By poll numbers and my own observations, it seems that an unprecedented number of people are waking up to the reality that the Ds and Rs are part of a locked-arm collusion against us. Very few are yet willing to put in such simple terms, or act on that reality, of course. In fact I’ve never seen/heard so many people say they don’t see any reason to vote anymore. Many now understand that elections are to at least a degree and in some way, rigged, so they are thinking of staying home next Election Day.
OK.
That would mean the passionate few among us will not only have a greater, disproportionate effect on Election Day, but we also, in discussions with these discouraged voters, need to convince them of only three things; none having anything to do with messy and contentious partisan ideology:
- If you’d go and vote for the Two Party System again, then you’re right…you’ve got no fight in you, and you’d just be another drop in the bad guy’s big bucket. They own you. But at least you don’t want to voluntarily approve them, so just stay home. Let the rest of us try our might against this mess.
- The only votes that count for positive change, the only votes that could shake the world, are those against the status quo and for an alternative…any alternative…to the Two Party System. If you don’t see that, or if you aren’t willing to try, you really aren’t mad enough yet, or don’t yet see the problem.
- Voting is the power of protest, of saying NO, and of peaceful revolution. We’ve been wasting that power as if it were just a poker chip up to now; but we really could fire the bums on Election Day. It’s just a choice.
Number one is the easiest. But it should be invoked only on those who’re truly hopeless; the real sheep among us[1]. Sadly, they will be many. Don’t worry; the passionate few always move destiny. The sheep really don’t matter in social change. They will follow when there’s a new shepherd.
Number two should be pretty simple, but it’s not easy to convince people that we’ve not even tried in the last century. We’ve not just allowed the Ds and Rs to write illegal regulations granting them huge advantages over other parties and candidates; we’ve actually asked them to. And they’ve used that advantage to entrench themselves against us. So, yes, there is extensive fraud. I know that and even proved it in 2004. But if even a fifth of the people change their hearts and minds and choose to vote in favor of a new government, and if the powers that be try to fudge the elections to swing it their way once again, we’d all know about it. And that would lead to new levels of energy and action.
Number three will be hard. We’re tribal, cliquish creatures, after all. We paint our faces at football games, for Pete’s sake. But we’ve got to convince people that the corruption that they suspect is worse than they think, because it is.
They’ve got to get mad at the Ds and Rs, and vote that way.
[1] However, I must note that I’ve never been very good at determining who are the sheep, and who will become the next shepherds (it’s easy to spot the wolves). I’ve observed that the educated, comfortably middle class are most likely to be wasted time; while the roughest, least comfortable among us are more likely the gems. Angry young black men, redneck whites, poor illegal aliens who’ve been working hard to get ahead, may be a whole lot smarter and more aware of their surroundings than you think. I’ve been favorably surprised many times by society’s untouchables, and I’ve almost always been sorely disappointed by the well-coiffed and well-heeled.
We Declare 