20 October 2006

Be Irrational - Vote as if You Make a Difference

Living in California, voting is a part time job. And the ugly secret that they never tell you in high school civics class? The odds of your vote being the deciding vote are actually lower than the odds of winning the lottery. That means that gradually, only the irrational will vote - which probably explains a great deal about election results.

A little tidbit. The Nazis rose to power in part because of the political turmoil after World War One led to frequent elections. Eventually, turnout dropped to the point that the extremists were able to take the election. Heil Hitler wasn't a song on the lips of a majority of Germans - just a majority of the voters who were persistent.

So, what's the moral of the story? Persevere. In politics, short-term irrational actions are eventually made rational. Don't let the extremists be the ones to steer this ship of state.

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