Great little video featuring economist Gordon Tullock on why your vote doesn’t matter.  As my friend Terrence Watson said, “If you want to make a difference in the world instead of voting, make sandwiches for homeless people.”

As the election draws ever nearer, I thought I’d offer a post with some links to some articles and quotes that help put elections in perspective.

Should you vote for the “lesser of two evils”? - great article by the late Leonard Read

Lorna Doone and the 2008 Election - on why it’s sad that who wins has to matter

Shut up and vote! - on why voter encouragement is stupid

The Election Doesn’t Matter - on why there are better ways to fight for freedom (probably not for statism though)

The Four Boneheaded Biases of Stupid Voters - by Bryan Caplan on why voters make bad decisions

Stopy Worrying About the Election - on how you can always be free, regardless of who’s in power

Some quotes:

“I am really sorry to see my Countrymen trouble themselves about Politics. If Men were Wise the Most arbitrary Princes could not hurt them. If they are not Wise the Freest Government is compelled to be a Tyranny. Princes appear to me to be Fools. Houses of Commons & Houses of Lords appear to me to be fools, they seem to me to be something Else besides Human Life.” - William Blake

“I do not believe that the solution to our problem is simply to elect the right people. The important thing is to establish a political climate of opinion which will make it politically profitable for the wrong people to do the right thing. Unless it is politically profitable for the wrong people to do the right thing, the right people will not do the right thing either, or if they try, they will shortly be out of office.” - Milton Friedman

“Under democracy one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule - and both commonly succeed, and are right.” - H.L. Mencken

“And now that the legislators and do-gooders have so futilely inflicted so many systems upon society, may they finally end where they should have begun: May they reject all systems, and try liberty; for liberty is an acknowledgment of faith in God and His works.” - Frederic Bastiat

“An election is nothing more than the advanced auction of stolen goods” - Ambrose Bierce

“Aristotle said that some people were only fit to be slaves. I do not contradict him. But I reject slavery because I see no men fit to be masters.” - C.S. Lewis

“Free election of masters does not abolish the masters or the slaves.” - Herbert Marcuse

“An election is coming. Universal peace is declared and the foxes have a sincere interest in prolonging the lives of the poultry.” - T.S. Eliot

“Sed quis custodiet ipsos custodes?” - Juvenal

Great letter to the editor of the Washington Post by Don Boudreaux:

Dear Editor:

We’re supposed to be inspired by your report of high-school kids becoming politically active - working, in one case, for the Obama campaign, and in another for the McCain campaign (”Too Young to Vote, But Electing to Care,” October 28).

I’m not inspired; I’m saddened.  Why applaud young people who are attracted to the opportunistic compromises, platitudes, distortions, and exaggerations of party politics?  These kids either lack the maturity to understand that party politics is chiefly about winning office (rather than about pursuing truth and justice), or they DO understand this fact.  In neither case is this juvenile political involvement admirable.

I agree.  I was watching some fluff story (aren’t they all?) on one of the network news morning shows about polling grade school kids on their presidential choices, and all the cute little things kids are doing to support their candidate.  It made me feel sick.  But not as sick as this video.  Why, as a parent, would you ever encourage hero-worship of a politician?  Their sole function is to take things from some people and give things to other people, and try to explain themselves in a way that makes the greatest number of people like them.  Sick.

Joe is a hero because he’s an outlaw.  He is (horror!) practicing his personal liberty to offer plumbing services without groveling at the feet of some state board of plumbing.  I also heard that he’s not registered to vote, to which some radio commentator acted offended that he dare to question a candidate if he’s not interested in politics enough to vote.  I think Joe has good reason to ignore politics.  No politicians from any party is going to help Joe achieve his dreams; he’s gotta do that on his own, hoping governments at all levels will simply leave him alone.  Oh that he were as fortunate.

(Here’s an article about how dumb non-voluntary professional licensing is, and who it’s really for).

John Stossel hit it out of the park with his special for 20/20 Friday night called, “Stossel’s politically incorect guide to politics”.  He covered spontaneous order, farm subsidies, campaign finance laws and much more.  Here’s part 1, and I recommend when you have a chance to watch the entire thing.