Democracy: The Great Disappointment

admin — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:05:37 +0000

Democracy. The word itself has a righteous ring to it, an appeal to the good of humanity, of redemption, of hope. So in that way it’s unfortunate that should we get inspired enough to vote, we get herded into a hybrid changing room/vending machine, press a button, and the illusion is broken. No balloons drop from the ceiling, you don’t even get any candy. What a fucking disappointment.

The reality is that democracy is only dramatic and heroic in the context of some brutal dictatorship, an evil oppressive regime. Every other time its about as cinematic as going to pick up your laundry from the cleaners and being told that it’s not there, and you leave feeling empty, and slightly used.

It’s not supposed to be this way right? It should be exciting to pick the future of the district, the state, the nation? I get a bit of thrill voting in a presidential election, when I know both candidates intimately and have the unique pleasure of elevating one of them to the most powerful position in the world, while simultaneously demoting the other to eternal suffering in whatever hell John Kerry currently resides.

But most other times I’m not in a position to make such a decision. Inevitably, if you’re voting in a local race with a bunch of no names, you must rely on others to tell you what to pick. It’s merely a matter of deciding which political media source to follow. Then you write down the names they recommend, shuffle off to the voting booth, and then leave feeling like you’ve done nothing.

At least when you give blood you get a “be nice to me” pin.

So here’s what I’m getting at. I think the reason people don’t vote is that they think its supposed to be exciting, and that they’re supposed to be passionate about the outcome or at least care. Guess what. You’re not supposed to care. Democracy in America is largely a matter of maintenance. It’s a marathon going no where. It’s not supposed to be exciting, or your duty, or any patriotic thing. It’s mundane and boring, but there’s a positive:

Ultimately, it’s painless.

Look, just take 10 seconds and google your upcoming election, find some blog with opinions you like, and write down who they tell you to vote for. And then go vote.

Why?

Fuck if I know.

Maybe this time they’ll have balloons and candy.

Twitter Revolution

admin — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:26:16 +0000

Twitter. For inane chatter and revolution organization.

Contains graphic violence, found via http://twitter.com/#search?q=Tehran

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4vqWamoQgM&hl=en&fs=1&]

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Democracy: The Great Disappointment

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