"The saddest thing is that despite centuries of evidence, so many people hold voting as some holy ritual, some magic rite."

Living Freedom » Blog Archive » Responsibilities of a resident of the police state, part III:

"...You can vote out all the rascals in the world, but you’re still stuck with a system that attracts rascals and bullies and corrupts the rare good people who dare enter it.

The saddest thing is that despite centuries of evidence, so many people hold voting as some holy ritual, some magic rite. “If enough people would just vote, all would be well.” When it doesn’t work, it’s because the people failed to vote diligently enough.

No, that’s not the saddest thing. The saddest thing is that so many have been conditioned to believe that our only choices are the two “Vs” — a) voting or b) violence. “We must make the magic rite of voting work. If we can’t, blood will run in the streets.”

Now that’s a heck of a choice.

Is the universe really that limited? Nonsense!"

The classic voting bit from Warren Ellis' 'Transmetropolitan.'