I first became interested in politics during the 2000 elections. At the time, I had a very limited knowledge of our political system and even less of an interest. Something about the events in the months following the 2000 elections, however, disturbed me. It wasn't the acrimony with which both sides fought to gain control of the country, nor was it the fact that it took so long to come to a decision. I was disturbed because, in my estimation, the will of the American people had been circumvented by the judiciary in calling the election for George W. Bush.
The will of the American people. It is a powerful phrase. I write those words, and then I pause to ponder just what could be accomplished if all of us set aside our trivial differences and focused on a common goal for the common good. By trivial differences, I don't simply mean that some of us are religious and some are not. I don't just mean that some of us are pro-choice and some of us are pro-life. What I mean is simply that, in a broader sense, the notion of progressive or centrist or conservative
is a trivial difference. We spend a lot of time arguing about what the correct position is to take on this issue or that, but we completely miss the thing that we
all have in common: we are all Americans. From the rednecks in the south to the limousine liberals in the north, from the soccer moms to the professors, from the doctors and the lawyers to the mechanics and the electricians. Regardless of our profession or the label we choose to apply to ourselves, deep down, we are all Americans.
Those who are in power count on us recognizing, respecting, and even fearing those differences. The phrase "divide and conquer" comes to mind. The politicians and the hacks and the pundits all jam on our hot-buttons: abortion, gun control, gay marriage...the list goes on and on. They've got us focused on how different we are from the other side of the aisle - and, indeed, from each other here - instead of focusing on similarities. Namely, we are all Americans. As such, we all give freedom and liberty ultimate priority in our world-view.
Over the past six years, we have all given up pieces of our freedoms. We've let the our fellow citizens be rounded up and held indefinitely without due process of law. We've let the government look into our library records. We've let the government listen in on our phone conversations. And now, we've let the government impose a de facto suspension of habeas corpus. It's not as though someone asked us if that was okay, and we went along with it. I'm sure everyone here is vehemently opposed to such action, and I'm certain that if you were to engage a stalwart conservative in honest conversation about these issues, he would agree - because he is an American, like yourself.
So why did we let it happen? We have been busy arguing over our trivial differences. We've been pacified through our broadband internet connections, through Netflix, through Hummers, and through McDonalds. Our quality of life is decreasing, and the sphere of civil liberty is shrinking, but we haven't seem to of minded. So long as we continue to argue the insignificant points of our existence, and so long as the material goodies keep coming, we will continue to let it happen.
Or, at least, that's the plan of the powers that be. The corporations, the media, the oligarchy, and the administration all count on us staying ignorant and divided. They count on our assumption that the divide between the citizens of this country is too large, too wide, too deep to cross. I call bullshit. We've seen that
it can be crossed. We've seen it in the wake of 9/11 and we've seen it in the wake of Katrina.
I do not mean to sound alarmist, but I fear another tragedy is afoot - the perpetual circumvention of the will of the American people, and the subsequent demise of American democracy. I say perpetual because I fear our political power has been removed from the equation. We will now be voting on machines that have virtually no security, no way of guaranteeing that our votes will be counted and our power secured. I say demise, because if we have no more political power, then we no longer live in a democracy. Don't mistake me here - I am now saying not to vote. I think that the only way any potential fraud can be exposed is if we vote in great numbers. If the we turn out at record levels, and senate control is retained by the Republicans, then we will have questions to ask. I digress.
If we can no longer vote, then we have no other avenue of political change. Except one - revolution. From the Declaration of Independence:
Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
Perhaps I am naive. Perhaps I am mistaken. Perhaps the situation is not nearly as dire as I perceive it to be. It is not without a sense of discomfort and general foreboding that I reference revolution. Personally, I would rather our votes counted and our will upheld. Unfortunately, I fear that there are mechanisms in place to keep that from happening. If there is something that I am mistaken about, or some premise of mine which is ill-suited to documenting such a "long train of abuses and usurpations", then I would be much relieved if it could be pointed out to me.
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