Choosing between the evils: 2008 Election
Forethought: I know that it’s a touchy subject to discuss politics amongst friends, but I feel that anybody who bothers to read this is will be open minded enough to know that it’s not a personal attack against anybody’s political beliefs. I trust that everyone reading this is intelligent and compassionate enough to make the best choice for themselves; I wouldn’t expect anything less from the people on my friends list after all. Also, this is not meant to be the beginning of an argument, if I cared enough for it to be I would have written a 50 page essay including various facts and statistics, but I don’t. Also if you are going to crucify me, wait till the end.
I’m not a Democrat and I’m sure as hell not a Republican. As far as I’m concerned republicans are wolves, and democrats are wolves in sheep’s clothing. If any of you know me, you understand enough about my political inclinations to understand the direction that this post will be taking without obsessing over what my ideology might be. If you don’t know, feel free to ask.
For years I have refused to register to vote; but for the first time ever I’ve decided to take advantage of my voting power and use it not for the candidate who represents the lesser of two evils, but rather for the third party candidate who has no chance of winning. And you know what? I’m confident that my vote is going to count even than it would have otherwise.
Some of you may be thinking, “How can a vote for a third party candidate truly count for anything when it’s essentially guaranteed that said party will lose?” The reason is simple, of the small minority of people who cast their third party votes mine will be there. Not only is my vote a significantly larger fraction of the total votes for said party than it would be if I voted for one of the oligarchic parties, but it will be a vote that would stand out as a vote that truly represents my political values as opposed to caving into bipartisan bullying.
Most people do not vote for the candidate whom they want in office; they are voting not to put the candidate they want in office, but rather to keep out the candidate they don’t want. It’s like choosing between Hitler and Mussolini. What I find humorous is how self righteous Americans can be about their values, and how easily they condemn peoples of other nations for what they perceive to be a lack of fair values. How many times haven’t you thought to yourself that the Germans who supported Hitler were evil and stupid? Well is it not truly evil or stupid if we allow a candidate to come to power who does not truly reflect our interests as citizens of the world?
People feel compelled to guilt me into joining the Obama choo-choo train. I’ve nothing against Obama any more than I do any other democrat, certainly no more than I do any replublican; however he’s as much of a clown as any other politician that has rubbed the right elbows to get where he is. Obama just happens to be in right now: he's on par with Ipods, Chris Crocker, and hybrid SUV's. No matter how serious we take ourselves as intellectuals and free thinkers, we continue to buy into populists who mesmerize us with bread, circuses, and pretty little bumper car stickers that mean nothing. Obama may be a candidate of another colour, but his suit is still the same suit everybody else wears. He’s the same product but in a slightly different wrapper.
I could be wrong I suppose, but it’s highly unlikely. In the end I find that the future of this country is not going to be chosen by its people, rather by the people of every other country in the world who will no longer tolerate the exploitative and narrow mindedness that pervades American politics.
So in this election of 2008 my vote is going to protest the bipartisan bullshit that people numbly accept as an inescapable reality. My vote shall say “Fuck you!”
PS - True idealists make horrible politicians, which is why uncompromising thinkers like Ralph Nader will never get in power where as douche bags like George Bush will get elected twice.
(Feel free to crucify me below)
I’m not a Democrat and I’m sure as hell not a Republican. As far as I’m concerned republicans are wolves, and democrats are wolves in sheep’s clothing. If any of you know me, you understand enough about my political inclinations to understand the direction that this post will be taking without obsessing over what my ideology might be. If you don’t know, feel free to ask.
For years I have refused to register to vote; but for the first time ever I’ve decided to take advantage of my voting power and use it not for the candidate who represents the lesser of two evils, but rather for the third party candidate who has no chance of winning. And you know what? I’m confident that my vote is going to count even than it would have otherwise.
Some of you may be thinking, “How can a vote for a third party candidate truly count for anything when it’s essentially guaranteed that said party will lose?” The reason is simple, of the small minority of people who cast their third party votes mine will be there. Not only is my vote a significantly larger fraction of the total votes for said party than it would be if I voted for one of the oligarchic parties, but it will be a vote that would stand out as a vote that truly represents my political values as opposed to caving into bipartisan bullying.
Most people do not vote for the candidate whom they want in office; they are voting not to put the candidate they want in office, but rather to keep out the candidate they don’t want. It’s like choosing between Hitler and Mussolini. What I find humorous is how self righteous Americans can be about their values, and how easily they condemn peoples of other nations for what they perceive to be a lack of fair values. How many times haven’t you thought to yourself that the Germans who supported Hitler were evil and stupid? Well is it not truly evil or stupid if we allow a candidate to come to power who does not truly reflect our interests as citizens of the world?
People feel compelled to guilt me into joining the Obama choo-choo train. I’ve nothing against Obama any more than I do any other democrat, certainly no more than I do any replublican; however he’s as much of a clown as any other politician that has rubbed the right elbows to get where he is. Obama just happens to be in right now: he's on par with Ipods, Chris Crocker, and hybrid SUV's. No matter how serious we take ourselves as intellectuals and free thinkers, we continue to buy into populists who mesmerize us with bread, circuses, and pretty little bumper car stickers that mean nothing. Obama may be a candidate of another colour, but his suit is still the same suit everybody else wears. He’s the same product but in a slightly different wrapper.
I could be wrong I suppose, but it’s highly unlikely. In the end I find that the future of this country is not going to be chosen by its people, rather by the people of every other country in the world who will no longer tolerate the exploitative and narrow mindedness that pervades American politics.
So in this election of 2008 my vote is going to protest the bipartisan bullshit that people numbly accept as an inescapable reality. My vote shall say “Fuck you!”
PS - True idealists make horrible politicians, which is why uncompromising thinkers like Ralph Nader will never get in power where as douche bags like George Bush will get elected twice.
(Feel free to crucify me below)