The Truth Is Irrelevant!
I won't be doing a lot of political blogging leading up to the 2008 Presidential Election. I have pretty much already stated my concerns about the American Political System and why it does not work.
In keeping with the title of this blog, I can't imagine a more apt title to the American Political Debate than Hypocrisy. The myriad number of attack adds last night on Dancing With The Stars was incredible. We record the show and watch it afterward just so we can fast forward through all the commericals.
One of the reasons I no longer vote is the unwillingness of the candidates to tell the truth. In a never ending effort to try and get people to vote for them, the candidates will only tell the electorate what they 'want' to hear. They won't tell them what they 'need' to hear. As if telling us the truth will make us all run away, hide under a rock and not vote for them. This basically tells me that the candidates think I am stupid.
The candidate that I would vote for is the candidate that would answer the following question honestly, just once.
"I have a question for you [insert candidate name here], if you are elected, what will you try and do to correct [insert problem / concern here] and how will your decisions affect me in a negative way. In other words, what is it going to cost me to correct the mistakes of our past leaders?".
You will never get a response to this question, because elections are always about the better, brighter future, not the bleaker harder future.
We have the concept in this nation that if we have screwed up in the past, there is no pain and suffering to correct the problem for future generations. We will just put a band-aid on it and make it all better.
The Wall Street Credit Scandal, Higher Gas Prices, Illegal Immigration, are all problems that any educated person could have seen coming. I saw it and I only have a B.S. degree in Business. The coming years are going to be hard and they are going to cost the citizens of this nation dearly. My only frustration, is that when things finally do start to rebound, we won't have learned anything from our mistakes and the whole cyclical process will just start over again.
I am pretty sure that on the eve of the election, I am going to hike up a local mountain and just ponder the future while trying and find ways to rise to the challenges it will bring with it, regardless of who is elected.
while i would like to hike up that mountain with you i think that no matter what, we must vote. at least for the lesser of the two evils.
ReplyDeleteor if you dont like either that much, write in yourself. ;)
I know I shouldn't be such a negative nellie regarding our beloved democratic process, but the lesser of two evils should be the standard to which we hold ourselves. A choice between Stalin and Hitler really isn't a choice, but we are lead to believe that it is.
ReplyDeleteI don't hold to the concept that our founding fathers could have ever envisioned the world we live in today, and if they could have, they would have given us a different framework with which to govern ourselves.
Governements need to be dynamic in today's day and age, not lumbering static beauacracies easily influenced by graft and money.
In my older years, I am leaning more toward anarchy than democracy these days.
Well, I guess the only thing that keeps me around, in this election is the health care issues. Big shock, I know.
ReplyDeleteAnd I am tired of um, someone very close to me, going to Iraq. It wears me out. It wears the kids out.
So, that's it for me.
Nothing really more to add.
Mrs. Hall
Well stated. The size of the mess of this country makes individuals feel fairly helpless. I don't have much room to talk here (not being able to vote) but I do feel like if everyone voted their conscience (whether writing in worthy candidates, or picking one of the two sorry options) a message could be sent. But instead we're sucked into the politics of it, and end up voting to keep someone OUT rather than to elect someone in. What is the point~!!?
ReplyDeleteDon't forget that we don't just vote for presidents and congresspeople and the like- we also vote on propositions. I think it is vitally important to research these and vote on them.
ReplyDeleteI also really believe in voting no matter what, because all around the world, so many people don't have the right- some are told they do, then have their arms chopped off for voting for the wrong guy. In many countries, speaking ill of the government is as lethal as drinking poison.
At least we live in a place where we CAN bitch, and we got that right by standing up, demanding proposals, and voting for them.
The main problem with our government is that We the People have gotten complacent and too secure in our "rights" to think we really have to fight for anything. Anyone willing to fight for something is called "freak," "nut," and/ or "radical."
I live in a state where a large portion of the population doesn't vote because the dominant faith seems to run everything. I bet if they all got off their asses and said something, that would change.
OK
ReplyDeleteThe post on figuring out the meaning . .
the one you commented on.
I was looking for people to interprete my dream NOT the illustration in the post.
The dream I wrote about is posted on the other blog. Just click on the hyperlink and read the dream.
If you want to, I mean.
I would be interested in your thoughts as you seem thoughtful.
Ok sorry for the confusion
;)
Mrs. Hall
so much drama with the politics! It's amazing that even all the way over here in sunny south africa everybody has an opinion about the american elections. in fact the rest of the world should be allowed to vote in the US elections - the outcome affects all of us!
ReplyDeleteI'm also a firm believer that we need to vote. I remember George Carlin saying that he used to vote but stopped. He felt that if he had voted the SOB into office than he had no right to complain. But if he didn't vote for either SOB he had every right to complain because he didn't put them in office!! I do think he was wrong, tho. We need to be involved as much as we can. What better way to take away our rights than to tell us we have them and then slowly advise us not to use them. One. By. One.
ReplyDeleteI'm sticking to the issues alone...and trying to vote for the one I think will make some headway. But I cannot just lie down and take it.
I'll be there pondering with ya in spirit tho....
Here's my luv:
ReplyDeleteHere in Canada we're having an election. Voting is this week. The US election is making front page news up here almost every single day. Meanwhile our candidates can be found on page 20.