" If you don't vote, don't complain ": Agree or Disagree ?

Sounds like a fair enough statement to me.

AGREE

100% agree!!! If you didn’t make the effort to get out there and vote you don’t get to complain!!

Fair!

I agree strongly! How can you sit there and complain if you don’t participate? If you didn’t vote then the people that did participate in our democracy don’t want to hear you whine. Sit down and be quiet!

What about the people whos candidate did not win, or law did or did not get passed?
Sometimes I would rather hear the guys who didn’t vote complain as opposed to those who lost

Or what about tourists? I deal with many folks from out of the country and I know some of them are always complaining when they are speaking their own language around me and I cant understand. AAAAHHHH that is crazy!

Frankly I dont want to hear anyone complaining. Jeez, get over it.

Agree! Unless you were underage. Or otherwise could not vote.

Agree, to the extent votes count.

Only argument I can see to support anything other than agree is as follows as it relates to US politics:

You have an opinion as to “how things should be”, but neither the Democrats nor the Republicans are a good representation of your ideology. To you, no matter who wins the election you are not going to be happy, becuase voting for a 3rd party may be all well and good, but there are only 2 viable candidates come election day. In such a circumstance I could see that it might be a more powerful message to stay home. After all, what’s a 3rd party candidate going to get, maybe a few hundred thousand votes. But you know what? Even in the 2008 election more people who were eligible to vote chose to not vote than chose to vote for either candidate. Now THAT sends a very powerful message to me in that there is something inherently undemocratic about the current system, when none of the above wins every election. To me, THAT is a more powerful argument for changing our current electoral process than would be a million or so votes for someone else.

So, yes, if you have strong views, and you do not feel that there are choices to represent your views, then certainly you have the right to complain. Voting is not the only time we as citizens have the ability to voice our opinions. We vote with our dollars, we vote with our voices, we vote by protest and by absence. I think if you don’t vote, you lose your ability to have your voice heard on that one question, but I don’t think that a person who doesn’t vote for a reason should have all the other tools of our democracy to make his opinions heard taken away from him….that just entrenches the 2 party system all the more.

Disagree to agree. It’s agreed then!

agree

It is a fact as far as I am concerned

Completely agree.

Would Have loved to hear this same question asked during GWB’s Presidency and read the responses.

Emphatically agree!

I agree, AND: If you really have something to complain about, you can let your Congresscritter or Senator Porkbarrel know. Don’t just complain to your co-worker on your coffee break.

It’s only pork when it benifits someone else. One man’s pork is another mans dinner. If my Senator/ Congressperson does not bring home something for his constituents he’s not doing his/her job.

True Judi, most people hate Congress as awhole , but love their Congressman….........he can do no wrong.

@Judi – Oh, I know. But everyone’s heard the phrase Senator Porkbarrrel used on some Senator! That was Al D’Amato’s nickname in New York for years and years!

Agree!
Then again, I’m in favor of compulsory democracy…

I would agree with that statement. Even though there were times I thought my vote didn’t count or mean much, I actually saw progress happen for the better and it helped restore some of my confidence in the voting process.

Absolutely agree.

I’m with Dale.

I completely disagree. Everyone should vote. But don’t tell people to shut up just because they didn’t. That’s rude.

I disagree. I did vote but if I didn’t so what. I pay taxes and can bitch all day if I want. I think you should complain all you want. I think you should complain even louder because the two party system forces you to pick between two assholes you might not like at all. The people need more power over how our elected officials act. They represent their own self interest. Thats another reason we need a line item veto.

Agree!

I disagree. It’s a free country and I have the right to complain about anything I want. I didn’t vote, because as South Park teaches us, it’s basically a choice between a Giant Douche and a Turd Sandwich anyway. (BTW you can watch that whole episode online for free, it is awesome satire of the voting process)

Oh yeah, I agree. only wish my neighbor really understood this concept!

I’d go farther and put forth the philosophy so often portrayed by Robert Heinlein that you don’t get to vote unless you have served your country. Service does not have to be military service.

I agree, you should do your civic duty if you want to have a voice in the community.

@StellarAirman: That’s kind of a waste.

No, we live in a free country. So far.

Agree and as far as complaining when your side loses, it makes better sense to give real service instead of just lip service to your candidate the next time.

I figure if you’re too apathetic to vote, then don’t complain about who you’ve got. If you had a chance to have your say at the poll booth and couldn’t bother, then get off your high horse. Heck, that’s the biggest reason why I do vote: so that I can justify having an opinion about who’s in power and how they’re doing their jobs. If you want to have an opinion, have one when it matters and vote.

Personally, I really don’t like any of the parties in Canada – every one that I can think of has done something illegal during their term in office. I’m totally disgusted with politicians, to be perfectly honest. Or at least I’m generally disgusted with any politicians who make it very high in the ranks. It seems like compromising your morals is the only way to make it very far in politics here nowadays.

So I vote for the party I think has the best policies (and that I distrust the least). If the party I didn’t want wins, I can complain about the fact that I wanted the other guy. If the party I wanted wins, but then they go back on all their campaign promises, I can complain about that if I want to. If the party I really want in is an underdog, I’ll still vote for them, even if I’m sure they won’t win (and especially if I don’t like the other options). How can any other party even have a hope of gaining strength if everyone who wants them sits on their duffs because they consider voting for them just throwing away their vote? If nothing else, seeing a third party get more votes should be a bit of a wake up call to the leading parties and make them reassess their policies and perhaps listen to their constituents more.

Besides all that, I don’t see what harm casting your vote can do, but it’s dangerous for too many people to not vote. It gives to much power to the voting minority, and you never know what you’ll end up with.

Anyone has the right to complain, whether they vote or not. It’s a free country! But I certainly take with a grain of salt the opinions of those who don’t bother to vote.