...And yet I find myself at this point in time where I can, if only very slightly, have more of a say on these political matters. I have to remember that even though I've never lived there, the US is a part of me too. It's how I can write good words here English in. It's a place where I can throw my vote into the ballot box and if it ever comes down to the wire where only one vote makes the difference, that could very well be my own. Of course, that's quite the weak dream of the voter, and there is a lot of cynicism and madness to consider that could make such an idea of the single vote being important look foolish. But I might as well give it a shot. At least to exercise that small power I have in politics. I would much rather look at other countries and their politics and see what interesting tidbits I can get from their history and their troubles. That at least would be interesting to talk about in the fancy dinner parties I'll eventually be hosting. But alas, I have to dive into the drudgery that is American politics. *sigh*
Particularly, let's talk the election, because that's what everyone is talking about. Why not though? The election is quite a spectacle. Well not quite, it's more of a show. A reality show, to be quite exact. I mean, all of the people that are being filmed are just playing an exaggerated or fraudulent version of themselves to get the most attention and there's a lot of places where scripting and lying are taking place. That and it's nothing but garbage. This election, to put it simply, is shit. I've only been alive for six election cycles and I only really managed to experience three of them, this one included, but I'm confident in saying that this is by far the most underwhelming and overwhelming one I've come across.
The Democrats really have had nothing to offer outside of their old-time favorite and the eccentric newcomer. Granted it feels like a re-run, but now there's less color. It is a bit of a shame that Obama can't actually run for a third term, as that might actually be interesting to see, but at the same time, I'm glad that he can't. He's just been a huge disappointment to everyone. Liberals, conservatives, white people, black people, Americans, foreigners, progressives, racists, everyone has a reason to sigh under their breath "Thanks Obama". It's hard for me to say if he was restrained by the House and the Senate that he was surrounded by or if we really didn't get what we were expecting. Which is a shame, it would have been nice to see what the true hope and change would have done. It's not like I can berate him too much. He may not have been what we wanted but he wasn't necessarily the worst. At least he made some efforts for change with Obamacare. Perhaps the biggest crime that Obama has committed, apart from the drone strikes and still keeping the NSA program, is that he showed that America has not gotten over it's racial tensions. It's frightening to think that if what happened so far this year was under a black president, how much worse could it get when we go back to another white person? It's really flipped the perception we all have about how much America has really progressed.
The Democrats really have had nothing to offer outside of their old-time favorite and the eccentric newcomer. Granted it feels like a re-run, but now there's less color. It is a bit of a shame that Obama can't actually run for a third term, as that might actually be interesting to see, but at the same time, I'm glad that he can't. He's just been a huge disappointment to everyone. Liberals, conservatives, white people, black people, Americans, foreigners, progressives, racists, everyone has a reason to sigh under their breath "Thanks Obama". It's hard for me to say if he was restrained by the House and the Senate that he was surrounded by or if we really didn't get what we were expecting. Which is a shame, it would have been nice to see what the true hope and change would have done. It's not like I can berate him too much. He may not have been what we wanted but he wasn't necessarily the worst. At least he made some efforts for change with Obamacare. Perhaps the biggest crime that Obama has committed, apart from the drone strikes and still keeping the NSA program, is that he showed that America has not gotten over it's racial tensions. It's frightening to think that if what happened so far this year was under a black president, how much worse could it get when we go back to another white person? It's really flipped the perception we all have about how much America has really progressed.
I guess we shouldn't be too glum. After all, we're getting a woman as president, right? That should be exciting, right? Having none other than Hilary Rodham Clinton, a secretary of state, former first lady and lawyer as our first female president would be great, right? After all, we've just rendered the whole idea of anyone else being the Democratic nominee this year completely moot. And the Republicans...hah! The Republicans. Am I right, late night audience? Ha ha ha.
