Today’s Political Cooking Lesson…
OK, I’m in the mood for a good stirring up!
Having reread the myriad responses (both idiotic and intelligent) to the Those Stupid Americans… article stemming from a vast group consisting of Americans and their mainly European and Australian counterparts, I am consistently lead back to a single point: many cultures unjustly despise individual Americans for turning a blind eye to the political machinations of the US government, unequivocally supporting whatever administration is in place, not making their valued votes count. To them, I submit the following view on the voting process within the United States, a vastly edited, abridged, and altogether altered version of one I recently found at a blog called D-Squared.
- Unless your local race is utterly atypical, the chance that your vote will make any difference at all is microscopic.
- The two main parties are virtually indistinguishable from each other, and other parties stand no chance of election.
- Both the American constitution and the European Declaration on Human rights protect your right to complain if you don’t vote, despite the assertions frequently made by vociferous naysayers.
- The polling station is most likely inconveniently located and poorly appointed. At any time today which might be convenient for you, the queues will be long. In my own case, my “conveniently located” assigned polling booth is over 20 miles away from wherever I typically live or work, the result of a mix-up in the registrar’s office that has not been resolved for the past two administrations, despite repeated attempts.
- By casting a vote, you are implicitly endorsing its outcome, which is likely to include several policies which are repugnant to you.
- If you don’t vote, you don’t feel so bad when your side loses.
- The last administration wasn’t any better.
- The guy (or gal!) you wanted to be in office wouldn’t have been any better, either.
- The next administration hopefully won’t be much worse.
Place all ingredients into the pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When mixture reaches a rolling boil, remove from heat. Insert someone else’s fingers in the pot to test for doneness, lest you burn yourself…
