« Killing Fields | Main | Shi'ite Migrant Workers Hotel Bombed in Tikrit »
October 28, 2004
[If All You Do is] Vote, They Die
I see that Nader's campaign page has linked to Vote Pact. Frankly, I think it's a sign of political ineptness that it took this long for him to recognize that the realities of the first-past-the-post, winner-takes-all system we have in this country makes it necessary to consider strategic voting. I know he was asked about this at the very first press conference that he announced his candidacy back in spring so he certainly didn't have to wait until the week before the election to actually take it up at least on his website.
Readers of this page know that I harbor no illusions about Kerry. I do, however, wish that he wins rather than Bush if for no other reason that it will send a terrible, terrible message to the rest of the world if Bush wins an election. Right now, most people around the world believe that, in general, Americans don't support these immoral policies and that Bush is only president because he stole the election. Frankly, I think we are more complicit in this crime than that charitable interpretation. But, if Bush were to actually win an election -- rather than steal it a second time, certainly a strong possibility -- we might lose any semblance of connectedness to the rest of the planet's citizenry. After the World Trade Center attacks, Le Monde ran a "We're All Americans" headline. People around the world watched the towers burn and cried for the victims. Yes, sure, Bush is disliked globally. However, many people around the world distinguish between the American people and this administration. A Bush election victory would change that.
Put briefly, Vote Pact is the idea that you find a reluctant would-be Bush supporter and make a pact to both vote for third party candidate of your choice -- since it takes one vote away from both Kerry and Bush, the only winners are the third parties, currently completely erased by the electoral system. Absentee ballots would allow people to sit down and verify each others pledge.
But, more importantly, I think something is wrong if who to vote for is your biggest decision this year. Election's have become a charade to give people the illusion of participation while all real means of participation are curtailed further and further. I can certainly understand people voting for Kerry in non-swing states. But it's a bit like what they say about saving a life -- if you save it, you're responsible for it. Or the rule attributed to Pottery Barn (that Pottery Barn vehemently denies is their policy) -- you break it, you own it. Many people are voting for Kerry because they are against the war. I hope those people will be very actively engaged in making sure Kerry does not carry out his campaign promises such as escalating the bombing of Fallujah and Ramadi; something he criticized Bush for not doing enough of.
And obviously, voting for an anti-war candidate like David Cobb does not absolve us of our responsibility in curtailing our government's immorality. No matter who wins, that's our government. That's the machine. Are we going to be cooperative little clogs in the machine or are we going to at least try our best to make it stop? The substantive question isn't whether or not you're voting your conscience on Election Day; the real question is whether you have your conscience guiding you every other day. Some get out the vote campaigns have been using the slogan Vote or Die. The unfortunate truth of the matter is if all we do is vote, they will continue to die.
Posted by zeynep at October 28, 2004 11:33 PM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.underthesamesun.org/mt-tb.cgi/249
Comments
Great blog and great sentiments. But how to stop the machine? What can be done by an individual to turn it around even if/when Kerry wins?
Jim
Posted by: Jim at October 29, 2004 08:13 AM
Let's talk bout McVeigh.
A homegrown terrorist.
Not a Muslim.
Just some guy.
Posted by: Puck at October 29, 2004 02:41 PM
Let's talk bout McVeigh.
A homegrown terrorist.
Not a Muslim.
Just some guy.
Posted by: Puck at October 29, 2004 02:41 PM
I said before the war started that going into Iraq would be having Waco on a global scale. So, when do we see Oklahoma City on a global scale?
McVeigh was a Christian terrorist, and yes, homegrown.
Posted by: Susan - USA at October 29, 2004 10:37 PM
Well, a Kerry presidency will provide some short term relief (though this is easily overstated by the Anybody But Bush crowd) to unions, pro-choicers, among a very few others. In the end, though, I think it will just make matters worse. An analogy is the 1964 LBJ/Goldwater race, in which people voted overwhelmingly for peace, justice and civil rights and received instead the Vietnam War. Sadly, the Left - though clearly on the side of the angels - will be lucky this time around to get 3% of the vote (combined for Nader, Cobb, etc). Is it a lack of unity, or have we simply stopped believing in the core of our creed? Is that why so many of us (zeynep?)naturally gravitate toward the lesser evil?
Posted by: Louis at October 29, 2004 11:00 PM
I don't necessarily think that the rest of the world will think less of Americans if Bush is re-elected. The country is fairly evenly split, as it was in '00, and so I don't think that one can really suggest that the rest of the world will think that the American populace is a whole lot different. The vote will be about the same. I agree that it doesn't really matter who is elected. In fact, I think it would be nice to haave Bush re-elected just so he has to deal with the results of his missteps. And I really don't think that Kerry is going to do anything different than Bush. He'll make some overtures to other countries but I can't see him pullin' out of Iraq....then again...I dunno. Here's an interesting article from the Guardian about the attitudes of folks in the Middle East about the election: http://www.guardian.co.uk/elsewhere/journalist/story/0,7792,1339149,00.html
Posted by: Toddini at October 29, 2004 11:19 PM
If I was a citizen of US, I would vote for Nader. The whole point of the elections is to vote for a candidate you agree with. Only difference between Kerry and Bush is that the former cat tie his shoelaces without a minder.Some "style" differences, but same policies.
Posted by: Dominion at October 30, 2004 09:10 AM
Revolution is always a good way to change things. I personally am voting for Nader. I am sick of the two party system, and I think for anything good to happen, the stranglehold the Republicrats have on us must end!
Posted by: Anthony at October 31, 2004 06:16 PM
I fervently agree with the point of view that after the election, our problems will be the same, no matter which rich Yalie holds office. "The wealthy have two political parties; the rest of us ought to have at least one!"
Posted by: Larry C. at November 1, 2004 09:42 AM
I believe the only way to ever have a viable third party in this country is to bring the immigration policies of this country to the fore.
The average American is sick of our government ignoring this costly problem. I am speaking of both our policies for legal and illegal immigrants.
This is a huge economic & natural resource cost to our country yet our politicians basically ignore it. We are rapidly becoming overpopulated & still we ignore it.
The Republicans ignore illegal immigration because it is a huge advantage to their base who employ them for low wages & no benefits. Companies that hire them are supposed to be fined, but they aren't.
The Democrats ignore it because they are fully aware they vote mostly for the Dems. Both sides are guilty of vote pandering.
There are so many problems connected to this issue it is difficult to name them all. We need to do many things, but esp. these:
1. Reduce the number of legal immigration to ca. 1960s levels.
2. Change our laws so that newborns have citizenship in the country of their mother. No other country allows a newborn of an illegal to be named a citizen of their country solely because they were born here.
3. Stop paying the cost of medical and education costs for illegals.
4. Actually close our borders except for designated border crossings even if that includes building a wall across our borders. Many border patrols are being assaulted and murdered by illegals crossing into our country.
These are just a few immediate steps we need to take. I've written Congressmen several times about the immigration issues & their answers, if they answer at all, are not satisfying.
Posted by: k ols at November 2, 2004 02:10 AM