digg-ing america: vote for nobody
by Anthony Marenna
Published: August 5, 2008
Digg.com is a widely known user-generated news aggregation service. “Digg-ing America” uses selections from Digg’s most popular monthly news submissions to evaluate the political attitude of the American people, thus crafting the American story each month.
A simple walk down a busy street is enough to reveal the pervasive lack of interest that is eating the nation alive, the very same overdose of apathy and searing frustration that has allowed America’s new lack of Starbucks a place at the forefront of the daily humbug. The Goliath of the coffee industry has fallen to its knees, preparing to close about 600 stores in wake of what everyone is making out to be the impending economic disaster. Sure, Joe and Jan Average in economically Under-performing Town, USA may lose their morning mocha caramel frappuccinos, but that certainly seems to be the least of their concerns as we plunge into the back half of the summer months.
This is a denial-laden conversation that hides a deeper knowledge existent amongst the American people. It is a simple, unexaggerated truth that “survival” has become dramatically more difficult for the typical person in the United States. Recent gas hot-spot maps show an average range of about $3.74 to $4.38+ per gallon. According to energy analyst Michael Masters, if Congress were to end the energy stalemate by passing a law limiting energy futures speculation, gas would drop by 50% within 30 days. Replacing those $50.00 fill-ups with $25 top-offs seems like a distant dream to most… a happy distant dream at that. But totally unrealistic. Even announcements that Mercedes will remove petroleum from its line of production by 2015, Tesla Motors will release an all electric car for less than $30k within the next four years, and (for a limited time only!) Volkswagon will be selling a car that will run for 282 miles per gallon cannot seem to dash the pragmatic consumer vision that it will be mere weeks before we’re staring down $5.00 for each gallon of gas we buy. OUCH.
Our economic woes almost seem to drown out world affairs, if only a little. From Iraq (the midst of our oil angst) comes stories of both tragedy and of faint hope for a better tomorrow. They stand in stark contrast to one another as we take in the war from afar.
Hard knocks take another form back here in the states, far from the bombings and guerrilla warfare. Reality rears its ugly head as a collapse of all that we know and love in this American life. Where is any semblance of financial safety? It seems impossible that in this day and era people could find themselves lined up outside their local IndyMac Bank for hours being threatened with arrest by police officers because they want their money and cannot get access to it. And the FDIC says some of their claims may not be addressed for years? Why is there an FDIC and how will some of these people pay for food today, tomorrow and the next day? This is not America!
In the meantime, the government is making massive loans with taxpayer dollars to keep two of the hugest financial institutions in the country from going under. These Depression-like developments simply must infuriate the average Joe. Here’s a great idea: tell Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that the government will let them implode in hopes that they will be replaced by smarter and more honest business men who will not make an absurd amount of high-risk loans meant to rip off the already hurting consumer.
But why would anyone ever expect the current government to do an upstanding thing like that? After all, the Supreme Court is spending its time entertaining cases like the one that almost cost Americans their right to bear arms, and Congress is spending its time passing the Spy Bill, which, according to an AT&T Whistleblower, creates “infrastructure for a police state.” And there’s also the just-approved FISA bill granting telecommunications outfits legal immunity for wiretapping (a.k.a. “The Death of the Fourth Amendment“).
And if civil rights had not been trounced enough, a federal court has upheld the President’s right to indefinitely detain civilians. Perhaps he’ll start with the 75% of Americans who blame him and his policies for the rotting economy.
But no conversation about FISA would be complete without a chat with the October 17, 2007 version of Barack Obama, who claimed, “It is time to restore oversight and accountability in the FISA program, and this proposal - with an unprecedented grant of retroactive immunity - is not the place to start.” Then he went and voted “Yes!” on the bill! Well, at least he’s in better shape than John McCain (a man with a few flip-flops of his own), who did this to an elderly woman who tried to sit in on his town hall meeting with subversive materials:
Despite the fact that Barack Obama and John McCain are almost identically platformed candidates, Barack is out to a huge 15 point lead early. And if Barack’s first campaign ad, McCain’s reckless comments regarding the advantageous aspect of another attack on America, and his even more reckless comments that we are in World War III, thus warranting a draft, are any indication of what is to come, Obama’s lead will be just fine.
