"Nobody for President"
I consider myself a politically-challenged and apathetic individual, quite simply for the reason that I have no faith in politics and never had.
Imagine my surprise when, as I was driving home from work two nights ago, I saw a large banner stretched across the highway that read:
"NOBODY FOR PRESIDENT".
People have simply lost faith and confidence in the democratic process. In fact, I would argue that the American voting system has never been entirely democratic. We only have the semblance of democracy. Furthermore, we are hypocrites. We say that we promote democracy in the world and then act otherwise, as evidenced in our domestic elections and our support (and successive dethroning, such as in the case of Saddam Hussein) of dictators and tyrants around the world.
It is perplexing. The problem for me is that there is no one that I could vote for with a clear conscience; similarly, I feel that I cannot NOT vote with a clear conscience, either.
I think the Dakota elder and medicine person said it best:
The world has no true leaders, right now. We have only the Great Spirit.
As much as I hate the thought of the totalitarianism of countries like Russia and Belarus, I do believe that Putin and "Batka" Lukashenko care about the fate of their countries and their people. In the case of our leaders in the US, however, I cannot say that. It is purely SELF INTEREST and GREED that motivates their actions. Nothing more, nothing less.
Where, oh where, have all the Gandhis gone...?
*gets off soapbox*
Imagine my surprise when, as I was driving home from work two nights ago, I saw a large banner stretched across the highway that read:
"NOBODY FOR PRESIDENT".
People have simply lost faith and confidence in the democratic process. In fact, I would argue that the American voting system has never been entirely democratic. We only have the semblance of democracy. Furthermore, we are hypocrites. We say that we promote democracy in the world and then act otherwise, as evidenced in our domestic elections and our support (and successive dethroning, such as in the case of Saddam Hussein) of dictators and tyrants around the world.
It is perplexing. The problem for me is that there is no one that I could vote for with a clear conscience; similarly, I feel that I cannot NOT vote with a clear conscience, either.
I think the Dakota elder and medicine person said it best:
The world has no true leaders, right now. We have only the Great Spirit.
As much as I hate the thought of the totalitarianism of countries like Russia and Belarus, I do believe that Putin and "Batka" Lukashenko care about the fate of their countries and their people. In the case of our leaders in the US, however, I cannot say that. It is purely SELF INTEREST and GREED that motivates their actions. Nothing more, nothing less.
Where, oh where, have all the Gandhis gone...?
*gets off soapbox*