Friday, December 09, 2005
Dislodged
Here's a good article about the state of third-party politics in America. What is truly unfortunate is that the Libertarian Party, or any other third party for that matter, has yet to really gain traction despite the fumbling on both sides of the ailse in Washington.
My answer is to take care of the problem at its root. Politicians are almost like rock stars anymore. They're faces are all over the news. Their lives are the subject of rampant gossip, maybe just more so in D.C. They're automatically looked upon, or FEEL THEY ARE, to solve all of our problems. But the fact of the matter is, the more power you give them, the more times a Cunningham is going to walk up to the podium and admit to taking bribes. But actually, eventually that will stop too, the better they are able to get away with it.
It's very hard in a democracy of this size to keep tabs on the actions of all out representatives. Furthermore, the training many members have in law doesn't hurt their chances of escaping embarrassing charges.
Basically it comes down to this: Do you really think the Democrats are going to do any different than the Republicans if voted into a majority? I encourage you to visit opensecrets.org to catch up on the wide array of corporate donors listed with Democratic members. If you think the Republicans are the party of corporate interests, you're only half right. It's more like one of the parties of corporate interests. The Democrats are not going to change any tone in Washington. If you think that's true, you've been watching the wrong channel for far too many years. Ask a Libertarian what s/he thinks about economic regulations, CORPORATE WELFARE INCLUDED. You're not going to hear a call for a million dollar tax break for wal mart, that's for sure.
So what is to be done? You VOTE LIBERTARIAN. If you're worried about wasting a vote on a losing candidate, I pose one question; Do you honestly give a fuck who comes out with the majority in Congress in 2006? They'll be dealing with a lame duck president that can't get out of Washington fast enough, while doing nothing but positioning for 2008. Their interests are not your interests. What the Libertarians aim to do is to knock down the priority of law makers' interests in the first place, basically, through less options. The government is NOT there to solve all your problems. It's not there to save your brain-dead daughter after the courts have consistently ruled out of your favor. The government is not there to make sure you have a cushy job in the steal mill until you can retire with a decent retirement package. The Federal government is NOT the first place you turn to resolve gay marriage issues, marriage itself being a state issue in the first place. And more than anything, the government is not the subject of automatic deference and respect. The people are the subject of automatic deference and respect. The individual rights and freedoms of the people are the first to receive attention. Asking me not to speak against government because it is unpatriotic or makes me a coward goes against everything this country was built upon. The people begin by questioning their government, not the government its people.
For further reading, check out this article about the lack of difference between the two major parties and Libertarians' inability to allign with either major party.
My answer is to take care of the problem at its root. Politicians are almost like rock stars anymore. They're faces are all over the news. Their lives are the subject of rampant gossip, maybe just more so in D.C. They're automatically looked upon, or FEEL THEY ARE, to solve all of our problems. But the fact of the matter is, the more power you give them, the more times a Cunningham is going to walk up to the podium and admit to taking bribes. But actually, eventually that will stop too, the better they are able to get away with it.
It's very hard in a democracy of this size to keep tabs on the actions of all out representatives. Furthermore, the training many members have in law doesn't hurt their chances of escaping embarrassing charges.
Basically it comes down to this: Do you really think the Democrats are going to do any different than the Republicans if voted into a majority? I encourage you to visit opensecrets.org to catch up on the wide array of corporate donors listed with Democratic members. If you think the Republicans are the party of corporate interests, you're only half right. It's more like one of the parties of corporate interests. The Democrats are not going to change any tone in Washington. If you think that's true, you've been watching the wrong channel for far too many years. Ask a Libertarian what s/he thinks about economic regulations, CORPORATE WELFARE INCLUDED. You're not going to hear a call for a million dollar tax break for wal mart, that's for sure.
So what is to be done? You VOTE LIBERTARIAN. If you're worried about wasting a vote on a losing candidate, I pose one question; Do you honestly give a fuck who comes out with the majority in Congress in 2006? They'll be dealing with a lame duck president that can't get out of Washington fast enough, while doing nothing but positioning for 2008. Their interests are not your interests. What the Libertarians aim to do is to knock down the priority of law makers' interests in the first place, basically, through less options. The government is NOT there to solve all your problems. It's not there to save your brain-dead daughter after the courts have consistently ruled out of your favor. The government is not there to make sure you have a cushy job in the steal mill until you can retire with a decent retirement package. The Federal government is NOT the first place you turn to resolve gay marriage issues, marriage itself being a state issue in the first place. And more than anything, the government is not the subject of automatic deference and respect. The people are the subject of automatic deference and respect. The individual rights and freedoms of the people are the first to receive attention. Asking me not to speak against government because it is unpatriotic or makes me a coward goes against everything this country was built upon. The people begin by questioning their government, not the government its people.
For further reading, check out this article about the lack of difference between the two major parties and Libertarians' inability to allign with either major party.
