Isn't it interesting that 'they' pretend not to understand why voters are cynical about the process?
They know.
They love the division, the rhetoric and anger.
The more divisive the process, the happier they are.
I read a lot of different blogs/websites.
Some are politics only.
Even on the 'here's a slice of my life' blogs, people talk about their political beliefs.
I can find things I agree with in a lot of places.
And things I don't.
Sometimes I find both in one spot.
Haha, like shopping at Walmart.
They have it all and half the time I'm reading in my pajamas.
I do ask sincere questions.
Sometimes I even get a civil answer.
Often, the person (or their readers/commenters) just want to argue, though.
Or suggest that I lack intelligence or intestinal fortitude because of my curiosity.
Whatever.
I won't debate, as I don't think I'm going to change anyone's mind.
The gist of most 'arguments' is that the other person/side is ignorant, racist, stupid, uneducated, deplorable, hopeless... pick your pejorative or add your own.
No one is interested in actual dialog. Instead, the age-old childish tactic of name-calling comes out.
"How dare you ask questions? You must be an idiot!!"
Sometimes I get links, always slanted.
That makes sense, actually. When I'm worried about the weather due to planning some event or another, I always look at several weather forecasts before choosing the one I like best. Not that it makes a difference, of course.
The weather does what it does.
Nothing I can do will change the outcome.
Kind of like voting.
Changing the way people think, whether religion, politics or any number of related things is a cumulative thing anyway.
In my own life, those changes have been made over the last 30 years or so, and not because one person or two or ten have convinced me by telling me I'm stupid or wrong about everything I think.
The changes in my thinking have happened after I considered as many angles and ideas as I can.
I've engaged in discussion with intelligent people, some who may have had an agenda but were still willing to have a thoughtful conversation.
I don't think the same way now that I did as a 20-something.
Does anyone?
Religion, for example.
I used to just blindly believe 'cause that's how I was raised.
I was afraid to even question anything.
Then I grew up and realized that I can question anything I want.
I can believe whatever I want.
Or not.
It's the same with politics. I used to be much further right in my thinking, which isn't surprising since that goes along with religious fundamentalism.
I'm glad that my thinking about both has changed.
So how did we get to the point here in the US where we are being told to vote for the absolute dregs of humanity solely because of their party? And then being called out when we dare to question the practice?
Why are we forced to vote against because there's no one to vote FOR?
Why are the "choices" between carp and dung beetles?
They're both shit eaters, but one lives on land where the real civilized creatures reside. No being with any decency feeds on the bottom of the lake!!!
Everyone knows that.
And if you don't know that, you're a stupid racist/fascist/moron/inbred crotch-digging Neanderthal.
Vote for Dickwad McDickface!
Why?
He's a Republican!
Or,
He's a Democrat!
I'm fucking tired of having to choose one fucking shitbag over some other shitbag. Not one of them cares about anything but advancing their own party/agenda.
In that way, they are exactly alike.
Yes, I usually vote, sometimes 'he's not as crappy as the other guy' even makes it an obvious choice.
I vote against most tax increases.
Not that my vote means a fucking thing.
We're allowed to vote so that we *think* we're affecting the outcome.
The thing is, it's really hard to get hardline party enthusiasts (either party) to straight up admit that the candidate is never the point... it's that D or R after their name.
IT DOESN'T MATTER what a piece of crap s/he is!!
They don't even care!
She's the unknown smelly waste product you scrape off the bottom of your shoes with a stick, gagging as you go.
He has absolutely no redeeming qualities except for party affiliation.
BUT S/HE'S OUR SLIMY WORM-INFESTED CHOICE!
If you don't vote for my candidate, you're a/an _________(insert condescending term here)
Kind of like the shit currently playing out with Michael Vick. (S)
(Superstar/Sportsguy/ohdeargod do NOT get me started on our athlete-worshiping culture)
Yeah, he's a disgusting human being and he did a bad thing (or a series of them) but GEEEEEE... he can play ball!
So let's just, you know, continue to admire that.
Let's make him a team captain for the 2020 Pro Bowl.
He wants to be a coach when he grows up.
Poor asshole, he served his time!
Because he has that S after his name can't you just MOVE ON???
What's wrong with you? Are you stupid?
Or Teddy Kennedy, who won the first annual Drink, Drive and Swim back in 1969.
Despite that and other, uh, let's just call them 'minor character flaws and mistakes' as someone of my acquaintance once said, he was elected and elected and elected.
Why?
'Cause of the D, of course.
Although there was also the whole K factor for that guy.
If you don't understand all of that, you're a _________.
I'm sure you can find a condescending word to put there.
As for me, you're not going to influence my vote by acting superior and patronizing.
At least not in the direction you're hoping to sway me.
My question is, why can't we do better than voting for the less-crappy?
They know.
They love the division, the rhetoric and anger.
The more divisive the process, the happier they are.
I read a lot of different blogs/websites.
Some are politics only.
Even on the 'here's a slice of my life' blogs, people talk about their political beliefs.
I can find things I agree with in a lot of places.
And things I don't.
Sometimes I find both in one spot.
Haha, like shopping at Walmart.
They have it all and half the time I'm reading in my pajamas.
I do ask sincere questions.
Sometimes I even get a civil answer.
Often, the person (or their readers/commenters) just want to argue, though.
Or suggest that I lack intelligence or intestinal fortitude because of my curiosity.
Whatever.
I won't debate, as I don't think I'm going to change anyone's mind.
The gist of most 'arguments' is that the other person/side is ignorant, racist, stupid, uneducated, deplorable, hopeless... pick your pejorative or add your own.
