Le_Gros_Jambon

In the end, we're on the same side. Perhaps you'll join me one day if ever that disillusionment takes greater hold. In the meantime, more power to you and I hope you get what you want from your candidates. Cynicism is a horrible thing, but I tend to think it's an inevitable outcome when you engage with this bullshit for long enough.

while they may not actually push anything forward, they at least won’t try to move backwards.

That's exactly what I mean though. Is that all my "voice" is meant to accomplish? I think people are vastly overstating the power of their "voice" if our best hope is that the next puppet won't completely lie to us and won't actively disrupt our interests.

The parties count of us continuing to vote and legitimize their rule... if everyone opted out, the system might even be exposed for the oligarchy it really is. I don't know for sure, but it seems better than continuing with the status quo, voting for people who don't care about us in the hopes they will be gentle when they rape us.

The best way to make sure your voice isn’t heard is not not vote.

What you're essentially saying is my "voice" collapses to a meaningless binary choice between different groups that couldn't care less about me or my interests. Nothing more. What is my "voice" really saying then? Not much. A parrot has a voice too, but like with my vote that voice isn't really saying anything.

Worse, if I feel neither candidate is worthy, I must resort to supporting one of them or risk being branded "lazy" or "cynical". That's no choice at all.

Every few years, we get the same bit about how this-or-that politician is different and will change things. Yet here we are, even more fucked than ever.

Anyway, in the end I simply do not understand why more people aren't angry and disillusioned about what our political system has done to our country and its future.

If by "opt out" you mean "end yourself" then please call 1-800-273-8255, the national suicide hotline. It can and will get better for you, and there's definitely a better way.

Making light of suicide isn't funny. You're either an idiot or an asshole, can't decide.