The Political Process Is Unmanagable

[matt_arnold]

From sarahmichigan's blog post.nemorathwald: I voted to ban Affirmative Action, although I had not given it thought before. It's difficult for me to conceive of voting in favor of Proposal 2 out of racism or sexism. I think most people were like me, and said, "if we're not going to discriminate, then let's not discriminate."

I wish I had read tlatoani's LJ post about it, and then

Comments

[matt_arnold]

It's probably not an accident that I used to literally be an overt authoritarian before I embraced the Enlightenment and modern values. Actually exercising those values tires and discourages me.

It's kind of ironic. The same way it's ironic that I loudly support the freedom to modify software, but I would rather jump naked into a swimming pool full of thumbtacks than do so.

[thatguychuck]

The same way it's ironic that I loudly support the freedom to modify software, but I would rather jump naked into a swimming pool full of thumbtacks than do so.

Wow. I have far too vivid of an imagination. After giving this some late-night thought, I've come to the conclusion that it would hurt badly, but much less than one would initially think.

Speaking of think, I think I need to go to sleep now.

[tlatoani]

Human beings are genetically pre-disposed to fascism.

I'd substitute "authoritarianism" for "fascism" throughout. They aren't synonyms, and what you're really arguing for is that humans are pre-disposed to follow strong leaders.

[matt_arnold]

Exactly who is the strong leader I've been following? All of my votes have been intended to punish one incumbent or another. I voted against Debbie Stabenow to punish her for removing habeus corpus. I deliberately voted for her Republican opponent who I loathe. Other than that one faceless evil whose name I cannot and need not remember, I voted all Democrat to punish the party in power. I am not a Republican or a Democrat, and I hate and fear both of the parties. I didn't vote in favor of any candidate, and the more I learn about politicians in any race, the less I like them or follow them. After a while that got enough to make me realize the more I know about the complexities of reality, the more I know that I don't know, and the less confident I am that my votes are actually making the world a better place

[matt_arnold]

I usually vote all Libertarian, but with Bush having granted himself a complete police-state apparatus which Republicans merely trust him not to use against us, America seemed too far gone to think about fixing it all the way to Libertarian.

But yeah, I always vote. I just suffer from "concern fatigue" when people guilt me about my lack of civic-mindedness compared to them. There's always someone more civic-minded than thou, and this is why I envy you and davehogg your blessedly paltry two hours of superficial research: if you go down the rabbit hole, there's always something else genuinely worth being concerned about. Pretty soon public policy is your life. Eventually you have to stop giving a damn about something. An imminent police state is enough to make me feel like I have a free pass to not care about much else.

[jer_]

I just like to go by the principle that, no matter how informed you are, someone out there is way more informed, and they think you are an idiot and your opinion shouldn't matter...

[rachelann1977]

Being civically minded to the nth degree ultimately comes from a desire to have some sort of influence. For me, it seems it is powered by the fear that if one does not stay as involved as possible, they will get screwed behind their backs. That is the ultimate irony of politics, though, the harder you try not to get screwed, the more likely it is that you will be.

I know I will be screwed to some degreee by my government, so I just try to keep my eyes open, and hope I can keep it from going to far. That's all you can really do, I think.

[davehogg]

There's always someone more civic-minded than thou, and this is why I envy you and davehogg your blessedly paltry two hours of superficial research: if you go down the rabbit hole, there's always something else genuinely worth being concerned about. Pretty soon public policy is your life. Eventually you have to stop giving a damn about something.

I did use the words "research" and "hours", so I guess you didn't totally mischaracterize my point.

I never said that with a "blessedly paltry two hours of superficial research" you could be an expert on public policy. I said that doing a few hours of research would keep you from being a completely ignorant voter who was throwing darts at the ballot.

As for public policy becoming your life, it is a big part of mine. I worked for a non-profit public policy group for the last eight years, after all.

If I'm going to spend a lot of my life - not all of it, which is just a strawman - I'd rather it be that than anime or romance novels or reality TV or Firefly or fantasy football or keeping track of

[matt_arnold]

Then let me explain to you how it helps anyone. The Republican and Democratic parties know you'll vote for whatever they want you to vote for, if only they collude in a smoke-filled back room to offer you someone worse. The rigged game has worked its illusion of choice on you so well, that you have rewarded someone who canceled America. Good job, proud civic participant!

The only way to run the country and stop being played for a sucker is to act like a boss acts toward an employee. Use all votes as referendums on past performance, meting out reward and punishment by hiring and firing. You have to draw a line; there have to be certain things so odious that you have to terminate employment, full stop

[davehogg]

The Republican and Democratic parties know you'll vote for whatever they want you to vote for, if only they collude in a smoke-filled back room to offer you someone worse. The rigged game has worked its illusion of choice on you so well, that you have rewarded someone who canceled America. Good job, proud civic participant!Uh huh

[wolfger]

All of my votes have been intended to punish one incumbent or another.

Well there is your first mistake...
Look at the numbers. Do you really think your one vote can possibly be considered punishment?
Even if it *could* be considered punishment, you have no way of signifying "I am voting for not-you in order to punish you" rather than "I am voting for so-and-so because I really, really love so-and-so".
Voting against a candidate, while very popular in our current society, is a ridiculously poor idea. You should vote for the candidate you like best, end of story.
You can never go wrong by voting for the candidate you want to win.

For my own part, I voted for Stabenow despite my intention not to, simply because upon review of all the candidates, she was the best choice. Which really says some sad things about all the folks running against her. Hers was the one position where I didn't find a candidate I genuinely liked.