Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Here's Where YOU Come In...

On November 2, we will get the government we deserve. And it's up to each of us to participate in whether or not we get that government.

Go. Vote. Vote. Vote. I can repeat it. I don't mean "Chicago-style" (early-and-often) - but I mean get out of your bed or out of your office and get your rear-end (and your brain, please) to the polling place and cast your vote.

People (particularly extreme right-wing folks) are hawking their message about loudly and often. "This is an imperialist government!" "We need our country back!" "We don't need government in our [fill in the blank]!" "The Democrats have stolen the election!"

Ok, this is NOT an imperialist government. If it was, you wouldn't be running for elected office. I know logic hurts, but it really does help in the long run.

You  need your country back from WHAT? Pre-history days when women weren't allowed to vote, a black man (don't even talk about a black WOMAN) was 2/3 of a person? The days when only rich white MALE property owners could direct the course of history? Oh, yeah. THOSE good old days.

You don't  need government? How about your police, fire departments, your education system, the roads, bridges and transportation systems?

How can the Democrats steal an election that hasn't happened yet? And if they have stolen it, then why does every news station I hear say that the Republicans could see big wins? How is that stealing if YOUR party is predicted to come out ahead? I know it's just been a full moon, but THINK, PEOPLE!!

Again, logic hurts. But it's for the best; trust me.

I am concerned that people who actually think before they speak will figure they're "voting" by not voting. Or they'll believe the "polls" which say that the Democrats will lose big. Which is kind of silly, since the races have tightened up and in many cases, the Democrat's candidate is ahead. Don't believe everything you hear on the "liberal-controlled media" because (a) the media isn't controlled by the liberals - it's actually controlled by the right; and (b) polls are statistics. I can make a statistic sing Gregorian Chant if I want it to. And you'll believe it. Polls are slanted in regard to who they poll. And if a polling entity polls in a predominantly conservative area, guess what the results might be? Go ahead - guess. It's really easy. Using that darned logic again, you'll see that the poll might lean significantly toward the right. See? That didn't hurt.

Don't vote by not voting. Vote because you have something to say. Vote because our system, even as flawed as it is, is among the shining stars of functioning governments. People in other countries die because they want the right to do what you may consider skipping on November 2. People in many corners of the world actually vote, but vote for the "Ruler for Life" - which isn't really a vote. It's a way to not get shot.

I continue to believe in our system because I think it's better than a lot of the other systems out there. It's flawed. Heck, it's bound to be flawed because humans are involved. And it's corrupt to a certain extent, thanks to the Supreme Court's decision to allow corporations to be people.

That reminds me of algebra, where n is a number. "N" is a letter. I could never wrap my head around that, which is why I did so poorly in algebra.

I can't wrap my mind around a corporation being a person. I've worked for corporations. They're about as human as an Asian Carp. Which isn't - if you don't get the joke. An Asian Carp is an invasive species poised to totally wreck the ecosystem in Lake Michigan. They get up to about 40 lbs and have been known to knock people out of boats. They're not a happy fish, and whoever figures out how to catch 'em and sell them to people as food will be a millionaire in no time flat!

So anyhow, X Corporation is now a person, same as you and me. The corporation can donate any amount of money it chooses to support the candidate of its choice. Problem is that the corporation has way more money than I have. And the corporations are using that money to support corporate-friendly candidates.

Corporate-friendly candidates are generally not people-friendly. The main purpose of a corporation is to provide value for its shareholders (see, that MBA comes in handy!). So unless you're a shareholder of a corporation in a major way, you will more likely not see any benefits if a corporate-friendly candidate wins office. You'll likely see fewer benefits, particularly if you work for a corporation. Your benefits (health, retirement, etc.) may be reduced. Your job may be outsourced. To save money for the shareholders.

My Strategic Planning professor says that "if you're not in the business of becoming a global corporation, you're in the business of going out of business." I think that the US needs to make things again, so I am fundamentally opposed to corporations that want to shift as many jobs as they can to overseas job markets. We're hurting here, and yeah, it may cost more to build it here, but think of the marketing edge you'd have with all those uber-conservative uber-patriot types: "This widget is MADE IN AMERICA!" We don't want no foreign widgets in this country! We want only Yew-NITED STATES of AMERICA widgets!

So a corporation which ships say 35% of its jobs overseas buys an election. Don't laugh - look at the corporate donations through the American Chamber of Commerce. It'll make your tummy flop and your innards go to jelly. X Corporation is now NOT paying benefits to American workers (35% of whom it laid off); it is NOT paying taxes (because you don't have to pay into Social Security or Medicare if you don't have American workers); it is gaining money like crazy for its shareholders, but if you only own a small amount of shares, you can't exactly live off the dividends!

So go vote. Speak up for your beliefs. Make liars out of the pollsters who say we're lazy, unappreciative and apathetic. Please.

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