How to Effect Political Change
Stop beating your head against the wall
It is truly astonishing to me that there are still people who are eager to engage in the humiliation ritual of voting.
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I did vote (I confess) in one single Canadian election—years ago—and I immediately regretted it.
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I will never stoop to such an indignity again.
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After all these years—after the past four years, especially—I am baffled at the collective amnesia among the good people around me, and the widespread commitment to delusion.
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Sigh. To each their own, of course.
But to offer something of a counterpoint to the mass hysteria, let me just remind you that you do not have any obligation whatsoever to take an hour out of your day (and untold units of life-force) to grovel at the polls.
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In fact, I think one of the most powerful, significant things we can do to make a positive influence on “politics” is to acknowledge that it’s nonsense and to have absolutely nothing to do with it, to pay no attention to it, to offer it not an iota of our time or energy, and to remember that contrary to what the obedient and the beholden will tell you, your vote really doesn’t matter a hoot.
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It’s all theatre. The “candidates” are actors. The producers are always playing both sides.
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Neither the objective nor the outcome is “democracy.”
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“Democracy” itself is a linguistic sleight-of-hand, used to obfuscate the perpetual oligarchy hiding in plain sight, and to convince the peasantry (that’s us) to willingly participate in our own subjugation—to consent to our subjugation, no less.
Non-participation, however, is positive action, especially if you happen to be one of those (increasingly) rare individuals who still have a residual measure of capacity to summon self-discipline and focus your attention on that which is actually creative, life-affirming, or strength-building.
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So instead of standing in line or filling out a form and tiring yourself out trying to pick between two buffoons appointed by evil robber-barons, I hereby invite you to darn a sock, do a crossword puzzle, weed the garden, read a book, go for a swim, or take a walk.
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You’re welcome!
My exerience is different. I live in a state where democrat party politicians eliminated the religious exemption for vaccines. Previous to 2019, a parent in New York state could simply sign a form that said vaccination was against their religious principles. Their child would be allowed to attend school without any vaccines. Most American states have this rule, in some its called a philosophical or religious exemption. The states run by democrats, California, New York, e Connecticut, Maine have eliminated this "loophole" in the past 5 years. Now parents who dont want their child to have 70 vaccines by the age of 18 must homeschool.
This is ONE example, there are others, of how politics effects people's lives. Another example is that some states have considered outlawing homeschooling! It hasn't passed but it could. So I DO believe that voting is important. Its a very imperfect system, but we can try to hold politicians accountable. I am involved in lobbying in a small way, my heros are people like Amy Miller of Tennessee and many others who do the hard, wearying work of lobbying in state capitols.
I do NOT believe that it makes NO difference who gets elected whether as president or in congress or in state legislatures. Biden mandated covid vaccines for millions of people. Trump and his party did not do that and said they were against it. Here's another example: Alabama (republican run) outlawed gender surgery on minors. The Biden administration is suing the state to overturn that law.
No one has to vote. But please be respectful of the people who work so hard to protect children and adults from unwanted vaccines and other bad things! It does matter who has power!
Thank you!