My fellow Americans (apologies to readers from other countries, both for this US-centric post and any negative effects our policies have on you), it's election day. Are you sick of the Republicrats and Demopublicans and all their jockeying for position? Are you ready to throw out the incumbents and usher in the next wave of do nothings? Are you sensing my utter cynicism with the process? Good! You must be very astute!
Well, cynic or not I'm going to vote and I urge you to do the same. Is it because I think there is a snowball's chance in hell that it will matter or count for meaningful change? Nope. Is it because I think there are some fantastic candidates out there who are people of integrity and who want to make a difference? Nope (though I will allow that perhaps there is some viable candidate somewhere who may be). Then why?
I plan to vote because it's my right and my responsibility. There are people all over this planet who will never have the opportunity and I need to realize that I am very fortunate indeed to be able to have the chance. That's the upstanding, idealist, patriotic argument. Though I do buy it I am also so completely disgusted by the partisan crap, fear-mongering, and inflammatory speech masquerading as debate that I can't find a single viable candidate who I think amounts to more than a bucket of spit. In fact, given a choice between most of them and a bucket of spit I might go for the salivary output.
The the question remains. Why am I voting? I am voting because it's my duty and if I don't then I give up my right to complain about the job they do until the next election. At the very least I need that right!
Ok, two ranting posts in a row (though I hope you realize I'm really not such a curmudgeon). Tomorrow I promise a non-ranting post.
23 comments:
Right! You aren't allowed to complain about your government if you aren't doing your part in the election process.
Sure, maybe there will never be a candidate you believe in, or one you do that has a chance of winning, but if you at least TRIED to make a difference, you're validated to bitch about it.
I feel very much the same way. If I get one more political phone call on my answering machine I'm going to smash it to pieces. Ugh.
Still, I'm voting. Because it is a privilege, a right, and my duty.
hehe I said duty. ;)
Totally agree about the right to vote and the lack of right to complain if you don't. Good rant.
Right On Sista!!!
Only reason I vote is for that right to complain about the job done by whomeever...
Amen. And rant away, Sista! (You've noticed more than a few rants over at my place, I'm sure)
Yep. I'll be over at my local middle school probably around 10-ish to cast my own meaningless votes. Nothing I vote for ever passes; no one I vote for ever wins. Hmmmm? Maybe if I.... No, can't risk that , either.
And you're absolutely right. We really seem to have reached a point where all we can do is vote against, not really much to vote for. Not for me anyway.
It is funny, though, how the BS factor increases with distance. The more local something is, the more it makes some sense, even if it doesn't. My mayoral and gubernatorial candidates are both former Republicans, now running as Independents mostly because the Republican brand is pure poison up here. Yet I, an admitted socialist (a real one), can get behind them.
I mean, the mayor has done fine last term. Why throw people out before they've learned the job. I think the ex-R would make a decent governor, too. Strangely, he thinks we need to raise taxes a bit. Not very R-ish, but sensible.
Not only that, I've actually met them. And I run into the mayor with some regularity at soccer games &c. On the local level, the labels are almost meaningless, more a formality than anything else.
Then, the closer you get to Washington, the loopier they get. God help us.
Don't even get me started on Citizens United and the consequent relentless phone calls. Grrrr.
Happy Election Day.
I live in one of the most corrupt counties in America, so I feel the exact same way.
We do absentee ballots now, so I voted a few weeks ago.
I'm mainly to the point where I'm voting against, rather than for ("Nope; go back and try again"). Even the 'good' candidates (such as they are) have inevitably disappointed me (with perhaps a very few exceptions), in one way or another, since that fateful November in '74 when I cast my first vote. . .
But, in a fallen world, with fallen humans running the show, that's pretty much what you'd expect, isn't it? Who was it that said, "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely"?
I like it when you rant.
And it's no better up here in Canada. And if there's truly no one you can vote fore, just vote for them all - that way none of them will be jealous. Canceling your vote at least makes a statement.
- Jazz
I'm voting today... then I'd don't want to hear another sour note commercial for a long, long time (I hope).
I'll gladly listen to you rant all day.
