Lou FCD
Posts: 5455
Joined: Jan. 2006
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| Quote (Erasmus @ FCD,Sep. 10 2008,12:49) | | ...and so much of the 'get involved and make a difference' poofery best reserved for college freshman is predicated on the assumption that decisions are made in this manner. |
...and so much of the "I don't like the choices so I'll not vote" whining best reserved for youth is predicated on the assumption that sitting in the corner sucking one's thumb will produce positive results.
Instead of that, I think I'll work on becoming a teacher, where I can work toward making the system better by educating the next generations.
While I'm doing that, I'll also be voting for the candidates likely to do the least amount of damage to your constitutional right to bitch about the government, based on what they say and how they've acted in the past. I, for one, think that's an idea worth keeping. In fact, there's a whole list of ideas that I think are worth hanging on to.
Contrary to the cute little strawman you've built of me, I don't vote with idealist faith that the Democrats are the saviors of the country. In fact, going back to the original analogy I used of the swimmer, you'll note that I only felt that the current crop of the party's candidates were paralleling the shore, not making things worse, or at least not to the extant that the Republicans would. As someone mentioned earlier, one of those two sets of candidates will be elected, whether you or I like that or not. Given that choice, I will be voting for the set of candidates that intends to do the least amount of damage based on the evidence in hand. If you prefer to think of it this way (feel free because I sometimes do), I'm not supporting Democrats as much as I'm opposing Republicans.
At the same time, I'll be filling out my dance card by voicing my dissatisfaction and the reasons for it to anyone who'll listen, and pushing to get better candidates through the system. Assuming there is still a Republic by the next election, I will have worked to get slightly less damaging candidates on the party's ticket. Whether or not I and like-minded people are successful in that regard depends on how well we educate, and how much help we have. From what you've written thus far on the topic, I take it that we shouldn't be counting on you to assist in that effort?
So far, everything you've said boils down to "the system sucks". I don't think you'll find anyone here arguing against that, Erasmus. The fact that some of us choose to try and do something about that is what separates us.
Near as I can tell you've yet to offer a more productive course of action, but if you've got one, by all means, let's hear it. If there's a more efficient way of getting people in office to make the system better, I'm all for it.
If on the other hand, your contention is that the protections of the Constitution are not worth keeping, and that the Republic should just be scrapped and allowed to become a theocracy run by the most ignorant and autocratic people in the country, then you and I will simply have to part company on our premises.
Machiavellianism may be the political reality, but we can work long and hard to fix that, or we can allow it to continue unabated. In this time and place, in this context, where we stand today, those are the options. We can't even include armed rebellion as a last resort option, Erasmus. The reason it worked for the colonists a few centuries back is that they had both popular (not universal, but certainly popular) support and support from abroad, two very critical components to revolution which we are distinctly lacking.
So, if you've got a third viable option, I'm listening.
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“Why do creationists have such a hard time with commas?
Linky“. ~ Steve Story, Legend
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