What, Me Vote?
October 31st, 2012.
Obamney – change you can believe in, or some shit like that.
Romney or Obama? The elections. Yard signs, headlines, commercials, blogs, propagandists and pundits. It’s impossible to avoid. I’ve been wondering why people are taking any of it seriously. Is this really ‘the most important election of our time’, except for the last one, and the one before that? Is it really my duty to vote? And, if I don’t vote, do I really not have the right to complain about what happens? Platitudes and bullshit. Do you really think government won’t get a little bigger next year? More regulations, more snooping.Everything will cost a little more and we will all become a little less free. Go ahead. Tell me I’m wrong.
Here’s the deal. Voting is a dog and pony show that the Elites, the powers that be, allow us to do so that we can feel like we have a choice. You know, a say in the world that we live in. If we didn’t think that we might get a little uppity. Much easier to let the peons think that they have some control over the political process. We’ll just give them approved and vetted candidate number one, call him “R”, and approved candidate number two, call him “D”. Then we can sit back and watch all the little people fight over who’s best. Ha! Fun stuff. Don’t forget the popcorn.
Does anyone really believe that this time we will get ‘change we can believe in’ or ‘the most transparent government ever’? Why would anyone, in good conscience, bother to legitimatize this farce and put their stamp of approval on it by voting? If you must vote then vote for a Communist, or a Green or a Libertarian. Anything but the Status Quo. And please don’t give me lesser of two evils argument. You only guarantee one thing. Four more years of Evil, only lesser.
Bush and Obama both attacked countries that were no threat to the US for reasons that were total lies.
Bush and Obama both put political prisoners in offshore prisons (Guantanamo is still in business).
Both ‘fixed’ the economy by mortgaging the future of everyone, including patriotic fetuses, with more and more debt.
Both used drones to terrorize and kill people.
Neither have found a single noteworthy banker worth criminally prosecuting in the greatest theft the world has ever seen. Hell no. Those guys won’t even lose their jobs or bonuses. After the Savings and loan Scandal in the 80′s there were over 1100 prosecutions. That was over a paltry $90 billion. Today we have losses in the many 100′s of billions but nobody is guilty of anything. Come the fuck on? Bush didn’t prosecute anybody. Obama didn’t prosecute anybody and if Romney wins he won’t bother with it either. They all know who they work for. How does a candidate get a billion dollars in donations in a crashing economy anyway? Bet it didn’t come from the 99%. Bet Goldman Sacs doesn’t really care who wins. Why should you?
Why do people give one guy a pass and condemn the other? Sounds like a convenient Moral disconnect to me. If someone is labeled evil because they do evil then goddamnit, when someone else does the same things, they are evil too. Quit giving any of them a pass because they have a D or an R by their names. Just quit.
I’d love to see them hold an election where nobody bothers to come. I’d love to see a candidate win with less than 10% of voters voting for him. He would have no moral authority. I’m sure it wouldn’t stop him in any way but it would be nice to see that most people have finally given up on our corrupt political process. Then maybe something would change. If, for no other reason than people finally realize that the government will never fix anything.
Albert Einstein defined Insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
I’m opting out.
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October 31st, 2012 at 3:09 pm
Awesome return! I enjoy your writings.
Your points, especially in the last section, are very strong. I’m surprised you mentioned Einstein’s view on insanity (thought I was the only one who compared that to our ineffective voting system).
The day an election like that happens, I will die peacefully in my sleep, satisfied.
October 31st, 2012 at 3:11 pm
You must have been born with and currently possess a penis if you SERIOUSLY think there is no difference between the two candidates.
October 31st, 2012 at 4:59 pm
I love it. V, dearest, where have you *been* the last year and a half??
October 31st, 2012 at 5:02 pm
Sounds like you voted for Einstein.
October 31st, 2012 at 5:48 pm
alison of a gun – I think what she said was that Obama campaigned on ending the wars, closing gitmo, etc. When in office he carried on pretty much like Bush did. Not much changed. What do you honestly think will change if Romney beats Obama?
October 31st, 2012 at 8:36 pm
V! Thanks for the new article. You are sorely missed. Keep writing, we’ll keep reading!
October 31st, 2012 at 9:25 pm
Beautiful. I opted out of the game in my country as well.
November 1st, 2012 at 5:14 am
alison of a gun: because all guys r dum, right?!?! olol
November 1st, 2012 at 8:08 am
Silent reader of yours till you disappeared. Welcome back. Loved your articles on getting out of the debt crisis and other things around it.
November 1st, 2012 at 8:21 am
Is this a joke? Did you seriously come out of hibernation to tell people you aren’t voting?
November 1st, 2012 at 8:21 am
WTF? A blog with an average of 1 post per year? I completely forgot about your site until I got an email showing an update (I should probably unsubscribe to that). You should either start writing more often, or just stop. Once a year is not a good blog.
Also, even though you do make valid points, your posts lacks the fire/passion they used to have. This doesn’t feel like the VA I used to read.
November 1st, 2012 at 8:44 am
Vote libertarian. You actually want change? Change who you vote for.
