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Posted on Wednesday, November 8th, 2006

Dave!As I've said many times, I am not a Democrat or a Republican or a Libertarian or whatever else is out there. I research each candidate or issue and place my vote independently of which party is attached. I've done this for at least a decade, and have probably voted for an equal number of Republicans and Democrats over the years which, in retrospect, is simply a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils. In truth, I think both parties are more interested in advancing their agendas than serving the people they represent. I don't know whether that makes me a pessimist or a realist, but it's how I feel so I don't really care.

This election was a little different for me because I am just so frakkin' tired of the continuous stream of shit that's been flowing from politicians lately. Democrat or Republican, it makes no difference... I'm just disgusted to the point of insanity over the mess this country has become. With that in mind, my vote this year was intended to do nothing more than send a message of my complete and total dissatisfaction with how things are being run. Apparently a lot of people felt the same way...

Bush What?
Hopefully he'll get the message eventually.

In the end, I try not to get political on my blog because, well, I don't really have any politics. But I feel it is unfair to be critical of something without offering an opinion as to why. So, if that kind of thing interests you, I've commented on some hot-button issues in an extended entry.

  • Bush: I am not a President Bush hater. I am most certainly not a President Bush lover. It's much worse than either of those things. I completely and totally have no respect for the man. None. I thought I could at least respect the office he holds, but even that has proven impossible. The minute he made jokes about starting a war while the troops he so ineptly commands are fighting and dying far from home, I had nothing left to give. People who join the armed forces are volunteering to give their lives for this country, and deserve far better at his hands. And yet he feels somehow justified about attacking John Kerry for recent remarks he made to the same effect. It's this kind of stupid hypocritical shit that drives me insane. Kerry, Bush, and everybody else who feels like exploiting our troops for politics should shut the fuck up. Seriously.
  • Healthcare: The state of health care in this country is horrible to the point of tragedy. This is not something up for debate, it's a fact. Yet, Republicans and Democrats are doing nothing... NOTHING... about it. They'd much rather fight with each other over stupid shit like this. Meanwhile, a ton of money is being wasted on incomprehensible crap that ends up meaning nothing. We are the wealthiest nation on earth, yet people go sick because they can't afford medicines or to go to the doctor. That's some pretty fucked-up shit right there.
  • Oil: How much fighting and dying has to take place over oil before somebody decides we should be looking for a better solution? I'd have thought that this was a no-brainer, but so long as big oil companies have politicians in their pocket, the shit is never going to happen. Instead, we'll just keep subsidizing an industry that continuously makes record profits... all at the expense of citizens whose dire needs are ignored. The technology exists... try dumping money there so you don't have to end up dumping it into things that will only bring us more trouble.
  • Community: The United States of America is not the entire world. Other sovereign nations actually do exist. So while I am all-for the USA protecting its interests abroad, to do so continuously at the expense of our place in the global community is insane. Rebuilding our relationships with the rest of the planet is not just something nice to do, it is absolutely critical to our survival. I remain completely baffled as to why more people aren't concerned about stuff like this. There must be a sale at Wal-Mart or something.
  • Education: How anybody could possibly think that education should not be a top priority is beyond my ability to fathom. The fact that education has a miniscule budget compared to our military speaks volumes about how screwed up our priorities are as a nation. Good teachers should be paid massive salaries and have the respect that educating the future of our country deserves. Bad teachers should be held accountable and fired. Colleges should be free to any citizen with good enough grades to attend. If we were doing our job, that would be everybody. EVERYBODY.
  • Contribution: Nothing pisses me off faster than my tax dollars being spent on assholes who are too lazy to contribute to society and want their entire lives provided for. If you have the ability to work for a living, you should be required to do so before collecting any benefits. Period. With this in mind, the government must provide work for those who need it to claim their benefits... whether this be painting a fence at a State Park... or handing out edibles at a food bank. There is no money for nothing. At least there shouldn't be.
  • Taxes: I understand the inherent problems that a flat-tax brings (if you do the research, it's not quite the perfect solution most people make it out to be)... but I still think it's a better solution than what we've got. If not a true flat-tax, we should at least have much more simplistic tax laws that people can understand. As it is now, it's all an incomprehensible mess with loopholes and shady areas that make little sense. The money spent on actually paying our taxes and enforcing their collection could be much better spent elsewhere.
  • Government: Representing the people who have elected you should be a privilege and a service. Providing for the needs of your fellow citizens should be paramount in everything politicians do. As such, travesties like pork barrel politics of any kind should be a criminal offense. Allowing your vote to be bought by any private individual or entity should be grounds for public execution. Campaign finance should be banned utterly. Lobbyists should be eliminated. Politicians should be elected based solely on their merits and not how much money they have. Forums for candidate debate should be publicly funded and freely accessible with no outside intervention. The government belongs to the people, yet it's simply not that way because it's bought and paid for by people with deep pockets. Dissolving the antiquated two-party system that keeps anything meaningful from being accomplished would be a good start.

