Comment on Does The US President have a better chance to win a second term with or without Kamala Harris?
rhacer@lemmy.world 10 months agoSo I should engage in an immoral act because other people might do something wrong?
I have no right to tell anyone how to live their lives, and that is what I attempt to do any time I cast a ballot.
dorkian_gray@lemmy.world 10 months ago
Not “might”. Will. And voting is absolutely not tantamount to telling other people how to live their lives, it is rather a statement on the way you think things should be run. You have a right to that, because we live in a society together. If you think you can go be a hyperindividualist all by yourself, you will most likely die early, but more importantly you will never enrich anyone else’s life, or have your own enriched by others. We’re all individuals, but we are part of a greater whole.
And just to play this angle: if you won’t vote because you “won’t tell others how to live”, then you would equally stand by and let the evil harm the helpless, for the same reason. Get off your fence and stand for something.
rhacer@lemmy.world 10 months ago
Surprisingly, I haven’t died early. I just celebrated six decades of life last week. I guess if I pass in the next couple of years that might still be considered early.
I think you’d be surprised at the number of people who’s lives i have enriched over those years. I certainly am.
dorkian_gray@lemmy.world 10 months ago
So much for hyperindividualism, then. You’ve lived in society, and you continue to, so you benefit from the systems of governance we have in place. Participating in that governance is not an immoral act, it is part of living in this society.
rhacer@lemmy.world 10 months ago
Sorry, gonna have to disagree. I have no right to tell others how to live, whether directly or indirectly. Voting for individuals is indirect, voting for ballot measures is direct.
I have no right to tell you if you can own a gun or not.
I have no right to tell you I’d you can or cannot have an abortion.
I have no right to tell you if you can or cannot ingest a substance that alters your reality.
I have no right to tell you if you can or can’t smoke in public.
I have no right to tell you if you can or can’t buy alcoholic beverages before 1300 on Sunday.
I have no right to tell you if you can or can’t use paper or plastic bags at the grocery.
I have no right to tell you if you can or can’t see drinks with paper or plastic straws.
That list can go on and on.
There are some who may believe “it’s all we’ve got so I’m going to participate.” I am not one of those people.
As to the hyper-indivualistic, I understand why you might say that. It’s not entirely true. I do believe that the individual is the smallest minority, but I also fully believe in voluntary community.