Liberty MavenLew Rockwell talks voting, Ron Paul, and libertarianism with Ron Smith
September 24th, 2009 5:37 pm | by Marc Gallagher | Published in Activism, Big Government, Commentary, Free Market, Lew Rockwell, Liberty, Politics, Radio, Ron Paul, government spending | 4 Responses
Lew Rockwell was on the radio with Ron Smith, a fixture on WBAL in Baltimore for many years. In a 14 minute interview they discussed numerous topics ranging from Ron Paul, libertarianism, and more.
I only take small issue with Rockwell’s disdain for the act of voting. He says that no election is ever decided by a single vote as he dismisses voting as a “waste of time”. I have to agree that in most cases this is true, but I can point to one case in my own district where a single vote did decide an election. Of course the smaller the election the more there is a chance of this happening.
In this case there were 888 votes cast. I posted about it when it occurred in the local election in November of 2007. Here is a screenshot of the results:
So, in some rare cases… well at least one case. A single vote does count.
But I digress… Listen to an excellent discussion between Lew Rockwell and Ron Smith below.
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September 25th, 2009 at 6:41 pm (#)
For one to enter a voting booth, some-one I dont know . secretely and arbitrarily vote to place some-one I dont know over my life, with the power to take my property, with-out my consent, seems to me to be an immoral act on its surface. Where does any one get the right to place another over me ,a stranger over my life to take my property?
ANNE CLEVELAND
September 25th, 2009 at 8:46 pm (#)
There may have been a broader message than simply the numerical "one vote never decides anything." Rockwell is undoubtedly familiar with history and likely is aware of elections where "one vote" swung the victory to Jack Johnson over John Jackson.
It is possible that he may have been implying that the "one vote" never makes a difference once the candidate is elected. In the long view, governments have always gained more power, spent more money, and stolen more liberties than any previous iteration of same government.
Even with the introduction of beloved liberty-minded Republicans like Dr. Paul into the system, or libertarians of the past like Cleveland, nothing mattered, people were always poorer and less free than they were 20 years previously.
This is why voting does not matter: it's the granting of a monopoly on violence to an elite few and their unelected, unaccountable agents who in order to "better" perform their duties must seek more power and ill-gotten wealth.
September 28th, 2009 at 4:50 pm (#)
Anne, it's called government. Maybe you are new to this planet. Whithout it, we have Anarchy. I have seen that first hand. You don't want go there. Do us all a favor and crack a book on world history. Read up on Machiavelli. Look up words like "Magna Carta". After some reading you won't sound like a Baltimoron anymore!
September 28th, 2009 at 6:47 pm (#)
BUBBA__For one to pretend to debate with condescending remarks like, "maybe you are new to this planet" and name calling like, "Baltimoron,", displays very bad manners, poor up-bringing, and ignorance, in my opinion. "You say with-out it we have Anarchy". With the system now in place we have bondage and an absence of freedom. I oppose arnarchy and bondage. "crack a book" you say. I have probably read more books than you have ever seen, much less read. __Anne Cleveland__octogenariansblog.com____