Reposted from The Yellow Times.
Matthew Riemer
Nothing stirs up Americans’ sense of pride more than the classic and highly effective buzzwords that relate to America’s founding and its political system. We’re all familiar with them as they are continually shoved down our throats and flashed before our eyes on an hourly basis throughout the vast wasteland that is our culture’s infotainment onslaught: freedom, equality, liberty, justice, God, independence, struggle, blah, blah, blah.
But perhaps what puffs up Americans’ chests more than anything else is a belief in their country’s political system, democracy, and its cornerstone, voting.
The very concept of voting is revered; we are accosted by believers in the democratic process not to shun our privilege of voting. We are reminded that many don’t enjoy such a boon in their countries and we should consider ourselves lucky.
We read stories about nations holding their first elections in x number of years. Such reports are usually accompanied by a photo of a proud hand dropping a magic ballot into a slotted box top. This typifies the heralded “democratic process.”
However, we should ask two questions.
How important is voting really?
Voting is only a part of the democratic process and a very small part at that. We’re often told, “If you don’t vote then you can’t complain,” as if all the grievances in the world are solved or addressed by such a process. But, perhaps, we should say, “If you don’t complain, you can’t vote.”
“Complaining” is far more democratic than voting. It is this very process of “complaint” or “dissent” that is the lifeblood of any person making claims to democracy.
I get a kick out of people who don’t have a political thought in their heads ever, but go out and vote on Election Day and think they’re champions of the system, keeping the principles of the forefathers alive. Yet this same person does not study history (whether it be local, global, past, or present), could not discuss any topic or issue of importance beyond a 7th grade level (the result of reading Newsweek), does not engage in debate or discourse, and has no interest in “rocking the boat.”
I have a friend who’s an elementary school teacher and is the embodiment of what a citizen living in a theoretical democracy should be. He is a passionate student of history and politics, constantly expanding horizons and engaged in personal research. He challenges people to back up what they say and genuinely asks them, “Why?” He stimulates his students with “fringe” or “controversial” material (challenging mainstream doctrine) and tirelessly attempts to induce original thought in all those he meets.
However, he does not vote.
But the question begs to be asked, who is more vital to the democratic process: someone who robotically reports to polling stations to make uninformed decisions on a punch card and then goes back to life as usual, or someone who demands participation and thought beyond a symbolic gesture?
What are we voting for?
Just because we are presented with choices does not mean we really have a choice. Who chooses the choices we choose from? What can we do if we don’t like the choices?
Americans trudge to the polls proudly each election and inevitably vote for the “lesser of two evils.” Candidates are weeded out from a gaggle of wealthy, former/current businessmen who are now exchanging the corporate world for the governmental one, a shift that is quite natural considering that the government is a business itself intimately linked with the largest corporations on the planet, who along with various government institutions determine the health of the economy and therefore the mood and well-being of the general population.
The candidates are mere actors who spend most of their time reciting platitudes from history’s tired list, insulting one another’s character, and making promises that are literally impossible to keep. Behind the scenes, behind the smoke and mirrors, they comprise the unified ruling class. Where they disagree is where the party lines are drawn.
Whether we vote Democrat or Republican, we are voting for those beholden to free market capitalism. Globalization and its bodyguard, the U.S. military, win every election.
Matthew Riemer has written for years about a myriad of topics, such as: philosophy, religion, psychology, culture, and politics. He studied Russian language and culture for five years and traveled in the former Soviet Union in 1990. In the midst of a larger autobiographical/cultural work, Matthew is the Director of Operations at YellowTimes.org. He lives in the United States and encourages your comments: mriemer@YellowTimes.org
Reposted from The Yellow Times.
Read Why I don’t Vote