November 1st, 2012 at 8:46 am
Yes, welcome back indeed. A post well worth waiting for. .
November 1st, 2012 at 9:00 am
There’ll never be anyone to completely agree with. For me it comes down to voting for the guy who would be “delighted” to outlaw abortion (which, all studies point to, makes abortion MORE likely to happen, so cutting off your nose to spite your face) and the guy who is making strides to make healthcare and birth control available to everyone. I’m curious what Obama will do with a second term when he doesn’t have to worry about cowtowing to get reelected and maybe, just maybe, a house and senate that doesn’t neuter everything he tries to do (even if it’s their own bills!) to make him look like a bad president. I definitely don’t agree with everything Obama’s done. No signs point to Romney being any different on the things I dislike (namely drones, war, privacy). And yes I know there are other candidates.
November 1st, 2012 at 9:40 am
Yes yes and yes. How angry the friends get when this is pointed out. The exasperation on their faces when they’re told to not bother talking about the election. One person was so angry about my ‘Don’t Vote It Only Encourages Them’ t-shirt she dedicated her whole election blog post for Obomney fulmigating against such attitudes. Funny thing about that t-shirt: it caused white people great distress black and brown people responded with pleasant surprise/approval. At least they get it.
It’s always a good day when you write Miss Violent.
November 1st, 2012 at 10:09 am
Um, but there is actually a difference between the two candidates. Because Romney is anti-choice and against tolerance for LGBT folk; or at least he is pandering to and will ultimately capitulate to people who believe such things. Just because both have there flaws doesn’t make one an obviously better choice than the other (at least for women).
Yes, it’s a dog and pony show — I think Howard Zinn was one of the most clear to write about how American democracy does more to protect the elite and status quo than challenge it. But, not voting while also doing nothing else is like cutting off your nose to spite your face.
Really, V, I expected more sense from you.
November 1st, 2012 at 10:20 am
Yay! You’re back. I love your vitriolic rants. =)
November 1st, 2012 at 11:51 am
Glad to see you back. And yes, I am voting for a third party this year. Maybe, if enough people do, they’ll get the message… and evil won’t win, for once.
What can I say? I’m an optimist.
November 1st, 2012 at 12:14 pm
Yep. Sit back. Do nothing. That’ll get you a better result.
Do you know that 1 in 8 people in this world don’t have access to clean water. And some folk literally don’t have the right to vote. Reckon you got problems?
Wake up to yourself.
November 1st, 2012 at 12:56 pm
Oh sweet chocolate! You’re back! And with a spot on assessment of the current political bullshit. If two candidates are both bought and paid for by the SAME financial corporation, then honestly, it doesn’t matter who wins. Also, does no one look at the candidates VOTING RECORD anymore?! For fucks sake, people! Both these men are simply two sides of the same coin.
November 1st, 2012 at 1:26 pm
Darling, You may not post as much as you used to, but you have just created a more eloquent diatribe than the one I myself have been using for the past several months.
I agree with EVERYTHING you have said, and I have linked you so that my generation of X/Y tweeners can raise our fists in solidarity with you and scream: “THIS ENTIRE DOG AND PONY SHOW IS BOTH A SCAM AS WELL AS A FARCE…*YOU* assholes are all idiots.”
As long as the electoral college stands, we have no REAL vote.
November 1st, 2012 at 1:41 pm
Great to see you back. xoxoxoxoxo
November 1st, 2012 at 3:46 pm
It’s not just about four years of a president, this guy also gets to pick who replaces the retiring supreme court justices.
Three are set to retire, at least two are very likely to.
Big decisions in recent years were decided with a 5-4 split. They mostly vote as a block, liberals vs conservative. Moderates usually break the tie.
One liberal, one moderate, and one conservative are nearing that age. Two of them will make or break these decisions in the future.
For the record, recent decisions wiith that narrow majority include citizens united, with conservatives for unlimited corporate money in elections as “free speech” and liberals against.
Kelo vs City of New Londor, which granted government the ability to seize nyour property as eminent domain in order to sell it to companies that will possibly (but no guarantee) maybe pay taxes on it. Conservatives for, liberals opposed.
The list is impressive. Obama’s appointees have reflected my views, so he has my vote.
That is why this election is important. We don’t live with justices for four years, we live with them until they decide to retire. Ginsburg has stated that she was waiting to retire until she can be sure that her replacement will be picked by a Republican president.
November 1st, 2012 at 4:08 pm
love it! way to keep it real V. glad to see you back as well. I would say it all over except Raven above said it all very nicely and I won’t repeat it. Please keep the reality checks coming!
November 1st, 2012 at 5:55 pm
Thanks V! I was pleasantly surprised to see your post show up in my inbox and even more pleasantly captured by your post. There is no choice in the elections. It’s time to do more than just stop voting. People need to stop paying the salaries. It’s time to stop letting people skim off the top of our ‘earnings’ – what is that even…. and organize independently, form communities and improve our sad lot
xo
November 1st, 2012 at 6:00 pm
It’s good to see you posting again! I was thinking of you when the Gawker/Reddit fight started. Did that guy name himself after you?