Now while I certainly wouldn't think about going for Martin O'Malley, I don't know if I'm at all comfortable with Hilary in the White House. Not because of any old sexist quip of her not being able to handle the political world when Aunt Flo comes to visit or whatever, but more because I do not believe a word she is saying. There's just a certain artificiality to all of her talking points and it's very clear that she's done all that she can to ensure that 2008 does not happen again. The political machine is very connected to her and amidst all the hub-bub that's surrounded her with the emails and the donors, it's hard to say whose side she's really on. I particularly find her pandering to the youth to be the most insulting part, as if she's treating us as nothing more than easily captivated and simple minded. I see past your emojis and "I told Wall Street to cut it out", Madame Secretary. I KNOW YOU CAUSED BENGHAZI! Okay, I wouldn't go so far to label her as absolutely terrible. All I'm saying is that I have very strong doubts about how much she is on the side of the people. But hey, at least we'll have hit a milestone if we have her in office. I mean we were eventually going to have a robot for president.
On the other side of the Democratic coin, you have Bernie Sanders. Which is nice, I suppose. He really does seem committed to what he's talking about, he has established a grassroots campaign that has managed to sustain and overcome. I mean, he does seem quite genuine and caring of the issues that affect the middle class. I find myself not entirely convinced by him either. Partly because I've sort of been down this road of believing in a candidate with a more radical character that didn't deliver and partly because America is not Scandinavia. Or any of those small Nordic countries he likes to reference. It's not even Canada, which is as socialist as 7up is carbonated water. The ideas are certainly noble, but to make it work in America, it probably would be a lot more difficult and intricate that Sanders is making it out to be. Not to mention that there are some parts of the evil beast that is capitalism that actually kind of work to the nation's advantage. I think if he tries to focus on tipping the scales between the two system rather than just going full on comrade, something could come of it. But it's hard to say really if he could stick as a candidate.
While the Democrats have very little I can talk about, the Republicans certainly have had a bounty of blunders from their many candidates. They just seem to be frantically running from state to state, channel to channel and rally to rally to loudly and proudly boast how great America is and how much of a devil Obama is. Now as many other left-leaning folk, I find the party's actions throughout these years to be quite deplorable, from questioning whether Obama came from the country or not, being completely passive about him killing one of the greatest enemies of the nation, and generally blocking Obama from getting any meaningful progress done. Perhaps I can't be too bitter if Democrats can be equally as shitty when the tables are turned. Still, the rhetoric has become more vitriolic and divisive, and although both sides are to blame for the troubles, the Republicans certainly have been the most bombastic about their faults.
There certainly is one name on everyone's lips when we talk about the right, but before we get to that, let's just go through some of the other candidates that have graced the stage. We have Southern belle Lindsey Graham waffling about like a snake inside a jug of mint julip, Bobby Jindal pretty much providing nothing more than a funny name to say, and Scott Walker expressing his love of Harleys while also having limited time to speak in debates. Then if we start going a little higher, we reach gay-bashing Mike Huckabee, who has thumped the Bible so much, it has a groove for his fist. Carly Fiorina is trying to offer another female voice in the presidential race but much like the company she previous worked for, there's clearly a few jams she's going to have to get out of before her campaign gets working properly. Rand Paul is sort of existing in this race, I mean he kind of seemed promising with the filibuster and all that but he then kind of faltered and landed back on boring "more-conservative-than-libertarian" rhetoric that gets thrown about from Fox News commentators and Tea Partiers. Really, the only one I can kind of say is sort of promising is Rubio, but that's not really saying much. Oh yeah...and I think Jeb is also running or something.
I neglected to mention a few other candidates, most notably the calm absurdity of Ben Carson, the Jersey bully that is Chris Christie and that nutjob from Canada, Ted Cruz, Well mainly it's because there's not much I can really say about them that I couldn't say about the man that is surpassing them in the polls. They are seem like parts to that whole pile of dog shit with a raggedy mop on its head that is in front. I may have my disagreements with those three but it is nothing compared to him. Every word this man says is nothing more than a cheap ploy to listen to him further degrade the idea of humanity going forward. And it sadly works because of how cynical the voters have gotten, how truly ugly the underbellies of the American sociopolitical landscape are and how bemused the media has gotten to shocking stories. So much money fills up this orange entity, but not even all that money converted into pennies would even amount to half the height of one of his buildings, which its mass could not even reach a quarter to the garbage he spews which is not even a millionth of how warped his ego is. And yet he leads the polls. People believe that this man has something to say. I haven't feel this angry at a human since the Venezuelan elections. But perhaps I shouldn't be. For I am in Canada. And if America wishes to go down into its demise in a way that is most characteristic of everything that it stands for, then I could just rip up my passport and watch the fireworks fly, no? Unless the US's power completely vanishes and moves to China, I don't think I can be so aloof.
