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Sick_of_SlaveryRamblings of a young revolutionary
News, experiences, interviews, rants, etc. on politics, social issues, ideas, philosophies, and the like. I am an anarchist, so much of my analysis will be coming from that viewpoint. Language: en-us Genres: News Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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My Election Day Experience
Tuesday, 4 November, 2008
So, I voted today. No lines, no waiting, no problems, it all went smooth. But then, I am registered in a relatively wealthy area. I felt no rush while casting my vote for the office of the President of the United States. I did not relish in the fact that I was being asked to choose from a group of people who do not know me, have not lived my life, yet who feel they have the knowledge and wisdom to dictate to me how I should live it. I was much more interested in the more local issues...state (FL) constitutional amendments, local officials, etc. The two that most appealed to me were No. 1 - "to delete provisions authorizing the Legislature to regulate or prohibit the ownership, inheritance, disposition, and possession of real property by aliens ineligible for citizenship," and No. 2 - to define marriage as one male and one female, and to invalidate any other unions. I voted yes on 1, and no on 2.The United States' illegal immigration problem is not the fault of the immigrants, it is the fault of U.S. corporate interests and government actions. Our country fucked up Mexico's economy, and workers crossed the border looking for the land of opportunity advertised on our Statue of Liberty. I wish the reality weren't so disappointing. Neither of the two major candidates will repeal NAFTA, the cause of Mexico's ailing economy, as well as the true cause of the loss of manufacturing jobs here in the U.S. Immigrants didn't come to the U.S. and steal your job, your corporation didn't give a shit about you, and moved your job to somewhere where the workers could be exploited more- with death squads, union busting, sweatshops, etc.- namely, Mexico. Don't blame immigrants for the economy's problems...if you read into history, you'd know that immigrants have always helped the economy, and that claims of immigrants being a drain on social services are wildly exaggerated and told in absence of the information to the contrary- how much they contribute to the economy- which far outweighs what is spent on them. Illegal immigrants can't even get social services many times, because they have no social security number, and no legal identity in the U.S. They also DO pay taxes, because everybody pays sales tax, which disproportionately affects the poor. They also pay taxes on their property, if they own any. Keep in mind, they essentially have no say in what happens, so even though they are being taxed, they have no representation. Also keep in mind that 1/3 of the United States was stolen from Mexico in war, and that millions of people have been wrongly deported because they had dark skin and spoke Spanish.The government should have nothing to do with marriage, but if special priveleges are given to married couples, then this should extend to all married couples. It should be regardless of whether the couple is blessed by a religious institution or not, they are heterosexual or not, or anything else. If a couple wants to be married, and they are both consenting and of age, benefits should be extended to them that any other union gets. The government should be playing moral police and limiting the rights of those considered different. However, there is another issue involved in this, as well. Why doesn't every American just have healthcare? Why doesn't every American have the insurance they need to live a long and healthy life? People should have to get married to get the same benefits, those should be given regardless of marital status, or any other identifier. There is no justification for why healthcare in this country should continue to be driven by profits instead of better health.Keep in mind that no matter who you vote for, you're voting for someone to rule over you. I'm not saying don't vote...I'm saying don't end it there. Voting is a great way to participate in the political process, and voting on amendments such as these is very important. However, we must not forget that by voting officials into office, we give our power away, with only a slight say in what general direction the government may go, and only within a certain range of difference. Think about this: what if everyone wrote in themselves for President? What would the government do? Would they leave the decision to the Supreme Court? Congress? Or would they respect our decision and split power among all? I think if we did that, we'd see the true face of the so-called American democracy, and we'd know the truth about what they think about the voters they claim to know and love while they campaign to steal your power and win the offices that tell you what you can and cannot do, with little or no oversight upon them. Dissent is seen as treason, criminal, and punishable. That means if you disagree with whoever is in power, you will face state violence. What better definition of fascism is there? How much will we take? What has to happen for the American people to say, "Enough is enough!"? I guess we'll find out...
