Vote for Hope
February 2, 2008; by Diane V. McLoughlin
When I was younger, I believed that other people, smarter
people than me, were taking care of business. I'm a pretty bright
bulb. Yet, that is what I assumed.
I have learned through experience that it just isn't true. This is the
Achilles Heel of of democracy. Do nothing but trust. And people
you would strongly disagree with will be getting to know the
people in power - like getting coffees or handing out candies; or
money (or money like candy), or free (politically slanted)
'educational' trips - ingratiating themselves through flattery or
instilling fear with threats.
These are some of the less desirable ways in which people
influence what happens in corridors of power. By accepting
gifts, even small ones, a psychological advantage is gained by
the giver in creating a feeling of obligation to reciprocate. It is a
type of trick.
Bribes and kickbacks are more obvious ways to try to get what
you want, as are, obviously, threats. When it comes to power not
everybody plays nice. It is useful to keep this in mind when trying
to understand, sometimes, why someone went against
everything you were sure they believed in.
Perhaps it is understandable for there to be a seesaw in a
nations' political life. There is active engagement when things
are not going well. People become involved hoping to make
things better. Maybe when times are good people for the most
part lay back. In good times we tend to let our active
engagement in our community or our country, slide.
Most Americans who chose them surely regret electing the
current crop of Republicans running the White House.
What happened to the GOP? I thought they were supposed to
stand for fiscal responsibility, limited government, defence of
individual liberty, limited government intrusion, independence
and hard work.
The GOP of today seems to be the pushers of big government,
limited individual liberty, big government intrusion into private
matters of the individual, with paranoia and fear driving a big
push forward in the growth of a police state.
Love of country that has morphed into a belief in national
superiority, military worship, greed and war go a long way in
explaining what has been going wrong.
But who is to say for sure if the people actually chose George W.
Bush and his crowd? There were accusations of voter fraud in
the last two American federal elections - particularly in districts
that were democrat-voting strongholds; predominantly black
neighborhoods, for example.
On the other hand, for the sake of argument, let's say that the
elections were clean and fair - a true reflection of the people's
wishes - let's go with that, for a moment.
In order for people to choose wisely, they depend on the media
to understand who the candidates are and what they propose.
The mainstream media bigwigs must be getting pretty resentful
at this point, because they are now hearing this all the time:
They could do better; if they wanted to, that is.
The easiest way for the media to manipulate what people think
of each candidate - that is, who should we seriously consider for
our next national leader - is how much time is given over to
talking about each candidate, and how much time each
candidate is given to answer questions, in interviews and in
public debate.
As with the Indiana Jones movie analogy, the people need to
choose wisely which cup is the cup of salvation. One of the rich,
solid gold ornate cups, perhaps? Or could it be one of the more
humble earthenware cups that holds the power of truth?
Choose wisely, drink, and achieve everlasting life; choose poorly
and you drink from a cup of despair.
Which of the candidates in the current American election cycle is
the real deal? Ron Paul. Mike Gravel, maybe. Cynthia
McKinney. Ralph Nader is launching an exploratory committee.
A Nader-McKinney Green Party ticket - that would be something.
Americans, and Canadians too, for that matter, still seem in
large measure to be in the dark. Because of misplaced trust,
dark times are being pushed ahead. Dark, bloody times; times
that could well find our young people being dragged by their
heels to war in an involuntary draft - as happened in my Dad's
day in WWII - not all that long ago.
Your country, the world needs you. Look to the candidates.
Look to the best place to shine your light through your voice, your
vote.
Wistfulness for the past, self-doubt, and misplaced trust won't
build a better world or recover the shredded constitutional
protections and freedoms we once had, and they won't bring our
sons and daughters home, or stop this telescoping escalation of
illegal, immoral horrifying war.
9/11 was blowback, coverred up and papered over with a million
lies within a million newspaper headlines. Vote for hope.
Imagine how good that will feel.
[*Note on the accompanying photo of art: Title: 'Personification
of Hope'; by Maerten de Vos (1532-1603)]
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