The Ungovernable

DNC & RNC: Time to Select From the Pre-Selected

It’s that time again! That’s right, an Election Year! And what would an election in the United States be without political conventions? They’re the big opportunity for the citizens of this country to flex their democratic muscle by choosing one of two pre-ordained, pre-approved leaders that toe the party line.  No matter who the powers that be put before us, it’s always a pathetic exercise in who is less terrible, but this year, it’s possibly the worst it has ever been.

On one hand, you have John McCain. Known for his reputation as a maverick, McCain is the son of U.S. millitary brass, a decorated veteran of the Vietnam fiasco, a former P.O.W, a war “hero” and, last but not least, a senile old man. Because of his stellar millitary service (which included being shot down and captured by the enemy), McCain feels like he’d be a great leader in this terrible, war-torn world of ours. He’s tried to comfortably distance himself from the embattled Bush regime while staying close enough to the administration to satisfy the people who still hold the chimp-like warlord close to their hearts. He’s run an exciting campaign full of distasteful jokes, vague references to war, condescending “straight-talk” and generalized repetition of the party line. It’s very cutting edge in an incredibly boring sort of way.

Meanwhile, in the other corner, we’ve got the dark horse (no pun intended) Barack Obama. A lightning political career chacaterized by oratory that was both brilliantly inspiring and vastly nebulous, Obama rode a wave of popular opinion and American racial guilt towards the nomination. His famed charisma brought people out of the woodwork and elevated him to a Christ-like adoration the likes of which has not been seen in America since the days of Kennedy (both J.F and R.F). The stunningly mediocre mantra of “CHANGE!” tumbled from the lips of every college student, hipster and disenfranchised voter in the country. All of them had decided to drink the Kool-Aide.

But what do either of these men stand for? If you ask most people, even the most devout supportors, they’d be hard pressed to tell you. Obama is apparently for “change.” McCain is supposedly for America. Wow… This is the best they could give us? We have candidates running for the highest office in the land who are campaigning solely on indistinct and formless ideas. Of course McCain is for America. If he wasn’t, he wouldn’t be running in a campaign to be its leader. By saying he’s for America, the candidate has sidestepped having to address an actual problems and issues. The people who support him (most of whom are only voting based on a single issue like abortion or how hard he plans to blow up more brown people) respond well to his hazy idealism, though.  It’s what they want to hear. The Republican party merely leads a very sheltered and scared herd. They spout off undefined phrases like being “for America” and “against terror” in order to quiet the sheep. Meanwhile, the party leaders are making deals, sending their assets over seas, investing in foreign companies and leaving their constituents high and dry. It’s like rats on a burning ship or people partying at the apocalypse. The problem is that they’re fooling their followers into thinking that they care while they spend their final few seconds of being relevant getting in one last economic and idealogical rape.

The “change” mantra that the Democrats are all getting behind is equally as fuzzy. Who doesn’t want change? Change from a crime-ridden country. Change from an unemployed population. Change from hungry families. Change from endless, pointless war. Nobody wants those things to stick around. Everybody wants to change that. The issue to take with this approach is that no clear alternatives are being offered. What exactly does Obama plan to change? If he isn’t willing to immediately restore our constitutional rights that have been taken in the name of national security, prosecute those who have profited from this endless human war and give the people of this country actual liberty, then we shouldn’t be interested.  In the end, the Democrats are more committed to securing their own agenda and careers than to securing the liberty and happiness of the people. They’re looking to make history, not to change anything.

The Ungovernable should take a stand. Explore different ways of voicing our dissatisfaction with the choices offered. Don’t keep these charlatans in power by humoring their flawed system and voting for one party puppet or the other. Spend this Election Day not buying into the false sense of empowerment by going into the booth and choosing one of the two pre-ordained options, but by getting out on the street and letting people know that they’re being lulled into complacency by a broken system.  Go to a polling place and talk to people. Bring them litterature on what they can do to truly free themselves from the machinations of modern America. If we can open even one set of eyes, we will have made a difference.

This is our revolution.