heard, and that politicians hear your voice when you vote.

14. You believe that if your candidate wins, you will get what you want, just like you want it.

15. You like the way that politicians have been running things, and want to send them back for more.

16. You believe that politicians will keep their campaign promises.

17. You don’t believe that power will corrupt politicians once they’re in office.

18. You trust the politicians you vote for, and believe they care about you.

19. Your government school taught you that voting is a privilege.

20. You like to exercise your freedom—to choose your master.

21. You believe that your vote will affect the outcome of an election.

22. You believe that voting fraud won’t affect the outcome of an election.

23. You believe that the new touch-screen voting machines are reliable, tamper-proof, and leave an adequate paper trail in case the results are contested.

24. You’re proud to wear the “I voted” sticker that they give you after you vote.

25. George W. Bush said that it’s your duty to vote.

26. The president's wife or mother called you and asked you to vote.

27. You get a rush out of wielding political power.

28. You think that a politician is cute, or you like the way he kisses his wife, or you like the earth tones he wears, etc.

29. You saw a campaign sign that made you feel patriotic because of its flag motif, or that made you feel good because it had a catchy slogan on it, such as "the courage to lead" or "neighborhoods first."

30. The political ads on TV and radio that cater to the lowest common denominator don't insult your intelligence.

31. You don’t mind your name and other personal information being on a government list, which will come in handy if the government wants to summon you for jury duty, draft you into the military, audit your income tax returns, collect information about you, or send you to an internment camp.

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Redstorm said:
I suggest not listening to the original post and to go out and vote in the upcoming election.

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Redstorm said:
That's an outrageous motto. The only time you have no right to complain is if you vote for the person causing the problems or you fail to make any effort to keep that person from causing that person to create those problems in the first place.

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the whole political system is the problem

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Not too surprising though.

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