history
Civic Duty
by Mark Boudreau
Tue 05 Nov 2002 19:52:03
Has everyone voted? Has everyone been as bummed by the choices they have been given on the ballot? Am I just unusually pessimistic and cynical or are elections really that bad these days?
The two main parties are accusing each other of some really nasty tricks. It looks like there are going to be lawsuits deciding some of the closer elections.
Then, I have the bad feeling that no matter what party has control of federal or state government, the bureacracy is so messed up that it will make little difference for the citizens.
Can anyone turn my frown upside down and help me see a light at the end of the tunnel?
comments
anders pearson - Tue 05 Nov 2002 19:53:03
unfortunately, my conclusion is that everything sucks.
our voting system is possibly the worst system we could have come up with.
if that weren't enough, political activists are using misinformation and some really sleazy propaganda to skew things even further. like the flier that was distributed in poor, primarily black neighborhoods in baltimore warning that you have to have paid any outstanding parking tickets, overdue rent, etc. before you can vote (they even give the wrong date, just in case anyone reading it still felt like voting). it's the most disgusting thing i've seen since the last time i looked at dubya's smug little face.
it's abundantly clear that our entire democratic system has lost relevence. our government no longer represents the people, it represents the corporations with money.
my only lasting hope is that soon someone will come up with cheap space travel and i can gather some friends and go colonize another planet. i have no real desire left to stay on this one.
in the meantime, i'd appreciate it if someone would get me a good job in sweden or some other place where i can at least know that my taxes aren't being spent on weapons being used to kill people to protect oil companies and their corrupt executives.
lani - Tue 05 Nov 2002 19:54:03
they gave me a tootsie pop. i really had to fight apathy last night because i live in the district. i did vote for the green party for shadow reps and senator, because i'm secretly hoping that one of them will trip another congressman or something.
kurtis - Tue 05 Nov 2002 19:55:03
Politics is quite stupid ... right along with society. Humans, as a species, do ok in groups up to as large as small tribes (a few hundred perhaps) ... but I think on the instinctual level we are simply too opportunistic to every truly fit the expansive society model. We are all too individualistic ... we need to be more hive-minded. Therefore politics makes no sense, because you are trying to manage a damaged system. Vote for whoever you want it wont matter. Once they get in office they have no more power than you or I to change anything.
Mark Boudreau - Tue 05 Nov 2002 19:56:03
Personally, I wish we were more individualistic. Maybe then we wouldn't be so quick to give away freedom and power to the State.
shrug