This election is a shitshow. The sheer pessimism that each day that nears to the primaries is staggering. I'm glad that I can still be critical of what is around me and that I restrain myself from following so blindly for a candidate. Though, it leaves me hollow, knowing that there really isn't any good choice to speak of in this array of candidates. Even trying to consider third parties, as laughable as it may seem to some, none of them really catch my eye and convince me that they are who I see myself fully behind. Perhaps it'll be another anti-vote, like in 2012, where you either didn't want to see a bland, robotic millionaire put back the white in White House or have that Muslim socialist freedom-hating terrorist-name-having Kenyan come back to take your guns away and force abortions on everyone. Or perhaps this year it may be the vote where people finally break down the barriers and decide to vote completely truthfully and unrestricted by any boundaries, be them political correctness, peer pressure or having to go with what "the establishment" says. Perhaps, we'll come to face a dull stand-off with a predictable conclusion. It's still very long 'til the election happens to say what'll happen for sure. One thing I know though is that no matter what does come along in the end, what has happened so far has been a mixture of disgusting, amazing and confusing all at the same time, and that we should perhaps take a stronger look at our whole system and see if this is really the sort of thing we want representing us on the global stage. Or maybe we can just continue to say "fuck that" and keep making late-night show jokes to ease ourselves from the pain that this system so very much gives us.
Now while I certainly wouldn't think about going for Martin O'Malley, I don't know if I'm at all comfortable with Hilary in the White House. Not because of any old sexist quip of her not being able to handle the political world when Aunt Flo comes to visit or whatever, but more because I do not believe a word she is saying. There's just a certain artificiality to all of her talking points and it's very clear that she's done all that she can to ensure that 2008 does not happen again. The political machine is very connected to her and amidst all the hub-bub that's surrounded her with the emails and the donors, it's hard to say whose side she's really on. I particularly find her pandering to the youth to be the most insulting part, as if she's treating us as nothing more than easily captivated and simple minded. I see past your emojis and "I told Wall Street to cut it out", Madame Secretary. I KNOW YOU CAUSED BENGHAZI! Okay, I wouldn't go so far to label her as absolutely terrible. All I'm saying is that I have very strong doubts about how much she is on the side of the people. But hey, at least we'll have hit a milestone if we have her in office. I mean we were eventually going to have a robot for president.
On the other side of the Democratic coin, you have Bernie Sanders. Which is nice, I suppose. He really does seem committed to what he's talking about, he has established a grassroots campaign that has managed to sustain and overcome. I mean, he does seem quite genuine and caring of the issues that affect the middle class. I find myself not entirely convinced by him either. Partly because I've sort of been down this road of believing in a candidate with a more radical character that didn't deliver and partly because America is not Scandinavia. Or any of those small Nordic countries he likes to reference. It's not even Canada, which is as socialist as 7up is carbonated water. The ideas are certainly noble, but to make it work in America, it probably would be a lot more difficult and intricate that Sanders is making it out to be. Not to mention that there are some parts of the evil beast that is capitalism that actually kind of work to the nation's advantage. I think if he tries to focus on tipping the scales between the two system rather than just going full on comrade, something could come of it. But it's hard to say really if he could stick as a candidate.
