Episode 158. Why Vote?
In this episode of the Forge of Freedom podcast, host Alex Ooley discusses the complexities surrounding the duty to vote, the perceived importance of individual votes, and how to maintain mental health during election season. He critiques the tribalistic nature of political discourse and emphasizes the need for self-reflection and community engagement over national politics. Ooley also shares insights from two articles: one questioning the impact of individual votes and another offering strategies for navigating the stress of election season.
Resources
Why Vote? | Mises Institute
https://mises.org/mises-daily/why-vote
How to Get Through an Election Without Losing Your Mind - Intellectual Takeout
https://intellectualtakeout.org/2024/09/get-through-an-election-without-losing-your-mind/
Episode 40. Are We Good Enough for Liberty? by Lawrence Reed – The Forge of Freedom
https://forgeoffreedom.com/episode-40-are-we-good-enough-for-liberty-by-lawrence-reed/
Why Mandatory Voting Would Make Democracy Worse, Not Better
https://fee.org/articles/why-mandatory-voting-would-make-democracy-worse-not-better/
Voting and Politics | Mises Institute
https://mises.org/podcasts/individual-interview/voting-and-politics
Rothbard on Voting | Mises Institute
https://mises.org/mises-wire/rothbard-voting
On Voting | Mises Institute
https://mises.org/mises-wire/voting
When Ignorance Isn't Bliss: How Political Ignorance Threatens Democracy | Cato Institute
https://www.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/pubs/pdf/pa525.pdf
Why (Most) Political Ignorance is Rational and Why it Matters: Reply to Jeffrey Friedman | Cato Unbound
When Ignorance Isn't Bliss: How Political Ignorance Threatens Democracy | Libertarianism.org
Ilya Somin, Democracy and political ignorance: why smaller government is smarter | Public Choice
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11127-014-0172-4
Takeaways
Voting has become a cult of the state, pushing people into tribalism.
The chance of a single vote affecting an election is extremely low.
Voting can be seen as a moral imperative, but this argument is flawed.
Local elections matter more than national ones in terms of individual influence.
Mental health is crucial during election season; consider unplugging from news.
Focus on personal values and community rather than national politics.
Fear tactics are often used by media and politicians to manipulate voters.
Self-improvement and character development can lead to
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!