Semi-Random Musings On Politics and Such

Yeah, it’s been a while. I’m not a prolific writer, I admit it. I’m lazy.

The hubbub around the election continues to amuse, sadden and anger. According to the polls, it’s a close race. According to the polls, Romney has like a 25% chance to win. Wait, did I forget to edit something out? No. Polls are just suffering some confusion right now.

According to the media, it’s a pretty close race. But then, one of the candidates would probably have to drop out completely (and maybe eat a puppy on live TV) before the current media narrative would acknowledge that it isn’t a close race. A close race catches attention. A close race sells. “Incumbent has high chance of retaining office” doesn’t put asses in seats. So the various media organizations have a vested interest in maintaining a certain narrative, and are spinning as necessary to keep that narrative in play. It’s a shame really. But we are reaching a point where (and I hate this phrase) the mainstream media cannot be trusted with big, or even moderately sized stories. The job of news networks and papers and such isn’t to bring you the facts any more. It’s to self-sustain in order to bring in a profit. That’s why you hear representatives belly ache about the decline of traditional journalism in the face of internet journalism. And declining it is. Because the mainstream media changed its job description.  But that’s not news. You can tell, because the mainstream media isn’t talking about it. . .

Donald Trump continues to spout nonsensical gibberish because. . . well I don’t know why. I assume it’s because he can’t stand it if his name isn’t in the press every x days or something. I think he’s a rather loathsome man, but I do have some mild respect for his sense of opportunism. It got him to where he is today, which is super rich but broke, but rich, because rich people finances are really confusing. Suffice it to say, the man has used his gifts (however despicable they may be) in a very American way.

Republicans are still talking about rape because. . . erm, rape? Rapist rapey rape rape? Rowdy raunchy rape? Because a lot of them have apparently decided that abortion + rape (note, not just abortion, which would be more understandable, but abortion + rape) is a great hill to die for? And we all pick some odd hills to die for sometimes. Cookies before dinner!?! Absolutely not! Do we go to the movies tonight? NO!!!!! Do we keep saying rape happens, get over it? Yes! Wait, what?

I honestly believe that the GOP has collectively decided that since their man never had a great chance of winning, they would use this election period to see just what the heck they could get away with. To see how far they can swing in one direction before even their more ardent supporters stop and say “Hey now, that’s too far!” And I don’t think they’ve reached that point yet. And that saddens and sickens me.

The GOP likes to point out that they are the Party of Lincoln. I hate to break it to them, but I don’t’ think Lincoln would have put up with the divisive tactics and doctrines of today’s GOP. We’ve already seen how he handled divisiveness.

Violently, in case you didn’t get that.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not agitating for violent revolution or the like (ARE YOU READING THIS FEDERAL AGENTS? I AM NOT ADVOCATING VIOLENT OVERTHROW OF THE GOVERNMENT!). I’m just saying, a few knife hands to some throats might not be a bad idea.

I kid, I kid.

Violence, short of terminal, would just reinforce the delusion that they belong to a persecuted minority (you know the one, White Upper Class Christian Males, poor downtrodden bastards). No, violence is not the solution to our problem. But then again, neither is reasonable discourse with logic, facts, and appeals to basic, common, shared decency.

So what is the solution?

No, really, I’m asking. What is the solution? I could go all hyperbolic and scream how clearly our system isn’t working, but that would be a lie. The fact that we have a Presidential election coming up is proof that the system is working.

A few years back, I was in a car accident. Afterwards, the SO’s pops repaired the car, using, I shit you not, zip ties and wire to hold things in place (things being like, um, the engine). So one could claim, with complete honesty, that our car was working. It was functional and could get us to where we needed to go (assuming it wasn’t’ very far). And that’s exactly what our system is doing.

It’s working, and can get us some places, but not very far. It can get us to 7-11, or the Post Office, but not on a road trip out of state to wee Weird Al or anything like that. And that is what we need to figure out how to fix. But as long as one party is dead set on obstructing any and everything until they are completely in power, and the other party is dead set on not having the fortitude to stand up and say “No”, we’re screwed. The only thing I can think of is the third party option, and that’s a long way out. But it may be the only way out. Note that I am not endorsing any particular third party.

The third party option isn’t going to be a significant factor in national elections for quite a while. The system is rigged against it. So we have to break the two-party stranglehold on our system, and the way to do that is with boots on the ground. Research the other parties that are running candidates in local election, see if any of them are more aligned with your beliefs than candidates form the Big Two. If they are, vote for them if possible. Sure, their chances of winning aren’t great, but the more people that vote for them, the better chance they have to eventually make a big impact on the Two Party System.

It’s going to take a lot of time and effort, but we can break the Two-Party stranglehold on the system. Will doing so make things better? I don’t know. I do know that I prefer to have three, four, or five options instead of two.

As usual, Facebook is filled with inanity and ignorance. Some of it political. Like a recent post I saw with the definition of treason on it, except (wait for it, it’s oh so clever), “Treason” was spelled out like on Obama posters, and the “O” was the Obama “O”. So very, very clever. And by clever I mean, of course, shut the fuck up you ignorant cock drip.

Obama isn’t guilty of treason. Much as I disliked him, Bush wasn’t guilty of treason. Treason means something. You can tell it means something because IT’S RIGHT THERE ON THE FUCKING POSTER YOU JUST POSTED!!!!!!! Did you bother to read it? If so, it’s okay to ask for help with the words you don’t understand.

Recently, there were macros depicting protesting foreigners (Libyans supposedly), asking why we should continue to send aid to people who hate us. Because those people who hate us are a tiny percentage of a population that likes us more than Canada does. Because read something about it, God dammit!

I tire of ignorance. Stop posting regurgitated talking points. And I mean every last one of you. I don’t give a rat’s anus which side you’re on. It’s not like the liberals are post-free. You have your share of uninformed, ignorant macros too.  The Two-Party system isn’t the only thing wrong with our system. Massive ignorance and single-issue myopia are just as responsible. I get it. We’re lazy. Teaching ourselves the facts and then coming to a conclusion is a lot of work, and frankly, it’s not something most of us were ever taught to do. Used to be, we could rely on journalist to help by providing the facts, but not so much. Now, instead, we have Fox News, the organization that has never met a fact it liked, and CNN who are such attention whores they’ll report anything (viewer tweets? For fuck’s sake guys). So getting the truth is more difficult than it ever was.

But without trying, you’re just shoving your foot down your mouth, pulling it out your ass, and calling it chocolate-coated.

That ignorance is compounded by the single-issue voting habit of many Americans. Of those who don’t vote strictly on party lines, many vote on a single issue. Which candidate has blown the most convincing smoke up my ass concerning Issue X? I’m voting for him. Never mind what his stated policies are on anything else. 

“I’ll fix the economy and make America strong! And”

“Done! You’ve got my vote!”

“sacrifice a puppy every day to my Dark Master and Lord!”

“What? I was watching the game. You got that economy covered, right?”

“I’ll cut your taxes”

“Sweet”

“And build joy divisions all through the southwest.”

Seriously, there is more than one issue at stake. Look into your candidates view on those things as well. You might just be surprised. You may find he’s even more aligned with your worldview than you thought. Either way, you’ve educated yourself; that’s a God damned improvement.

Okay, I’m out. Time to go work out. I doubt I’ll respond to any comments, because frankly, my blood pressure doesn’t need it. Maybe after the election.

Be safe everyone.