That should be enough politics for the rest of the year. Tune in tomorrow when Bad Monkey tries to learn how to dance...


Categories: DaveLife 2006Click To It: Permalink
   

Comments

  1. diane says:

    Dave,
    I didn’t have a chance to read this thoroughly (but I will), but I can totally understand where you are coming from. I had a post on why I didn’t vote, and I got a LOT of flack (off line especially) from my friends for this.
    But honestly, I hate the two party system we have in place, I hate politics in America and I can’t in good conscience participate when I don’t have the time to sort through all the muck to figure out what the issues really are and how the candidates stand on them. And I’m not going to vote by party, because I think that’s kind of ignorant. I don’t at all encourage lack of participation, I just think for me, it was not an election I could participate in and sleep well at night.
    Plus, Blagoevich was going to win no matter what I did. Even if I tried to write in a baby alpaca.

  2. Hilly says:

    Dave – While I just need to call myself a Centrist, because I am a label whore, I totally am with you. I don’t believe in any one party but rather what each candidate stands for.

    Here’s where I get flamed today but….I think people put too much stock into party loyalty rather than reviewing all aspects of every minute part of said party. Now that would make Bush need a calculator ;).

    I’m just waiting for the next presidential election cause seriously, I feel the same way you do about GWB. I used to tell my husband, back in 2002 maybe that the difference between Clinton and Bush is that Clinton = good president, bad person and Bush = bad president, good person. I cannot even give him that last little bit now, not at all.

  3. The Chad says:

    I’ve pretty much all but given up on politics. If I vote, I vote on my own morals. I could care less about anything else.

  4. Chase says:

    I can teach Bad Monkey how to tango…I’m getting pretty good at it, ya know. And, Re: the “Community” section up there? HELL FUCKING YES!

    p.s. I’m wearing my Bad Monkey tee today…my therapist said to me “So, tell me about Bad Monkey.” Heeheeee!

  5. Javajabber says:

    I watched Bush’s speech when Rumsfeld resigned on CNN.

    In answering reporters’ questions, I think he was genuinely shocked that Republicans failed. He failed. He said they were “thumped.”

    In his usual style, he fumbled with his words … he tried to make jokes (failed as usual).

    Too bad he listened to his boys who kept slapping him on the back and saying “the Polls don’t mean a thing.” They did.

    Now it’s time he did.

  6. Jeff says:

    All I can to to Bush and the republicans is…
    MESSAGE DELIVERED! You’re welcome.

  7. Mooselet says:

    I agree with just about everything you said, Dave. When you get your own nation founded, please tell me so I can come live there.

    As a US citizen living in another country, I can say that the image of the United States is somewhere around sewer sludge – and I live in a country where the PM is GWB’s bitch. I find that most people like Americans, they just don’t like America and what it’s become.

    My family asks me when I’m moving back. Uh, I’m not? Australia may not be perfect either, but it’s often better than what goes on back home – as your post clearly demonstrated.

  8. Leslie says:

    Dave,
    Delurking to say I love you. 🙂 I usually find you interesting and funny, but this post absolutely said everything I feel about politics. Love it!

  9. RB says:

    I normally don’t comment on politics because I have way too much to say however you hit the nail on the head and advance to the bonus round.

  10. Charred says:

    I could write an article about how screwed up the political system has become, but I won’t.

    The Republicans did nothing but sit on their thumbs since they took control of the Congress, and the Democrats seem determined to do whatever they can to lose the War, come Hell or — forgive me, Dave — high water.

