Elections, Candidates and Voters

I'm not going to try to change anyone's mind here - if you've waited this long to make up your mind who it will be for you, well, there are probably many things you do not understand, and I would prefer not to confuse you.

The level of rhetoric I have seen in this campaign has reached a new low. I don't even care if it is true, the more negative the ads, the more I tend to think "Well, this guy must have something going on or they wouldn't be trying so damned hard to deep-six him." I of course have my reservations about all the candidates - if the world were mine to rule, I wouldn't have anyone in that office that had not at least served a tour in the military - because I don't believe that the culture of the military can be learned by listening to draft-dodging college profs and the like - and the might of the military cannot be effectively wielded by someone who doesn't understand it. Lots of people can explain how a helicopter works (myself among them) but unless you're a suicidal idiot you won't go flying with people like me - because I've never flown one. In a way, it's like sex - reading about it does nothing at all to prepare you for actually doing it.

I think we made a mistake allowing a constitutional amendment that made senators popularly elected - because the Founding Fathers had this pretty unique idea that the states as an entity needed representation within a federal system - and now there's nobody charged with that responsibility, whereas when senators were appointed by state legislatures, they at least knew who they owed. Popular election of both houses is outright silly at best - and it leads to enormous pandering contests to see who can promise to take the most from productive folks to give to someone who (they hope) will vote for them.

I also think that the current rush to kill off the electoral college is a huge mistake - unless all the folks that live anywhere but in the BosWash corridor, Pennsylvania and California are suddenly in love with the idea of letting the inhabitants of the aforementioned relatively trivial part of the USA think for them. Living where I do, I realize that a purely popular vote would assure that no matter what I thought, I'd get overrun by the folks from the Left Coast.

It is also probably prudent to note that it it does come to a purely popular vote, any sort of minority - ethnic, religious, philosophical, political, sexual or whatever should always remember that in a purely popular vote, any minority is at risk of not being heard, and potentially of becoming illegal.

Our politicians are looking to Europe for guidance as to how to do things - failing with boring regularity to note that we have been in a self-governing mode longer than those nations, and they are all bound about proving that socialism works for half of the people all of the time - and in a truly socialist society, there are no options except what the state in its beneficence allows. While we are contrasting the costs of health care in various places we ought to ask about unemployment rates in those places - some folks would have eyebrows go clean off the top of their heads.

I have libertarian leanings, I own guns and motorcycles (not to mention computers, a house and cars) and like the things that I own - and quite frankly believe that until I do something really evil and/or stupid and hurt someone besides myself with those things that I own it's none of anyone's goddamned business what I own, where I put it, who I allow to use it, how much or how many I have, and why I choose to have those things as opposed to other things (like golf clubs, tennis racquets, books or camping gear, just for example.)

I have an aversion to giving the government money that I worked to get only to have the government disperse it to someone more needy, more deserving, or less literate than I am. My church receives what I choose to give away, and the sum is not trivial. Because I am a member of the congregation, I have some (albeit limited) input into the disbursement process.

I hate pushing or saying 1 to have the robot on the phone speak to me in English, and it pisses me off that the only choices I get are English or Spanish - why not German and Russian, Polish, Hebrew, Arabic, or Farsi in addition? Or why not be more truthful and make it English officially. I would not interfere with anyone's wish to speak whatever in their own homes and gathering places - but we are where we are, the only thing approaching a standard language is English, so assimilate, dammit! I lived in Germany for a time, and learned German. Sure it was less than easy, but that was what was spoken there, and I felt it to be less than correct to assume that everyone was going to learn my language. I know it would have put large limitations on my ability to learn to know the inhabitants of Germany. I have never regretted learning German (or Russian, or the short study I undertook of Koinae Greek) and think it is important for us to learn other languages - but it is vital that we do not try to become all other places just so folks can feel at home here - if that mattered, they'd've never left where they were!

I believe that anyone who puts something in front of American with a hyphen between is telling all of us just how important being American is to that person - and the importance of being American is secondary at best. I am an American - not a German-American, just a plain garden-variety American. I owe allegiance to one nation, not to many - and should it become apparent to me that this is no longer a place I can call home, I'll go elsewhere, and assimilate into the culture and population there. Having lived other places, I know I can do it - and having lived other places, I came back here, despite giving thought to staying in Germany for one.

If the desire of the electorate is to overhaul our government, there are going to be a hell of a lot of congresscritters and senators looking for new places to do their whoring because the electorate is going to throw all their arses out and put new ones in there. Sure, the new ones will be inexperienced - but they'll find a way to do what must be done, and in they process they just might find a better way. I wouldn't mind seeing limits on consecutive terms on legislators - they might spend less time with their noses up the public's butt and more time trying to do something historically memorable so that after taking a term off someone might remember their names an think of putting them back to work for a few more terms.

All of the aforestated is my own opinion. Nobody is obligated to agree with me, or to try to convince me otherwise. If I could obligate readers to something, it would be to think about what I have written - nothing more.

I think that's enough of a rant for one day. I don't recall what I started out to do with this space today, but think I got sidetracked somewhere along the line.

Vote on Tuesday. Vote for someone, anyone - but get out there and vote and think about why you are making the choices you are making. Resolve next election to make better choices, or more informed choices.

If you don't vote, meine ansicht nach you forfeit any and all bitching rights.