RE: Earning the Vote
November 8, 2023 at 2:28 pm
(This post was last modified: November 8, 2023 at 2:29 pm by The Grand Nudger.)
(November 8, 2023 at 2:01 pm)Thumpalumpacus Wrote: I'm not arguing that higher standards for our candidates represents surrender. I'm arguing that not equipping voters themselves with good bullshit detectors is asking for ethical failings and legal/Constitutional misrepresentations to continue, because power corrupts.We don't disagree that education is crucial to a functioning democracy. I simply have no expectation that a better educated public will, by virtue of that education, somehow get a better politician. Especially..especially... if power corrupts.
Here again, whether we're smart or stupid will not -to my mind- matter when our votes do not and we do not (or cannot) hold them accountable.
Quote:Your solution, to not vote, is where the surrender lies, because as noted above, votes yesterday did in fact change things.That's my solution for dealing with the voting situation I've spent most of my life in. Your vote may matter. I don't know your address. I think it's important to acknowledge it. I think it's important to talk about it. I think it's important that the only choice I have in reality is whether or not I legitimize this situation with my own participation. It doesn't matter what I put on a ballet. I'd call voting ceremonial but that implies a level of pomp and pageantry you won't find at any of our local spots.
It is, after all, one of the things that people whose votes do matter intend to fix, is it not? Whether that means to fix it permanently so, or reverse it.
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