Random political thoughts - American voters
Shame on you people. Shame on you for being so enthralled with the election process now, but remaining completely oblivious to politics the other 3.5 years of the cycle. Perhaps, it's the side effect of relative stability that this country enjoyed for the last 20-30 years, but I think it's time to realize that stability is no more!
For a nation that thrives itself on democracy, perhaps not fully understanding the concept, but enough to feel the need and the ability to arbitrate the level of such in other countries, US is strangely hypocritical. The main premise of democracy is simply: one person - one vote. An idea simple and understandable, but somehow completely bypassed in the "democratic" election of the "democratic" president of the most "democratic" country in the world.
Pardon the sarcasm, but it seems laughable to me that millions of people's votes simply will NOT count. I understand the history of the Electoral College, and I can even appreciate its significance in the United States of XIIX-XIX century (which, by the way was never designed to be a democratic country to begin with, but that's a whole other subject), but to think that it has place in the modern world of politics is simply absurd. Here is the sad part -- the vast majority of the population agrees. So why is it still here? The country that prides itself (duly) on bringing innovation to the political make-up of the world, is displaying conservatism bordering on idiocy when it comes its Constitution, which in many cases, is ridiculously outdated. Electoral College is just one, although very notable, example of this. I can understand politicians not being too eager to change the system. Current state of things gives them ability to better judge their campaign spending, by not going after "locked" states. But what about the voting public?!
How can you be okay with the fact that your vote means close to nothing? If you live in Illinois, California, New York, etc... and vote Republican - your vote means NOTHING. And vice versa. The really apprehensive part is the lack of trying. There are mechanisms in place to get this changed without the initiative coming from Congress (I think it's safe to assume by now, that they don't want it changed), but no one seems interested. Can you imagine this kind of complacency during the emancipation movement? Or displayed by MLK and Malcolm X? Probably not.
P.S. For those of you who don't view this as a a big deal... If Electoral College was dissolved 10 years ago, Bush would not be president, and you would be looking at a much different America right now.
For a nation that thrives itself on democracy, perhaps not fully understanding the concept, but enough to feel the need and the ability to arbitrate the level of such in other countries, US is strangely hypocritical. The main premise of democracy is simply: one person - one vote. An idea simple and understandable, but somehow completely bypassed in the "democratic" election of the "democratic" president of the most "democratic" country in the world.
Pardon the sarcasm, but it seems laughable to me that millions of people's votes simply will NOT count. I understand the history of the Electoral College, and I can even appreciate its significance in the United States of XIIX-XIX century (which, by the way was never designed to be a democratic country to begin with, but that's a whole other subject), but to think that it has place in the modern world of politics is simply absurd. Here is the sad part -- the vast majority of the population agrees. So why is it still here? The country that prides itself (duly) on bringing innovation to the political make-up of the world, is displaying conservatism bordering on idiocy when it comes its Constitution, which in many cases, is ridiculously outdated. Electoral College is just one, although very notable, example of this. I can understand politicians not being too eager to change the system. Current state of things gives them ability to better judge their campaign spending, by not going after "locked" states. But what about the voting public?!
How can you be okay with the fact that your vote means close to nothing? If you live in Illinois, California, New York, etc... and vote Republican - your vote means NOTHING. And vice versa. The really apprehensive part is the lack of trying. There are mechanisms in place to get this changed without the initiative coming from Congress (I think it's safe to assume by now, that they don't want it changed), but no one seems interested. Can you imagine this kind of complacency during the emancipation movement? Or displayed by MLK and Malcolm X? Probably not.
P.S. For those of you who don't view this as a a big deal... If Electoral College was dissolved 10 years ago, Bush would not be president, and you would be looking at a much different America right now.