I don't vote because because the very foundations that make democracy work no longer exist in this country. I believe in the idea of consensus-based democracy, where everybody can have their interests reflected by one government. On the other hand, I do not believe in the majority-rule democracy we have in the UK where society is comprised of various competing interest groups and the largest gets to impose its will on everybody else, even if it is to their detriment.

An example of this would be the recent benefit cuts - because the employed pay for the unemployed, the two have warring interests. This means that the government can only act in the interests of one when it acts against the interests of another (in the immediate sense at least - there is of course scope for longer-term economic reform). Because the employed are a majority, the government acts in their interests and as a result we get the benefit cuts and force a million people into food banks. That's an example of democracy in action being little short of evil. And as for the argument below:

Quote Originally Posted by Philipvs Vallindervs Calicvla View Post
If you don't vote you abdicate the right to complain about the result.
I would say the exact opposite is true. If you participate in the system, then you are assenting to it and showing that in your eyes it is legitimate. If you vote, you are saying that you accept the so-called 'democratic' process, and thus lose any right to complain about the result.

Now this doesn't mean I don't have any sense of civic duty. I do try to do my bit for society and in particular the more vulnerable in society, I just do not believe that the democratic process in any use in this regard. I prefer more grassroots action, eg. working with various civic/cultural organisations, helping aid projects, distributing Gospel tracts, etc.