Undoubtedly, tyranny will increase under either a Trump or a Clinton administration. It is unavoidable but in a somewhat curious twist, the increase will not necessarily be a function of the policies of either candidate. It is simply the result of a process that has been ongoing for many political cycles. However, this time we may well be facing a single paradigm shift greater than all of the others that have come before. History may well look back and record that all elections up to 2016 were but the presage to the actual earthquake.

While it is far from a representative or even a statistically valid sample, casual observation indicates there are many who are so disappointed and disgusted with the political process that they are simply “going Galt” and are content to withdraw from the field of battle. That is not to say that they are following the character of Ayn Rand’s book and retreating to a valley to live with like-minded objectivists, they are simply recoiling from a social and political environment that is increasingly harsh and hypocritically intolerant of their core values and beliefs. It is becoming substantially more difficult to live a life dedicated to liberty as the grievance and pressure groups gain control over society and government and begin to dictate their brand of secular relativist and statist religion to the majority of America.

Some have taken the position that they simply cannot vote for the candidate of either party for ethical or philosophical reasons and to that I say, “I understand, my brothers and sisters. I too am distraught beyond comprehension.” I will not try to make the case that Bernie supporters should throw away their core beliefs and vote for Clinton or that Cruz supporters should likewise vote for Trump. What I can do is to make a case for reality. There will be an election, votes will be counted, there will be a winner and that winner will be inaugurated to the office. That individual may or may not stay true to his or her campaign promises and party planks, that remains to be seen. Even if the election gets thrown to Congress (with the House choosing the President and the Senate choosing the Vice President) and barring an armed insurrection, there will be a new administration on Friday, January 20, 2017. That is a fact, Jack.

Not voting guarantees that the declining cycle of political choice will only continue. Commonly known as the  “tyranny of the minority”, we are increasingly subject to something known as minoritarianism. Minoritarianism is a neologism for a political structure or process in which a minority segment of a population attains a certain degree of primacy and power over the decision making process of that particular entity. Want to know why the LGBT or #blacklivesmatter have so much power these days? This is why.

We have no minimum vote tally requirement for a valid election, there is no national quorum standard. The electoral college cares not at all about how many people vote, only how they do and the smaller the pool of voters become, the greater electoral influence small, determined and cohesive groups will have and therein lies the fallacy of disengagement (I don’t like either major candidate, so I’m not voting) as an effective political strategy. It may well be a valid individual ethical and philosophical position to not choose but it ignores reality because no matter how many fingers plug the dike; in a representative republic the country is ruled by a majority of the minority who do vote. Choosing not to choose is a choice.

To me, this is a choice between the cruelty of a managed decline under a Democrat administration supported by a party that has constantly and consistently proven that they will do anything, say anything and give anything to achieve their goals or a fighting chance under a neo-Republican with progressive leanings. They are both given to authoritarianism but the Democrats are petit communists and like their full grown parents, believe there is literally nothing that can’t be done as long as it serves their ideas of a “higher truth” and a Utopian “greater good”. At least the neo-Republicans nominally believe in some classical liberal positions.

I look at it this way – there are two possibilities. The first is that if I satisfy my own ethical and philosophical needs and go Galt this year and every year after, I will be party to vesting the known cruelty of the progressive Democrats on myself as well as my family and fellow citizens. The second is that I do comprise my positions and work to at least prevent some of the pain, perhaps even retain a fighting chance in the future.

I believe in three things:

• Do no harm.
• Do good whenever you can.
• Treat others with the same degree of respect with which you expect to be treated.

If I stay true to these three precepts, I must vote against the greatest danger we face and if that means for voting for a candidate I would otherwise never choose on my own, so be it.