Canada: Elections 2006
As the elections draw closer, my politically charged brother keeps hounding me to clarify my position on the matter. Mostly he wants to pressure me into backing his vote and threatens to take away my voting card due to my ignorance. I think both these things are illegal, are they not? I have a right to vote. I also have a right not to vote.
Let's clarify.
See, the elections to me are a little like a game show, flashy lights, insincere smiles, promises of winnings.
I am asked to pick out of a number of doors. With a little twist, each door comes with a representative who tells you a teeny tiny amount of what is behind his respective door. The only problem is they don't have to tell the truth, and even if they did they don't tell you enough to make a decent decision.
Who knows? Maybe one of the doors has a man-eating lion behind it?! When you play a game show, you are supposed to come out on top or no worse than when you started. Unfortunately, in this game show, you could come out with your head in a lion.
So maybe i won't choose a door at all.
In my case, i don't know enough and i find it impossible to find all the information i need to make an educated choice between the doors. People call me irresponsible for not voting. But tell me this?
Voting the same election after election simply because 'i have and always will be a [insert political party here]'... is this responsible?
Following suit with your parents or siblings or any other person because you assume they are making the right choice... is this responsible?
Voting just for the sake of voting and 'making your voice heard' when you don't know enough about the political game... is this responsible?
Obviously no, and i would go so far as to say it's dangerous. Leave the politics to people who understand it, i say... I live in a world of magic. Politics is not magic and does not fit inside my head.
There is no accountability for untruths anymore. How does anyone ever know what they are getting?
I'm sure people will take offense to all this. But politics offends me. And voting simply to exercise your right to vote offends me.
Let the stoning begin.
I have no rocks.
Let's clarify.
See, the elections to me are a little like a game show, flashy lights, insincere smiles, promises of winnings.
I am asked to pick out of a number of doors. With a little twist, each door comes with a representative who tells you a teeny tiny amount of what is behind his respective door. The only problem is they don't have to tell the truth, and even if they did they don't tell you enough to make a decent decision.
Who knows? Maybe one of the doors has a man-eating lion behind it?! When you play a game show, you are supposed to come out on top or no worse than when you started. Unfortunately, in this game show, you could come out with your head in a lion.
So maybe i won't choose a door at all.
In my case, i don't know enough and i find it impossible to find all the information i need to make an educated choice between the doors. People call me irresponsible for not voting. But tell me this?
Voting the same election after election simply because 'i have and always will be a [insert political party here]'... is this responsible?
Following suit with your parents or siblings or any other person because you assume they are making the right choice... is this responsible?
Voting just for the sake of voting and 'making your voice heard' when you don't know enough about the political game... is this responsible?
Obviously no, and i would go so far as to say it's dangerous. Leave the politics to people who understand it, i say... I live in a world of magic. Politics is not magic and does not fit inside my head.
There is no accountability for untruths anymore. How does anyone ever know what they are getting?
I'm sure people will take offense to all this. But politics offends me. And voting simply to exercise your right to vote offends me.
Let the stoning begin.
I have no rocks.
posted by one L at 8:53 a.m.
2 Comments:
Politics is the world that excites me. It is the part of life that is veiled in truth, masked in witicisms, and has the soul of a two bit lying whore.
There is nothing wrong with the world, and everything is wrong with it at the same time.
I enjoy the nuance, the perverse dance that takes place between Martin and Harper. I love the fact that 95% of the population is too stupid to comprehend what they are voting for, and simply vote based on what their parents voted. I love that when the economy is good, the government gets no credit. However when it is bad, it is all the governments fault. I love how when we are healthy and young, the government is great. When we are old and breaking down, our government needs more money in health care. I love that everyone fights so hard to be at this eliteist table, yet nobody knows what to do when they get there. I love when facts get in the way of the truth. I love when 100 million dollars is actually thought to be of consequence. I love that people still vote based on ideals that are long outdated.
I can't wait to get into that arena. I don't think they can handle the likes of me. It reminds me of a great line, from a fairly decent movie..."You want the truth? You can't handle the truth!"
Also, thank you for your post on my site. I appreciate the feedback. That little duck story of mine was a one night ramble without any editing, I was just trying to see if I could get anywhere near a story a child would like. I think there might be a faint glimmer of hope in that story.
Sometimes there's not enough doors.
The doors i see all lead into one huge house with infinite rooms where things go on in the basement that the top floor will never know about.
I am showing up to the voting booths and formally destroying my ballot. The system keeps letting me down.
-k
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