It is typical for politicians and political activists to make general calls for everyone to make sure that they vote, and that democracy was fought for by our forefathers etc etc, so it is really important everyone votes.
I disagree.
New Zealand has a political freedom Australians don’t have. It’s not compulsory to vote. This in itself is quite precious. I have already indicated that there are several electorates where I don’t think there is a single candidate standing who either supports my point of view or is even better than the worst ones on the ballot paper. I don’t subscribe to the “don’t vote, it only encourages the bastards” view entirely, but in some cases it is true. It would be telling if the turnout in some electorates was so low (e.g. Nelson) that the mandate for the winning candidate would be questionable.
You see I don’t have a high regard for democracy per se (although I support it as a way of choosing politicians), I don’t value your vote if you are opposed to what I support. Obviously if you want to vote Libertarianz, ACT (excluding candidates who are anti-freedom) or Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party, then get off your arses and do so. Freedom isn’t free you know. However, the rest of you I'm indifferent about who you vote for. I didn't notice much difference with John Key replacing Helen Clark, except Helen Clark actually believed in telling us all what to do.
If you disagree with me, I don’t want you to turn out to tick Labour, Greens, Mana, Maori or whatever else that endorses initiating more force against me and other New Zealanders, spending more of my money or borrowing more in my name. If you wondering whether to bother going out to vote for one of those parties then don’t bother getting dressed, just lie in bed. In fact, make sure you drink very very heavily on Friday night, have a great time. Alcohol will improve your judgment. In fact by lying in bed and being unproductive you’ll be endorsing in your own way the philosophy of the parties on the left, who celebrate the actions of those who are least active, least productive and least successful, whilst demanding the greatest effort, time, money and dedication from the most able, active and successful. That's why the fact 200,000 of you can't be arsed to be enrolled, doesn't bother me, their opinions don't interest me, since they are uninterested.
So if you don’t know whether to bother voting and if you’d bother you’d vote for any party other than Libertarianz, ACT or the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party, then stop stressing.
Don’t vote.
That leaves two categories of voters left. The completely apathetic (those who are uninterested) and those who want to vote, but have absolutely no idea who to vote for.
To the apathetic, by whom I mean those who don’t care about what happens, not those who are philosophically anarchists and reject elected democracy. I presume you’re going to leave your home sometime today. Think a little about this. Around 40% of all of the activities in New Zealand are undertaken by government. You pay for that. Your income and everything you buy helps to pay for it. Government tells you what to do and what you shouldn’t do, and you apparently don’t give a damn what it does to you or anyone else. Maybe the government does a lot for you, maybe it houses you, provides you money to feed and clothe you, maybe it pays for your kids’ education, maybe it pays for when you go into A&E after you’ve had a silly accident. If you don’t give a damn, then maybe you are the sort of person for whom some politicians dream of – the person who wants to be looked after, told what to do, told what to think, paid other people’s money and to be entirely reliant on others. Like a child, free to play and indulge your whims, whilst other people parent you – except your parent is the government. If that is you, you’re pathetic. You can’t be bothered to even choose the party who will be your new surrogate parents and rule makers. You don’t care what happens to all those services you depend upon. You may as well not have grown up. You don’t deserve to be a parent because you can’t even look after yourself. You don’t deserve a driving licence because you can’t be trusted to know where to go, or to make decisions on your own. In fact, why doesn’t someone else do your shopping?
Does that get your attention?
Well if you disagree with me. If you insist I have painted you wrong, then prove me wrong. Vote for a party that doesn’t believe adults should be dependent on the state, which believes that adults can run their own lives, keep the proceeds of their labours and efforts, and deal with others on the basis of voluntary interaction. Prove to yourself, your kids and others that you don’t want to be seen as needing looked after in some patronising way by John Key, Phil Goff or the Norman Turei Group.
Forget the electorate vote if you can’t decide, but vote Libertarianz.
To those who don’t know who to vote for, then ask yourself this. In your day to day life do you feel like you’re competent enough to decide how to spend your own money, how to live your life, who to interact with, on what terms and to choose who you help, who you ask for help from and what to put into your body? Do you like politicians borrowing money on your behalf to pay for things you didn’t ask for? Do you like politicians deeming certain groups or companies to have extra privileges in consultation, or in getting taxpayers’ money? Do you think your life is better off with politicians doing more for you and asking more of you, than if they did less and expected less from you in return? Do you believe you own your life and you find most politicians to be patronising, insulting, lying and concealing bastards?
If so, there are three parties on the ballot in this election for the party vote that believe in less government. If all that matters to you is legalising cannabis, then the choice is obvious. If it is about more, then you have two choices. Each has an advantage and a disadvantage.
Vote Libertarianz if you want to support a principled and consistent stand for less government, more freedom across all spheres of life, and to advocate less taxation, less regulation, the right to private property, the right to self defence, a small racially colourblind government, and to support all adult interaction becoming voluntary.
However, voting Libertarianz has one obvious disadvantage. We all know that given current polling, there is very little chance Libertarianz votes will result in a Libertarianz MP getting elected. As a result, many libertarians will vote for the alternative. ACT.
The sole advantage of ACT is that it has a reasonable chance of electing MPs, although it is dependent on the very not libertarian John Banks being elected in Epsom. Herein lies the disadvantage. You can vote for ACT on the basis of supporting Don Brash and his own, personal, belief in more freedom and less government, and because some of the ACT list also endorse this. However, you will do so knowing ACT is not as consistent in its policies as Libertarianz and it carries John Banks with it, knowing he is the key to ACT being in Parliament. Up to you if you think John Banks will be a reliable carrier of the banner of less government, more freedom and fiscal prudence. I don't, but others whose views I give credence to think it is a price worth taking a risk for.
So that’s it.
Vote Libertarianz, ACT or ALCP for your party vote, knowing full well one of those parties has the strongest chance of getting elected, but the price of that is its dependence on a socially conservative fiscally profligate ex. National Party MP. My own distant hope is Don Brash suddenly picks up North Shore, rendering the Epsom silliness redundant.
If you’re not voting for any of them, then maybe get drunk this Friday night and stay in bed all day Saturday. You’ll be doing millions of New Zealanders the world of good in your own small way.
I don't believe people should be forced to vote, or feel they have to vote, when they don't have a clue what to do, or what it is all about. They have that right, and frankly such people are less of a threat to me and others than the enthusiastic handmaidens of the statists who are hustling hundreds of thousands in fervent joy to vote for people who will tell them what to do. Airheads who don't vote are a lot safer than airheads who do.
