Another "Most Important Election Of Our Lives?"
2024 is an election year, and not just in the USA. Apparently dozens of countries containing about half the global population will be, or have already finished, voting for new rulers this year. As usual, anyone who challenges the status quo and questions the merits of democracy is accused of apathy. "If you don't vote, you can't complain," they say. George Carlin had a great rebuttal for that claim all the way back in 1996.
As politicians try to court those outside the core partisan circles in order to get whatever voter margins they can, there are sometimes dismissive statements about the ideological purists who won't vote at all as a matter of principle. I think this means they know it isn't just apathy, it is often outright rejection of their false choice zero-sum game. "Go write your blog posts," they say, as if pamphlets and coffee house discussion haven't been the foundation for rebellions and revolutions for centuries now.
If you vote, vote for the least-authoritarian sociopath you can. Reject the police state apologists, the welfare state paternalists, the warmongering sociopaths, the corporate cronies, and the command economy technocrats. Vote minor party. Write in the name of a political prisoner. Don't just rubber-stamp the schemes of the political class and their major party toadies.
If you don't vote, be prepared to defend your active refusal. My own arguments include pointing out how democracy is merely the formalization of the bandwagon fallacy, there is no rational basis for transferring authority over your neighbor to a stranger he opposes, and Christians are to have no King but Christ while everything political is idolatrous.
So yes, I will continue to blog, and thank you for your grudging acknowledgement that you offer me nothing to support, politicians and pundits. Whatever your party, I hope you lose.
😆
What about just a party? With cake and soda and good beers and a game of horseshoes out back on/instead of election day?
I've only voted twice in my life, and the last time I did was to vote against because I was sick of the dickhead in office, although with the electoral college [read bullshit] and me being in Oregon my little vote wasn't necessary. I consider myself apolitical, but I'm always afraid people will confuse this with being unhumanitarian and uncompassionate and participating in assinine anarchy.
I feel I make a vastly bigger difference in the world as a healer, a writer, and a kind soul, than I do as a person who goes to a booth once or twice a year to pat themself on the back. Thanks for helping me to reinforcing that sentiment.
I need a good party. With many good beers. It's been nothing but a series of kicks to the balls for the last 2 months.
Might I recommend a couple of cups? One for the balls and one for the beer.
Librarians aren't generally supposed to need that kind of safety gear. Ufortunately, metaphorical protection is hard to find.
Perhaps a metaphorical cup, then. A psychological metaphysical ball-buster-barrier that also wards off bullshit.
Libraries are interesting places. I've seen some pretty odd folks frequent them. I bet you could make a pretty quirky library adventure novel based on your experiences.
I have written a few features on our strange patrons back before HIVE was called HIVE. And today had one bright point where a newcomer said I was a good librarian. 😇
Treasure that patron!! And I bet you are an excellent librarian.
I need to library more. It's a lot freer than buying books. We have Little Free Libraries everywhere and I find some good ones sometimes... mostly it's weird outdated textbook type stuff that nobody wants to throw away because it's a sin to throw away a book.
Garbage in garbage out. Don't vote, Carlin is right, it's meaningless.
My position would hold regardless of "reforms," but adding things like ranked choice voting, proportional electors by district, and un-gerrymandering the system would probably get more participation if they wanted to make it all look legitimate.
You are asking for too much.
They make fun of other countries for having "sham elections", but ours aren't that much more legitimate anyways.
I'd rather have someone competent than a celebrity from audience selection.
Our options are only from the competent evil and chaotic evil alignment zones.
Good advice! I've been advising people to vote absentee (since that's a thing now) so actual research can be done, instead of picking the most interesting name or letter next to their name.
"vote for the least authoritarian sociopath" sums it up. Sad, but true.