Illinois' primary is part of this Super Tuesday. Readers of this blog for sometime will know that I do not vote. I haven't since the election in 2000, though at that time my views had come close to stepping away from our political process in a silent protest (I voted Nader and Green in that election, not entirely because I was convinced of Nader or the Green Party but because I felt at least in that there was a real choice). Also, at the elections in 2000 I was in my last year of Seminary and I was already thinking forward of how one is active politically even in voting as a pastor?
In 2004 when if finally settled on that I had enough of choosing between politicians and two parties that were simply slightly modified versions of each other and tired of the politics of the President will save us (the difference is just how one expects Mr President Soter to save us), I also decided that I could do so if I also proclaimed on my blog not only that I don't vote but why.
Today I will keep it brief: I have intimated in the above paragraph at some of the reasons why. One main reason is this chart and analysis I found at Notes from the Underground last week.
I suppose one could take issue with that analysis and graphing but it is essentially what I have found to be true over the years of my observing and participating in this great democracy of ours. Thus that the Greatest democracy in the world really doesn't sustain any real choice. I have my choices of varying degrees of Rightist Authoritarians. Even if I might fit in the center, my own political philosophy is shifting unpredictably so I don't know, I still find this a bit of a joke, and shows the lie of the story we Americans tell about our success. It is just possible that our democracy works so well because we in fact don't allow a true diversity of opinion and possible solutions into our political processes. I came to see our political process and our political mythology to be a lie that I just don't have the stomach to uphold and pretend by voting.
You might like this article from Jesus Manifesto:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.jesusmanifesto.com/2008/01/08/ten-reasons-why-i-wont-be-voting-for-the-president/
and Mark's caucus voter guide:
http://www.jesusmanifesto.com/2008/01/30/caucus-voters-guide-2008/
Wow, that's quite a responsibility I must have!
ReplyDeleteSteve,
ReplyDeleteI am clearly missing something, as I don't get your comment at all?
What responsibility and for what?
Larry - I was curious to see where YOU were on the chart--I've tested myself on this chart even before the internet existed and I pretty much have remained in the same quadrant for the last 20+ years--the lower left, of course.
ReplyDeleteEconomic Left/Right: -8.25
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.21
no surprise I'm a liberal anarchist. I have my guesses about what range you would be, but you seem to be in the process of some shifting within the last few years, so you'd probably surprise me.
Scott