If we Snooze we may Lose the Semblance of Democracy that Exists in this Country

I have been writing in circles for about a week now.  Too many thoughts come to mind. In less than a month according to all pollsters, the whole of congress will be in Republican’s hands, because too many Democrats are unwilling to vote.  The Democrats by lack of will  may just hand the government over to Republicans who –

•  Brought us the never-ending war in the Middle East and expanding;
• Shut down the government for over 2 weeks to protect the right of Americans to be uninsured (health insurance);
•  Are working to strip Americans of the protection of Social Security in their old age;
• Have worked feverishly to install Justices in the Supreme Court who have increased corporate legal rights while decreasing individual legal rights as well as weakening voting rights for all Americans;
• Continuously deny climate chaos (climate change – is a ridiculous misnomer – climate change is spring turning into summer into fall into winter and back again, NOT climactic global catastrophe involving extinction of species, super-storms, disappearance of land masses due significant sea level changes – and global warming isn’t any better it just sounds cozy like heart-warming Phrase CHANGE PUHLEASE!

BACK TO REPUBLICAN Crimes

• Work in lock-step with the fossil fuel folks who are funding the denial of climate chaos
• Always push for de-regulation for the benefit of business to the detriment of the consumer
• Prioritize the NRA’s campaign to protect the rights of criminals to illegally firearms over the safety of victims of violence and the greater unarmed population.
• Promoted Dow’s production of pesticides  and Monsanto’s production of GMO foods for Big Agriculture over the health and safety of American citizens.

And last but not least they have only FOUR solutions to any political problem –

1. Cut taxes for the wealthy.
2. Cut tax spending on anything that actually helps the greater population – Education, Healthcare, Environment, Social Services, Regulatory Agencies such as the EPA, FDA, etc.
3. Deregulating business/industries.

And when all of the above strategies fail  to right the domestic ills of the nation – they start WARS!

Throughout history – during times of national instability,  leaders  have always chosen the enemies for the people, either internally or externally, so as to avoid taking responsibility for what has befallen the nation due to their corrupt or inept policies.  Forever the finger of blame points OUTWARD!  No one dishonorable ever falls of their own volition; they need to be yanked from their post.  And the political tool for yanking out politicians is by voting them OUT!

But once we are committing to war and fear, the weak of the Nation wants a Daddy-figure, an authoritarian Republican leader who can lead us through the dark.  I say the Republicans aren’t leading us through, but deeper INTO the dark.

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Our politicians tell us – better them than us!  And I say – What about NOBODY at all?  This  war game is played by old rules, and promoted by old lies.  Lies like – if we fight, we will be safer.  Who will be safer?  Not the men and women you send out. Not their families.  Not the citizens of this country, on whom you have drawn RED TARGETS on their backs, signifying – I am American, I am your enemy, I stand for everything you despise – I give you permission to hate me.

Inner Monologue

EXCUSE ME – I didn’t sign UP for this shit!  I didn’t give you (Uncle Sam) permission to ab-use my money, my body, my life this way!

I may be a bitch, but I am not YOUR BITCH! ,  Mr. Uncle Sam.

But what if I think back …

From Papa Bush’s – invasion of Panama and 1st invasion of Iraq – to Baby Bush’s switcheroo of enemies – Saddam Hussein becoming Enemy #1 instead of the Taliban.  Both of which were U.S. state sponsored for more years than they were our enemies at the time.

If I think back … I can probably count on one hand how many elections I voted in since I turned 18.

Why?

I can’t really give you a logical or honorable reason.  And I feel shitty admitting it, believe me.  But the only way to change something you are ashamed of, is admitting that there is a problem, right?  And then getting on with changing it.

And the same goes for changing a country.  What sense does it make to care passionately about what one’s country does or doesn’t do – and then not make the least action to change it?

I could give many excuses for not voting – like it is a done deal – voting won’t make a difference. This was and still is a cop-out.  Because the truth is without participating in the process, as futile as it seemed to be – I was as much part of the problem, as were many other non-voting liberals, democrats, radicals, or anyone else negatively affected by Republican policies.

And to prove that voting DOES MATTER – you only have to look at the Republican campaign to disenfranchise or weaken the Democratic vote

• Gerrymandering (re-district areas to strengthen their voting advantage) .http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/05/15/americas-most-gerrymandered-congressional-districts/
•   Creating voting obstacles for democratic-heavy districts.   http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/08/the-republican-push-to-make-it-harder-to-vote/278289/

If it is true that the Senate is headed for a Republican takeover, we know they will soon be working in lock-step with the Republican dominated house.  We also know that  the Democrats don’t have enough unity or balls to be the same obstructionists as the Republicans have been since Obama first was elected. I mean, why bother, if their constituents don’t have enough cajones to support them in their elections.  So if we don’t want MORE and MORE war and everything else Republican and we don’t vote –  Who can we blame but ourselves?

The ONE thing that both Democrat and Republican constituencies can agree upon, outside of the 1 per cent, is that our country is “F’d” up economically, socially, and politically.  And with more than half of the electorate to blame, because they can’t be bothered with actually participating in Democracy, just complaining about it, something has got to give.  And do we really want to find out how much worse it can get?

If you are registered,then just effing vote, and if you aren’t encourage as many people who ARE registered to get out there and show our leaders our strength.  Consider that the American civil war, the Women’s suffrage movement, the fall of the Soviet Union ,the Egyptian Spring revolution,all came about by persons fighting for their right to be represented in politics, to have the right to vote in democratic elections. To them having this right was worth their life and safety.  And half the American electorate has been pissing this “right” away for decades.