"If you don't vote you've got no right to complain" - refuted
Posted by: Deane F on 20 November 2004
This refrain from the self-righteous voter has always got on my nerves. Here is how I see it:
Casting a vote in a democratic election implies that the person casting that vote agrees with the democratic system.
An agreement with the democratic system implies that the outcome is seen as fair by all voters even when some of those voters did not vote for the winner of said election.
If the participants have all agreed in this way that the outcome is fair then all voters have given a mandate to the elected government. This includes even those voters who, by their votes, did not intend to give a mandate to the elected government.
If all voters have given a mandate to the elected government then the statement is true that "if you do vote then you've got no right to complain."
In my view, everybody within the territory of a sovereign nation has the right to complain about it's government. The statement that non-voters have no right to complain seems to hide an assumption that voting is the only participation in government allowed to citizens of democratic states.
Deane
Casting a vote in a democratic election implies that the person casting that vote agrees with the democratic system.
An agreement with the democratic system implies that the outcome is seen as fair by all voters even when some of those voters did not vote for the winner of said election.
If the participants have all agreed in this way that the outcome is fair then all voters have given a mandate to the elected government. This includes even those voters who, by their votes, did not intend to give a mandate to the elected government.
If all voters have given a mandate to the elected government then the statement is true that "if you do vote then you've got no right to complain."
In my view, everybody within the territory of a sovereign nation has the right to complain about it's government. The statement that non-voters have no right to complain seems to hide an assumption that voting is the only participation in government allowed to citizens of democratic states.
Deane