November 1st, 2012 at 6:03 pm
This post reminds me why I have you on my RSS. I was thrilled to see an update, and read the full thing to my partner because… yes.
November 1st, 2012 at 8:47 pm
V, disregard all naysayers. You still have die-hard supporters even after over a year of absence. We would love it if you’d continue writing, and even if you don’t, we still value what’s already been written. When faced by brain-dead zombies nearly 24-7, most of us could use a lot more Violent Acres in our lives. Come back and say some shit, V!
November 1st, 2012 at 9:42 pm
Welcome back. If you took a hiatus from posting because you revised your outlook on what politics is (to wit: the art of wresting a loaded gun to point it at others for personal profit), then the hiatus was totally worth it.
Welcome to the fold too. V for voluntary!
November 2nd, 2012 at 11:19 pm
I completely agree…it’s fixed game and I got better things to do with my time. whatever the pre rigged out come , re… I mean, vote winds up being , the results will be the same. More Wars and “austerity” to pay for them . This is kabuki theater and I really resent the lameness of it all . In my day, the lies were better
November 3rd, 2012 at 9:17 am
Sometimes I feel like VA is fishing around in my head and writing down my thoughts. Great post!
November 3rd, 2012 at 6:51 pm
Agree completely but have one additional suggestion. Go vote and vote for a write-in candidate. In response to my declaring that this was my plan, an acquaintance replied in horror, “but says you’re voting against both O & R!” I could not have been more delighted that he accurately recognized my intention immediately. He was not pleased with my delight, but so goes the poor believers who’d rather cling to a fantasy than face cruel reality.
I know it is too much to wish for, but wouldn’t it be wonderful if we all voted for the same preposterous write-in candidate? Bozo the Clown (deceased) comes to mind but that’s because I grew up in Chicago.
November 4th, 2012 at 5:47 pm
Wow – great to hear from you again and it’s another hit out of the ballpark! I’m a staunch conservative…maybe libertarian…and have said for years there’s no real difference between the Republicrats and the Demopublicans. In rhetoric, yes, but in actual policies once elected…no.
Ignore your critics – those people who say you’re not posting enough or not writing as good as you used to..blah,blah, yap, yap. They’re just jealous.
By the way, it was great to see what you really look like on your business video. I was pleasantly surprised! For all you who wonder, she’s perfectly normal….except maybe with poor impulse control…and who would know!?
November 5th, 2012 at 2:09 pm
My sediments exactly. Everywhere I go there’s people arguing about whether elephant shit or donkey shit smells the best, and to make it worse, they act like I’m some kinda communist, orphan-raping, nazi when I tell them that I don’t like the smell of either turd.
And also… Fuck yeah! You wrote another article! Keep doing that. I like them.
November 6th, 2012 at 11:50 am
Sounds more like a cop-out to me.
November 11th, 2012 at 2:19 pm
hmm…einstein theory applies to American people…after playing exasperation game with the world (of attacking.killing ,droning,guatanamo…list goes on)they still hope to see better from the present president.
November 21st, 2012 at 2:19 pm
I vote because it’s a privilage, not a right. One that people died for, and that someday may be taken away. (ok, probally not here in the US, but you never know what the future holds) It just feels wrong to disregard that because the current choices are useless. That being said, I usually end up voting for Mickey Mouse as a write-in. I figure if we’re going to have a “mickey mouse” president, it should really be the real thing.
Also, it’s great to see writing from you again! While I don’t always agree with your opinions, I still enjoy reading your articles. It’s rather refreshing to read witty writing from someone with their own opinions, who doesn’t care if her opinions are popular or not.
December 7th, 2012 at 12:20 am
This lady is amazing
December 17th, 2012 at 12:32 pm
Great to see you back again. Please write some more soon.
December 30th, 2012 at 8:59 pm
I have meant to write for a long time, in fact, I made a note to myself to let you know what this post did in my making a final decision in how I voted.
I’m a Marine, now stationed in Europe, did two tours in Iraq and to say the least – I saw hell. I was raised in a far right conservative home with very strong religious values. Never in a thousand years did I ever think to vote for someone like Obama. No sir. You touched on a couple of things in your post – mostly on apathy that really convinced me that it’s thoughts that you put forth that allow so many to believe voting doesn’t make much of a difference. It does.
You only have to hold your best mate’s hand while he takes his last breathes and see the light disappear from his eyes to know that voting does make a hell of difference. Bush and men like him, Republicans, should never be allowed to rule in our country again.
I want to thank you for convincing me and others around me that no matter how those that have never served believe that voting doesn’t really make a hell of a difference. It does and thank you.
Happy New Year to all the bench warmers with big opinions.
December 31st, 2012 at 1:06 pm
I’m glad you are writing again.
I voted for Gary Johnson, knowing full well that Libertarians did not have a chance. I guess my vote was a protest vote.
If we all stop voting, will the politicians go away? I can live with that.
January 3rd, 2013 at 9:57 pm
Awesome post. More please.