    The News media isn’t much better. Even though the vast majority of “reporters” and “journalists” have liberal personal politics, they imagine that this somehow isn’t reflected in their coverage of daily events. For example, we’re all aware of the media circus that was made when What’s-His-Name was accused of pursuing an inappropriate relationship with an underage page. On the other hand, far fewer people know that a Democrat (whose name escapes me at the moment, and I’m too lazy to research it) was convicted and sent to jail for sexual misconduct with at least one of his pages several years ago, because media coverage was sparse at best.

    I don’t believe in conspiracy theories (the logistics are absolutely impossible), but there is definitely bias. Sometimes intentional, usually unintentional, but it is there.

    I do think you’re being a bit harsh on the President. He’s been constantly maligned by the media from day one of his presidency, and this deliberate misrepresentation hasn’t done his public image much good. While he’s done many things which have pissed me off, I personally think he’s done a much better job leading this country then either Gore or Kerry would have done.

    /blah, blah, blah.

  11. Dave2 says:

    I’d argue there’s a difference between “losing” the war and “ending” the war… but whatever.

    In any event, you’re thinking of Gary Studds, and here is where my problem is. I don’t give a crap about the party affiliation of the pervert who is sleeping with pages. It is inconsequential in every way to just how fucked up that is. Him and Foley should both be shot.

    But the reason I think Foley totally deserved the very public flogging he got was because he was forever touting sexual morality, and worked overtime to create laws against exploiting minors for porn and sex. Which he then went on to do. If there is one thing that chaps my ass, it’s hypocrisy, and Foley was a fucking hypocrite douchebag of the first magnitude. The last thing I’m going to do is bemoan whether he got worse treatment than Studds, when he himself set the standards he’s being judged by.

    And please understand that I am not creating my opinion on Bush from the media. I know better than that. My disgust stems from words and actions that he himself said and did. He did joke about starting a war over WMDs that couldn’t be found, all while soldiers HE SENT to war were fighting and dying for their country. This is unforgivable, unpresidential, and unworthy of our Commander in Chief. I can never forget it, and the incident has tainted my opinion of Bush from that moment onward.

    Right now I am sitting at home eating Oreos, watching television, and typing on my computer. I am very far from laying my life on the line every day like our armed forces do. Because of this, they have my highest respect and devotion because they’re willing to do just that. So when politicians use our troops for political maneuvering, I am disgusted that brave men and women’s lives are being cheapened. This doesn’t stop just because the politician in question happens to be the President. Given his job, it’s the worst thing he could possibly do, and I am not going to pretend it doesn’t matter because it was “just a joke.” In all honesty, I don’t think I am being harsh enough.

    In the end, we’ll never know who would have done a better job. Such is the nature of the time-space continuum! 🙂

  12. AMEN!!!

    The only thing that bothers me is how much Bad Monkey and GWB look like each other. Another scandal in the making perhaps?

  13. Well, you and I prolly vote opposite one another on most issues, but I do the same thing. I pick whichever one doesn’t tick me off with their stupid agendas (because they ALL have one…all of them.) But I agree on some of your things.

    I think “Good ole boy Bushie” has just surrounded himself the entire time with total and complete fucktards like Rummy and Rove. At least Rummy’s gone as of today. Waiting on the other to abandon ship now that they’ve messed up their own party.

    But I have to say that, I too feel like I’m not represented. I’m a mild conservative (shock, right? no? Fine, whatever.) living in San Francisco. I’m a freakin’ endangered species here. I’m like on the list and everything. I don’t support or align myself with most of what my House and Senate representatives do. I also don’t support or align myself with “Good ole boy Bushie.”

  14. Kapha says:

    Excellent points, eloquently put. I’m with you.

  15. Mark says:

    The sad thing is that, since corporations own our politicians, it is much less expensive to let other countries educate their children, then bring those educated adults to the U.S. to work here, instead of a U.S. citizen, who was probably educated in our crappy public schools. It’s all about priorities, and frankly, our priorities suck.

  16. Anthony says:

    Dave for President in ’08!

  17. Avitable says:

    Sum of All Fears is a scenario that I think represents the only way we’re going to see drastic change in our government anytime soon.