While the Democrats have very little I can talk about, the Republicans certainly have had a bounty of blunders from their many candidates. They just seem to be frantically running from state to state, channel to channel and rally to rally to loudly and proudly boast how great America is and how much of a devil Obama is. Now as many other left-leaning folk, I find the party's actions throughout these years to be quite deplorable, from questioning whether Obama came from the country or not, being completely passive about him killing one of the greatest enemies of the nation, and generally blocking Obama from getting any meaningful progress done. Perhaps I can't be too bitter if Democrats can be equally as shitty when the tables are turned. Still, the rhetoric has become more vitriolic and divisive, and although both sides are to blame for the troubles, the Republicans certainly have been the most bombastic about their faults.
There certainly is one name on everyone's lips when we talk about the right, but before we get to that, let's just go through some of the other candidates that have graced the stage. We have Southern belle Lindsey Graham waffling about like a snake inside a jug of mint julip, Bobby Jindal pretty much providing nothing more than a funny name to say, and Scott Walker expressing his love of Harleys while also having limited time to speak in debates. Then if we start going a little higher, we reach gay-bashing Mike Huckabee, who has thumped the Bible so much, it has a groove for his fist. Carly Fiorina is trying to offer another female voice in the presidential race but much like the company she previous worked for, there's clearly a few jams she's going to have to get out of before her campaign gets working properly. Rand Paul is sort of existing in this race, I mean he kind of seemed promising with the filibuster and all that but he then kind of faltered and landed back on boring "more-conservative-than-libertarian" rhetoric that gets thrown about from Fox News commentators and Tea Partiers. Really, the only one I can kind of say is sort of promising is Rubio, but that's not really saying much. Oh yeah...and I think Jeb is also running or something.
I neglected to mention a few other candidates, most notably the calm absurdity of Ben Carson, the Jersey bully that is Chris Christie and that nutjob from Canada, Ted Cruz, Well mainly it's because there's not much I can really say about them that I couldn't say about the man that is surpassing them in the polls. They are seem like parts to that whole pile of dog shit with a raggedy mop on its head that is in front. I may have my disagreements with those three but it is nothing compared to him. Every word this man says is nothing more than a cheap ploy to listen to him further degrade the idea of humanity going forward. And it sadly works because of how cynical the voters have gotten, how truly ugly the underbellies of the American sociopolitical landscape are and how bemused the media has gotten to shocking stories. So much money fills up this orange entity, but not even all that money converted into pennies would even amount to half the height of one of his buildings, which its mass could not even reach a quarter to the garbage he spews which is not even a millionth of how warped his ego is. And yet he leads the polls. People believe that this man has something to say. I haven't feel this angry at a human since the Venezuelan elections. But perhaps I shouldn't be. For I am in Canada. And if America wishes to go down into its demise in a way that is most characteristic of everything that it stands for, then I could just rip up my passport and watch the fireworks fly, no? Unless the US's power completely vanishes and moves to China, I don't think I can be so aloof.
This election is a shitshow. The sheer pessimism that each day that nears to the primaries is staggering. I'm glad that I can still be critical of what is around me and that I restrain myself from following so blindly for a candidate. Though, it leaves me hollow, knowing that there really isn't any good choice to speak of in this array of candidates. Even trying to consider third parties, as laughable as it may seem to some, none of them really catch my eye and convince me that they are who I see myself fully behind. Perhaps it'll be another anti-vote, like in 2012, where you either didn't want to see a bland, robotic millionaire put back the white in White House or have that Muslim socialist freedom-hating terrorist-name-having Kenyan come back to take your guns away and force abortions on everyone. Or perhaps this year it may be the vote where people finally break down the barriers and decide to vote completely truthfully and unrestricted by any boundaries, be them political correctness, peer pressure or having to go with what "the establishment" says. Perhaps, we'll come to face a dull stand-off with a predictable conclusion. It's still very long 'til the election happens to say what'll happen for sure. One thing I know though is that no matter what does come along in the end, what has happened so far has been a mixture of disgusting, amazing and confusing all at the same time, and that we should perhaps take a stronger look at our whole system and see if this is really the sort of thing we want representing us on the global stage. Or maybe we can just continue to say "fuck that" and keep making late-night show jokes to ease ourselves from the pain that this system so very much gives us.
No comments:
Post a Comment