If you took away my right to vote, I wouldn't be surprised, nor do I believe I would be missing out on much.  Although we (maybe) control who's in office, we do not control their conduct, and there is little we can do to adhere politicians to their campaigned promises.  

I feel our control lies in what we consume,  Which products we choose to buy, and which services we pay for.  It's obvious, especially in recent years, that the view and values of the corporate elite protrude much farther than our reach in the political world.  What they want to do is whatever they want, without consequence.  They want to be recognized as individuals (so they have religious rights) but also be exempt from the loss an individual may face - like taxes, and other laws that may interfere with their ability to maximize profit.

Profits - that's what it's all about.   During the recession of 07 and 08, we were told that we need to spend more money.  "We need to consume more in order to save the economy. "   They told us that this is all our fault and that we need to be responsible for the economy's recovery, and they even told us what we owe individually.  For Americans it was about 50,000 per American citizen.  That's what it would cost to pay off the Federal Reserve.  Now I'm pretty sure that number has grown.  But either way, the point is, it's up to us to fix this shit. 

They are right in one aspect.  We can do something about this, but I wouldn't suggest fixing it the way they want us to by spending more.  Instead we should value the money we earn more highly, and make more conscious decisions surrounding our purchases.  For example: GMOs.   Genetically modified food has been a hot topic lately.  A lot of people talk about how the world's food supply is monopolized by Monsanto, and are therefore calling for Monsanto to make some changes to the way they treat both the farmers that grow for them, and those who would like to choose not to.  We have also petitioned to ensure the health and safety of those consuming their goods, and the overall environment (killing bees off with pesticides).    The pressure doesn't come from environment charities that want to save the bees.  It's not coming from people who have suffered illness due to GMO's in some way.  It's coming from a growing organics market.  People like you and me are looking for more options besides Monsanto product, and Monsanto is loosing customers and gaining an overwhelming sense of mistrust from the public.  It's not about whether GMOs are bad - it's about what people want.   If Monsanto would like to maintain their status and control of the industry, they need to adhere to public demand, and at least pretend to be listening to it.

Now, the problem is when a corporation like Monsanto (just an example) appeals to the government instead of their customers.  They would rather have laws made that facilitate their current conduct, than to have to change that conduct.  Using Monsanto as an example again - they have been ruining the lives of farmers who want to grow organically on an industrial scale.  They want to financially bury these farmers in legal fees and restrictions that benefit only Monsanto. They are using the money we gave them to take away our right to choose what we eat.  This is their way of competing in the market.   Instead of voting for a politician that promises to put a stop to that bullshit, our best course of action is to support these independent farmers by purchasing their products over Monsanto, giving them the financial means to continue growing organically. 

We need to have a right to choose which products to buy, and from which company to buy it from.  That is what was supposed to have sold us on the idea of capitalism, and what we believe is holding corporations responsible for ethical business practices.   If you allow companies to bully their competitors and limit our choices as consumers, they are then free to do as they will.  As long as people keep going to Walmart, they will continue to hand out pamphlets to their employees on how to apply for welfare and food stamps. You think it's cheaper to shop there, when really the local economy of every city that has a Walmart suffers as a result of paying for social assistance, and losing all potential revenue that ends up leaving their economy only to go directly into the bank accounts of the Walmart CEO's.  Saving a couple bucks doesn't make up for the cost the community pays - and it certainly shouldn't justify it.

If you want to vote for a candidate, you learn their platform.  The same awareness is needed when we vote through consumption.  We need to know how products are made available to us, and only support ethical practices (even if it costs a bit more).   Corporations are fighting to keep what they do a secret - or absolve themselves from fault when their companies are found to be profiting from human rights, animal, and environmental abuse. "We didn't own that sweat shop - our subcontractor did".  "There's plenty of gas refineries in the area, you can't prove that pollution came from us."  And that's only what some have tried using as valid arguments.  Some of what they do is so blatantly wrong, but they've changed and maintained laws that allow them to do it.   Most will argue "this is what we have to do in order to meet demand".... well why don't we just make it easier to fix by reducing that demand?  If they're going to blame us, we should answer that call.  If they aren't going to do anything different if they don't have to - let's create that need. 

Buyer beware - buyer be conscious - buyer think beyond yourself and realize what type of impact your purchase is making.  No it's not going to hurt anyone if 1 person shopped at walmart ... it's when you have a population where over 90 percent of people shop at Walmart does that make a negative impact.