Having said that, there is a great American institution known as 'The Write-In Vote'. If there's nobody listed on the ballot for whom you can cast a vote with good conscience, then you can always vote for the most worthy person in your universe - YOURSELF. I mean, if you don't believe that you're worth a vote, then you shouldn't be voting, IMHO.
And, having said that, I'll defend those who run, no matter how reprehensible they may at first appear. It takes a lot of time, effort, and GUTS to run for political office. I've done it, so I know. It's one of the most wearying and thankless things you can do in life - especially if you're not elected, as was the case for me. If you don't like who is running, then perhaps you might consider throwing your own hat into the ring next time out.
Fine. I'll be the voice of dissent. I'm not voting. I don't buy into the "if you don't vote don't complain" bs as that was generated by politicians in the first place. It is just a way to make sure the docile masses keep in line and follow orders.
Voting has become a pointless exercise, and I am not speaking solely of the presidential race where popular votes have NO sway even in a contested ...um...contest. Bush and Gore proved that out. The idea of "throw the bums out to bring in new ones" does not send a message either as they are all corrupt to one degree or another and a trip to Washington increases their corruptability rather than solves any issues.
As for 'campaigning', i've put a bit of effort into watching what has been going on the in House and Senate recently (as anyone who reads my rambling nonsense will attest) and have found it fascinating to hear the out and out lies of the campaign ads this season. It goes way beyond "spin" (the political and media term for lying) and dives into propoganda the likes of which has not been seen since the cold war in russia or nazi germany.
Here is a quote that more elegantly reflects the status quo:
"All the beliefs, habits, tastes, emotions, mental attitudes that characterize our time are really designed to sustain the mystique of the [government] and prevent the true nature of present-day society from being perceived. Physical rebellion, or any preliminary move toward rebellion, is at present not possible. From the [middle class] nothing is to be feared. Left to themselves, they will continue from generation to generation and from century to century working, breeding and dying, not only without an impulse to rebel, but without the power of grasping that the world could be other than it is."
Our elected officials are counting on this.
Oh, the source of the quote? 1949 - George Orwell 1984.
If the bailout did not convince you that the corporate world is in control, I don't know what will...
sorry for the ramble, lime...
I vote, for all the good it does.
This time though, I got to vote for someone I know and like, in fact, two of them!
Call me a starry-eyed optimist if you will but, as I've one child studying the 1700s and another studying ancient civilizations, I have to say that I am feeling genuinely idealistic.
Coopernicus - You certainly have every right to not vote, but you leave one huge question unanswered: What else would you do to possibly change the situation you find so deplorable?
In the end, the vote is the best legal tool we currently have. If you want to talk about fomenting rebellion, I'll listen. I'm not utterly against anarchy, either. But, barring bombs and such, political organization and voting are the current best options, IMHO.
Good for you! This election day has snuck up on me without an absentee ballot....I'm still wondering what happened. I signed up for it, but I'm afraid it got lost somewhere in some strange postal dimension between the U.S. and Spain.
ranting is good, i do it on my blog from time to time. it gets it out of my head where it then swells to enormous porportions and then my hat no longer fits on my head!! it gets quite bulbous if i don't rant a bit. great rant by the way and yes i voted first thing this morning!!
I vote. I do it mainly for the stickers. ;-)
It will be SO good to stop getting trash in the mailbox. It is such a waste to mail a bunch of paper that does not really say anything worthwhile. Why do they do the phone calls? Does anyone become convinced by a telemarketing type recording while trying to have a nice dinner with the family? Not me.
Rant away, Lime. You have said what many of us are thinking.
Voting may not produce much change, but I have ZERO patience for those who don't vote and then bitch about how the country is doing.
Thanks for sharing this. I don't get to hear much about this in little, ole NZ.
Thank you!! I think that we influence our politician, if only minutely with our votes.
I wish we could vote for the media too because I want to vote out all this hashing and rehashing of the coming election!
I dragged myself to the polls yesterday, but I too am so sick of the empty negativity.
Well, I voted last night, and they didn't have any "I voted" stickers. They suggested that if I wanted stickers I should give blood. :-P
Politicians: You can't live with e'm and you can't live without e'm! Never mind, go ahead and vote anyway Michelle. One can always fantacise about a brighter future. - Dave
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