tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post3357764198039192760..comments2024-03-28T09:22:36.967+13:00Comments on Offsetting Behaviour: Contractarian non-votingEric Cramptonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15831696523324469713noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-13105205797501235582011-10-25T21:25:18.753+13:002011-10-25T21:25:18.753+13:00@Fnord: But if you're in a world where everyon...@Fnord: But if you're in a world where everyone agrees that the burglars are right to murder your daughter if you roll the dice, things are a bit different.<br /><br />@Lats: I had students email me a picture of a ballot they'd spoiled back in '08....<br /><br />@Wandering: Great example.Eric Cramptonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15831696523324469713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-44937516865952884862011-10-25T17:18:01.307+13:002011-10-25T17:18:01.307+13:00There's a similar example in "No Country ...There's a similar example in "No Country for Old Men" in which the villain offers potential murder victims a coin toss. Towards the end a woman refuses to take the coin, arguing that he cannot avoid or reduce his own guilt in this way - it is the murderer's choice, not a matter of chance, whether he murders her or not. We never find out whether he does it ...Wandering Albert Rossnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-74362009577940685462011-10-19T08:19:24.786+13:002011-10-19T08:19:24.786+13:00It occurs to me that one way of voting but avoidin...It occurs to me that one way of voting but avoiding the implied contractual consent would be to cast a spoiled vote. Add an extra box on the bottom of the form, label it No Confidence, Mickey Mouse, or whatever you want, and then tick it. It shows due disregard and contempt for the system in a way that at least someone might notice. I wonder if the folks at the Electoral Commission keep track of the number of spoiled ballot papers?Latsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-28435658145188375492011-10-19T01:18:32.105+13:002011-10-19T01:18:32.105+13:00I think that I came off as rather more flippant th...I think that I came off as rather more flippant than intended. My point was that you can't not participate in the state; taxes, if nothing else ARE compelled at gunpoint. So it seems like the Hail Mary condition is justified.<br /><br />Abstaining from rolling dice with the mad gunmen is costless, too, at least in the same sense as abstaining from voting.Fnordnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-81024978000747600572011-10-18T16:29:06.346+13:002011-10-18T16:29:06.346+13:00@Fnord: It's costless not to vote; it's no...@Fnord: It's costless not to vote; it's not costless to avoid paying taxes. So paying taxes can't reasonably be taken as assent. <br /><br />@Luis: Same in distinguishing between conscientious objectors to the draft and mere cowards, I suppose. Not agreeing with the rules doesn't stop somebody stealing my shirt, but keeps my hands clean of having assented to the theft. As the outcome is invariant to my having voted, why sanction the thief by participating?Eric Cramptonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15831696523324469713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-63180628535996095242011-10-18T15:51:15.949+13:002011-10-18T15:51:15.949+13:00Unless the reasons of people non-voting become ver...Unless the reasons of people non-voting become very popular, I can't see how any observer could distinguish between your "conscientious non-voting" and the more common "I don't care". Somewhat it seems to me that you are helping the person that wants to get your shirt, because not agreeing with the rules does not exclude you of playing the game.Luishttp://apiolaza.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-15716519280557872392011-10-18T15:14:41.265+13:002011-10-18T15:14:41.265+13:00And where are your clean hands on tax day? Of cour...And where are your clean hands on tax day? Of course, if you don't pay taxes, even the portion that go towards unjust policies, you'll be locked up yourself. So there's a gun if you're looking for it.<br /><br />Of course, I'm not a contractarian. The effect of my vote, minuscule as it is, is still likely to outweigh the persuasive effect of my non-vote (whether it outweighs the risk I'll accidentally kill someone driving to the polling place is another matter).Fnordnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-26812175504131634572011-10-18T09:10:01.187+13:002011-10-18T09:10:01.187+13:00I think the Hail Mary requires an actual gun to yo...I think the Hail Mary requires an actual gun to your head.Eric Cramptonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15831696523324469713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-26185000843257889072011-10-18T03:44:25.580+13:002011-10-18T03:44:25.580+13:00Thanks for the reply!
You seem to agree that in t...Thanks for the reply!<br /><br />You seem to agree that in the cases I've described, actual consent is not given. But when dissenting libertarians vote, are they not always either voting under a false impression of the probability of decisiveness (in which the Clean Hands Principle does not apply) or on a Hail Mary basis?Elihttp://elidourado.com/noreply@blogger.com