No one is interested in actual dialog. Instead, the age-old childish tactic of name-calling comes out.
"How dare you ask questions? You must be an idiot!!"
Sometimes I get links, always slanted.
That makes sense, actually. When I'm worried about the weather due to planning some event or another, I always look at several weather forecasts before choosing the one I like best. Not that it makes a difference, of course.
The weather does what it does.
Nothing I can do will change the outcome.
Kind of like voting.
Changing the way people think, whether religion, politics or any number of related things is a cumulative thing anyway.
In my own life, those changes have been made over the last 30 years or so, and not because one person or two or ten have convinced me by telling me I'm stupid or wrong about everything I think.
The changes in my thinking have happened after I considered as many angles and ideas as I can.
I've engaged in discussion with intelligent people, some who may have had an agenda but were still willing to have a thoughtful conversation.
I don't think the same way now that I did as a 20-something.
Does anyone?
Religion, for example.
I used to just blindly believe 'cause that's how I was raised.
I was afraid to even question anything.
Then I grew up and realized that I can question anything I want.
I can believe whatever I want.
Or not.
It's the same with politics. I used to be much further right in my thinking, which isn't surprising since that goes along with religious fundamentalism.
I'm glad that my thinking about both has changed.
So how did we get to the point here in the US where we are being told to vote for the absolute dregs of humanity solely because of their party? And then being called out when we dare to question the practice?
Why are we forced to vote against because there's no one to vote FOR?
Why are the "choices" between carp and dung beetles?
They're both shit eaters, but one lives on land where the real civilized creatures reside. No being with any decency feeds on the bottom of the lake!!!
Everyone knows that.
And if you don't know that, you're a stupid racist/fascist/moron/inbred crotch-digging Neanderthal.
Vote for Dickwad McDickface!
Why?
He's a Republican!
Or,
He's a Democrat!
I'm fucking tired of having to choose one fucking shitbag over some other shitbag. Not one of them cares about anything but advancing their own party/agenda.
In that way, they are exactly alike.
Yes, I usually vote, sometimes 'he's not as crappy as the other guy' even makes it an obvious choice.
I vote against most tax increases.
Not that my vote means a fucking thing.
We're allowed to vote so that we *think* we're affecting the outcome.
The thing is, it's really hard to get hardline party enthusiasts (either party) to straight up admit that the candidate is never the point... it's that D or R after their name.
IT DOESN'T MATTER what a piece of crap s/he is!!
They don't even care!
She's the unknown smelly waste product you scrape off the bottom of your shoes with a stick, gagging as you go.
He has absolutely no redeeming qualities except for party affiliation.
BUT S/HE'S OUR SLIMY WORM-INFESTED CHOICE!
If you don't vote for my candidate, you're a/an _________(insert condescending term here)
Kind of like the shit currently playing out with Michael Vick. (S)
(Superstar/Sportsguy/ohdeargod do NOT get me started on our athlete-worshiping culture)
Yeah, he's a disgusting human being and he did a bad thing (or a series of them) but GEEEEEE... he can play ball!
So let's just, you know, continue to admire that.
Let's make him a team captain for the 2020 Pro Bowl.
He wants to be a coach when he grows up.
Poor asshole, he served his time!
Because he has that S after his name can't you just MOVE ON???
What's wrong with you? Are you stupid?
Or Teddy Kennedy, who won the first annual Drink, Drive and Swim back in 1969.
Despite that and other, uh, let's just call them 'minor character flaws and mistakes' as someone of my acquaintance once said, he was elected and elected and elected.
Why?
'Cause of the D, of course.
Although there was also the whole K factor for that guy.
If you don't understand all of that, you're a _________.
I'm sure you can find a condescending word to put there.
As for me, you're not going to influence my vote by acting superior and patronizing.
At least not in the direction you're hoping to sway me.
My question is, why can't we do better than voting for the less-crappy?
The bottom line: anyone running for public office ~ at least as far as I've seen in the past 25 years ~ is for money and fame. Even IF they have a desire to do the right thing, it disappears in short order and we're right back to the same crap bag they all eventually become.
ReplyDeleteBut as you're suggesting, there's naught for us to do, because "our votes don't really count". Not sure I agree with that, but I have no proof either way.
I don't believe that most of them have any wish to do the right thing. They're already corrupted because the process is corrupt from the beginning.
DeleteEverything about the process seems dishonest to me. I have no confidence that my vote means a damn thing. When the national news tells me five minutes after the polls close that my candidate lost, I know they haven't counted my vote. And probably won't, not for days. And when they do, it will make no difference.
We seemly can only vote for what we see as the lesser evil. Still means we are voting for evil. I've never missed voting because I like to piss and moan. If you don't vote, then you have no grounds to complain, no?
ReplyDeleteGreat response!
DeleteI have always disagreed with that. More since I was old enough to vote and 99.9% of the time (a figure I plucked out thin air) my candidates/issues lost. I can complain all I want to, but it doesn't do any more good than my vote. :-D
DeleteAlso, what's gonna stop me from SAYING I voted but didn't? I'll still complain.
It sucks that neither major party or any of the minor ones can give us someone or something that ISN'T utter crap.
And then all they can do is be condescending and patronizing when we want real answers.
Ranked voting is the temporary solution until something better comes along. Some states and cities are already doing it.
ReplyDeletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranked-choice_voting_in_the_United_States
That's interesting, and something I'm unfamiliar with.
DeleteAlthough this video calls those we elect our 'leaders', something I disagree with, it's not a bad explanation. When I am first learning about something like this, I need See Spot Run.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rgo-eJ-D__s