Still disenchanted? Well, so is everybody else. I guess that only leaves us with one choice.
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August 7th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
YES I am EXACTLY in agreement with you…..
My cast on this situation…dull green…….
VOTE the incumbents out…..
Vote against the McCain/Bush guys…
Vote for NOBODY Obama……….
Did I say I like Ron Paul……….did i……….
August 12th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
While some people may actually be suffering from the high gas prices, we are living in an age of denial if we think this is all the governments fault. They should be our servants(hence the name public servant), not the other way around.
First, we elected them. Strike one for us.
Second, it is not just the federal government, but individuals who have sunk themselves into drowning debt. Strike two.
Third, a realistic assesment of needs and wants would go a long way to easing individual financial burdens. For example: shelter, food, reasonable amount of clothing, reliable transportation=needs. New flat screen, brand new leased car, excessively large house, junk food and eating out way too often, new clothes on a weekly basis, upgraded cable package, and “everything my neighbor has stuffed into his garage and never uses either”=wants.
Shockingly, my family doesn’t even have a television plugged into the wall (we do have one sitting sitting somewhere stored in our house.) We just use the internet to keep up on world affairs, for entertainment, and contact with family. Its a lot cheaper and we don’t seem to miss out on much, except comemercials we never liked to watch anyway.
And no, I don’t like Ron Paul. He doesn’t hold the copyright on the phrase “personal responsibilty.”
August 12th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
You make a valid point. The government has gone the way of the individual in this country: it continues to spend money it does not have on things that it does not need. This is especially concerning when there are very many people who do not enjoy luxuries such as shelter, food, modest clothing, and reliable transportation. Let alone a television.
While Ron Paul certainly does not hold the copyright on the phrase “personal responsibility” it should be pointed out that he is one of the few who seem to be standing up for the average person. Political efficacy is at an all time low, and government looks like it is running away while we foot the bill. Paul is not perfect by any standard, but he is on the right track. If every politician were to adopt a general mission of small government, freedom, and common sense, we’d all be a lot better off.
Thanks for your great comment.
October 14th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
I am looking for people who are actively refusing to vote this November 4th in Seattle and want to make their voices heard. Is there anyone else out there who is refusing to prop up the political system we are living under…
October 15th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
Well…ok if u vote fer a 3rd party or don’t vote at all ur throwing ur vote away….I would like to vote fer RON PAUL…some don’t like his global policies…what’s that to havin no job or losing the Constitution… I am gonna vote fer Obama cause we are gonna start off with a new batch of bums…and throw out the GOP until they figure out…that the party has been high-jacked by a bunch of low down flannel mouth carpet bagger low life snakes… did u notice that I refrained from any real mud sling here…:>)
October 16th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
“If u vote for a 3rd party or don’t vote at all ur throwing ur vote away”
With that in mind, concerning 3rd party voting, it really doesn’t matter if you vote for the dems or reps either - your single vote won’t matter any more than it would for a 3rd party.
People will say, “If you don’t vote for either the dem or the rep you’re throwing your vote away” to which I say (from an economics background) “It’s not like your one solitary vote matters added to the pile of democrat votes anyway.”
A single vote on its own doesn’t affect things - that’s why you vote for what you truly believe and support and then get others to do the same. Drive bus loads of old people from rest homes to the polls, actively participate with non-profits that raise people’s awareness.
Your vote on its own won’t have any effect any way you lay it out - so enough with the “your vote won’t count” business. Vote, have purpose, make a statement with it and become a leader for other people. That’s how you’ll make a difference.