A-merican Gub-mint 101

Once again, I feel the compulsion to shine the light of reality on the cesspool of popular perception.  I overheard two “geniuses” debating the merits of our “democracy” and voting process and how they wish a certain president were lynched under an old Oak tree.  We’ve come so far.

Well, I have to do a brain dump.  Here goes…

There was once the concept of “democracy”.  It has never existed in the USA.  Never.  At no point since our official inception have we had a “democracy”.  Study the definition and you’ll realize this.  We are technically, and realistically closer to being a “republic”.  They have different meanings.  Words matter.

We do not elect all of our public servants.   Proportionally, we do not elect most of them, actually.  We do not directly elect our president.  We don’t choose the vice president, nor the Speaker of the House, nor the Minority Whip or Majority Leader.  We don’t choose committee members or committee leaders.  We don’t elect the Supreme Court bench. We don’t vote to go to war or to raise taxes.  We don’t get to vote on the vast majority of bills submitted from one legislative body to another.

The Electoral College is not required by law or mandate to cast their vote in accordance with the “popular vote”.  Have they always voted in accordance with the “popular” vote? NO. Check out the elections of 1824, 1876, and 1888 (and let’s not forget 2000).

Your publicly-elected officials depend on campaign funds to get elected.  That is their lifeblood of existence.  PAC’s get their major funding from organized groups and corporate constituents, not from you.  When you write letters to public officials they are read by their staff and responded to (sometimes) on form letters using standard template content.  They only respond directly when it benefits their public image.  They serve who pays them to remain in power.  Period.

There has never, in the history of recorded elections, been an election for president, senator, governor or congressman, which was decided by a single popular vote.  The argument that “your vote counts” is null and void.  Groups of votes: yes.  One lone single vote: no.

Publicly-elected officials do not vote themselves into power.  They are voted into power by the public.  If you don’t like them, it’s the fault of the voters.

If you subscribe to the “two-party system” but would prefer only one party to hold positions of power, then you do not believe in “democracy” nor with a “two-party system” at all.  You are in fact supporting a one-party ideal, which is called Communism.  Communism was famous for standard grey uniforms, one-size of worn shoes, stale bread baked in batches to feed half of the population, and cars that break down every mile of driving.

I’m not asking you, not even suggesting that you not vote.  I’m just saying that we should stop lying to ourselves and our kids.  Be honest.  Call it what it is.  It’s still better than most other options currently available, and let’s be honest: it’s damn convenient that we were born here, right?  But if it looks like cat, meows like a cat, eats, sleeps, walks, and moves like a cat, and has a cat license tag, it’s probably a cat.  Don’t call it a Lion, at least not in front of the kids.  Ok?