• rand_alpha19@moist.catsweat.com
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    36
    ·
    2 days ago

    I think this post is alluding to the results of the US election and asserting that (at least part of) the reason is that many people decided not to vote.

    Related to people’s tendency to do nothing when faced with the need to opt in is the status quo bias—the tendency to do nothing when faced with making a decision.

    • Dragon Rider (drag)@lemmy.nzOP
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      22
      arrow-down
      9
      ·
      2 days ago

      Yes. Drag is also calling out the people who decided that voting for Harris is voting for genocide, but not voting at all means you get to be completely guilt free. Drag’s seeing a pretty heavy bias towards inaction there.

      Imagine if voting were compulsory, but there was a box on the ballot that says “I express no preference between the candidates and ask that my vote be counted as nil”. You wouldn’t hear the same rhetoric from people in a country where the decision is framed that way. Which is kind of the entire point of the textbook chapter drag is reading today; the framing of a choice influences people’s decisions.

      • Robust Mirror@aussie.zone
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        11
        ·
        2 days ago

        That’s how it is in Australia. There’s not literally a nil box, but voting is compulsory and once you turn up and have your name marked off you’re good to go, you can vote or just submit a blank paper which is essentially the same thing.