  18. ChillyWilly says:

    Your picture was confusing as I couldn’t tell which one was the real Bad Monkey…. LOL

    I’m mostly Democrat, but do vote for the person and the issue, regardless of party. But it was so nice to see this one party domination come to an end. I would prefer a neutral government based on no parties, but I don’t think that’s going to happen any time soon.

    As for political issues, there was one in Seattle that floored me… and you may have mentioned it in a previous blog entry… the new strip club laws that were to be passed, which would have effectively ended lap dances and shutting down strip clubs in Seattle. It didn’t pass, which was nice for the voters to send a message to Mayor Greg Nickles and his agenda.

  19. annie says:

    I agree with you 100 percent.
    Except I would proudly say, I hate Bush and I hated his father. I have never been happy with any Republican president (from my lifetime, anyway.)
    I vote almost entirely Democrat, not because I AM a Democrat, but I pretty much can always agree with their agenda, and it’s always the lesser of the two evils for me.

  20. Jens K. Kiel says:

    Well put, Dave!

    I’m german-born and have decided last year to become an American, immigrating (legally) into the U.S. – a long and rocky way. This decision did not make me very popular in Europe, because i chose my future home to be a country which started a preemptive war over non-existent WMDs and slapped its allies into their faces.

    Since yesterday I feel a lot better – to me the people of the U.S. grew their balls back and finally took a stand against what was done in the name of red, white and blue for too long.

  21. Dan says:

    Good for you being a total independent dude. Same here. I blog salute you! 😉

    I found you from Justmee’s blogroll. I’m bookmarking you. Spin over to my blog and read my last two posts on politics. Don’t worry. It’s meant to be funny. 😉

  22. Rae Rae says:

    Dave, as a member of the armed forces, I truly appreciate your comment about respecting the sacrifices of the soldiers overseas. Too many people say they support the military but they do not think of how the policies they support impact us. Jokes only insult us. Thanks again for being cool.

  23. Charred says:

    Dave posted his reply, so I’ll submit mine:

    Dave,

    I’m touch-typing around a fussy 2-year-old, so this is difficult.

    I like you, and have respect for your opinions. I suppose I should say that I also am not politically aligned with either the Demoblicans or the Republicrats. In my eyes, both parties have betrayed their underlying ideals in their blind pursuit of political power. I didn’t want to publish a novel in your comments, so I left out a lot of what I, in retrospect, probably should have included.

    I didn’t mean to imply that Foley didn’t get what he deserved, I meant to say that Studds, who did worse, didn’t receive the public castigation his actions warranted.

    I also didn’t mean to sound like I think you’ve based your opinion solely on the media’s portrayal of the President; anyone with an ounce of sense can see that you’re more introspective than that, and I can understand why you’d be upset over the President’s joke as I have friends and family serving in the military (and if I didn’t have kids, I’d have joined the marines on 9/12/2001 and would now be either in Iraq, fighting for our country, or at Pendleton, cleaning a statue with a toothbrush). I found Kerry’s statement about being “stuck in Iraq” more out of line than anything Bush has said. Of course, I also have a rather warped sense of humor.

    I suppose I should also tell you that it’s thanks, in part, to having “met” you that I decided to persue a degree in graphic design, rather than IT.

    You’re OK by me, Dave. 🙂

  24. wayne says:

    Dave,

    I agree with most of your rant and I also don’t feel comfortable with the labels of Democrat or Republican. If I had to choose a description, I would probably call myself a progressive, although that has been misused too.

    In my opinion, big government should exist primarily to regulate big business and should mostly stay out of the lives of individual citizens. Modern-day conservatives/Republicans seem to believe that big government should exist primarily to regulate the lives of individual citizens and should mostly stay out of the affairs of big business.

    This is why I generally vote Democrat, even if it means choosing the lesser of two evils.

    Looking at your list of comments, I would definitely put you in the category of progressive.

    And by the way, Charred, no thinking person actually believes the Faux News line that Kerry intended to insult the intelligence of the troops. He botched a joke about the intelligence of the President. Kerry should give up comedy. Bush should give up governing.

  25. Epona says:

    Amen. I love this country and couldn’t be prouder to be an American, but we have *far* too many serious problems that need to be rectified immediately. I agree with everything you said.

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