Voting and a Lesson from Iran

Americans are admonished to vote, and not just when elections are upcoming.  The message often utilized to encourage Americans to vote is “Let your voice be heard,” or some such nonsense, as if one vote, more or less, is going to change the world.  While in theory, in a democratic society at least, one vote could demonstrably change the outcome of an election, I often ponder on the words, and ramifications of, “What if They Held an Election and Nobody Came?”

This came to mind this morning as I read a post at The Independent Institute titled Iran Watch: 50,000 Buses and One Million No Shows, in which we read the following.

Before the USSR collapsed, “smart” observers bet that the regime had broad support and the people only wanted reform. This was a theme of writers like Stephen Cohen and required reading during my graduate school education.

Similarly, outside observers assumed that nominally democratic Iran maintained broad support for the Islamic Republic. Sure, sure, college students and urban elites would demonstrate but the people outside the capitol were loyal to the regime. Then the disputed election, massive protests and yet . . . still observers wondered if the demonstrators—matched by counter-demonstrators—represented only the educated stratum…

The regime sent 50,000 buses across the country, offered free food and drink for the anniversary of Ayatollah Khomeini, and the turn out was abysmal (imagine one person per bus!). This “demonstration of silence” is more powerful than the clashes we witnessed a year ago. (bold by ed.)

This Iranian “demonstration of silence” is an excellent example of “massive, passive, civil disobedience,” which I touched on here, and which is much expanded on by Billy Beck here, and the “demonstration of silence” also lends credence to the words “What if they held an election and nobody came?”

Our going into the election booth and yanking levers has not advanced freedom for Americans, but has only resulted in either a slow down or acceleration of our loss of liberty.  Is there something to be learned from the Iranians “demonstration of silence” on a MASSIVE scale?

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