The Illusion of Choice
I made reference to a letter to the editor written by Camryn Preece here. I think the point she was trying to make is expressed well in this article from Yellowtimes.
By Matthew Riemer
YellowTimes.org Columnist (United States)
(YellowTimes.org) – Nothing stirs up Americans' sense of pride more than the classic and highly effective buzzwords that relate to America's founding and its political system. We're all familiar with them as they are continually shoved down our throats and flashed before our eyes on an hourly basis throughout the vast wasteland that is our culture's infotainment onslaught: freedom, equality, liberty, justice, God, independence, struggle, blah, blah, blah.
But perhaps what puffs up Americans' chests more than anything else is a belief in their country's political system, democracy, and its cornerstone, voting.
The very concept of voting is revered; we are accosted by believers in the democratic process not to shun our privilege of voting. We are reminded that many don't enjoy such a boon in their countries and we should consider ourselves lucky.
We read stories about nations holding their first elections in x number of years. Such reports are usually accompanied by a photo of a proud hand dropping a magic ballot into a slotted box top. This typifies the heralded "democratic process."
However, we should ask two questions.
How important is voting really?
Voting is only a part of the democratic process and a very small part at that. We're often told, "If you don't vote then you can't complain," as if all the grievances in the world are solved or addressed by such a process. But, perhaps, we should say, "If you don't complain, you can't vote."
"Complaining" is far more democratic than voting. It is this very process of "complaint" or "dissent" that is the lifeblood of any person making claims to democracy.
I get a kick out of people who don't have a political thought in their heads ever, but go out and vote on Election Day and think they're champions of the system, keeping the principles of the forefathers alive. Yet this same person does not study history (whether it be local, global, past, or present), could not discuss any topic or issue of importance beyond a 7th grade level (the result of reading Newsweek), does not engage in debate or discourse, and has no interest in "rocking the boat."
I have a friend who's an elementary school teacher and is the embodiment of what a citizen living in a theoretical democracy should be. He is a passionate student of history and politics, constantly expanding horizons and engaged in personal research. He challenges people to back up what they say and genuinely asks them, "Why?" He stimulates his students with "fringe" or "controversial" material (challenging mainstream doctrine) and tirelessly attempts to induce original thought in all those he meets.
However, he does not vote.
But the question begs to be asked, who is more vital to the democratic process: someone who robotically reports to polling stations to make uninformed decisions on a punch card and then goes back to life as usual, or someone who demands participation and thought beyond a symbolic gesture?
What are we voting for?
Just because we are presented with choices does not mean we really have a choice. Who chooses the choices we choose from? What can we do if we don't like the choices?
Americans trudge to the polls proudly each election and inevitably vote for the "lesser of two evils." Candidates are weeded out from a gaggle of wealthy, former/current businessmen who are now exchanging the corporate world for the governmental one, a shift that is quite natural considering that the government is a business itself intimately linked with the largest corporations on the planet, who along with various government institutions determine the health of the economy and therefore the mood and well-being of the general population.
The candidates are mere actors who spend most of their time reciting platitudes from history's tired list, insulting one another's character, and making promises that are literally impossible to keep. Behind the scenes, behind the smoke and mirrors, they comprise the unified ruling class. Where they disagree is where the party lines are drawn.
Whether we vote Democrat or Republican, we are voting for those beholden to free market capitalism. Globalization and its bodyguard, the U.S. military, win every election.
[Matthew Riemer has written for years about a myriad of topics, such as: philosophy, religion, psychology, culture, and politics. He studied Russian language and culture for five years and traveled in the former Soviet Union in 1990. In the midst of a larger autobiographical/cultural work, Matthew is the Director of Operations at YellowTimes.org. He lives in the United States.]
Matthew Riemer encourages your comments: mriemer@YellowTimes.org
YellowTimes.org is an international news and opinion publication. YellowTimes.org encourages its material to be reproduced, reprinted, or broadcast provided that any such reproduction identifies the original source, http://www.YellowTimes.org. Internet web links to http://www.YellowTimes.org are appreciated.
Comments
"Just because we are presented with choices does not mean we really have a choice. Who chooses the choices we choose from? What can we do if we don't like the choices?"
What a pile of baloney. He's so far off mark in this essay that I hardly know where to begin criticizing it.
Hello, Matthew, have you ever heard of the concept of grassroots participation? If you and many like you don't like things, get off your asses and organize. The reason there might not be good choices at elections is because, since less than 40% of this country participates in voting, one can only imagine what tiny number of citizens participate in political action. People constantly complain they are too "busy" to participate at the grassroots level, yet a majority of adults in this country sit in front of the boob tube every night for 4-6 hours.
It's laziness by the citizenry that is killing democracy, not special interests, corporations, corrpution, or any of the other boogiemen whiners like Riemer try to blame for our problems. Without citizens participating in the process of democracy, there is no democracy. No one is putting a gun to anyone's head and keeping them from organizing, speaking out, writing letters to the editor, holding rallies or protests, donating money to political action groups, voting, or the many other means by which a citizen can participate.
Jesus H. Christ, didn't any of you crybabies take Civics or Government in high school? It doesn't take a fucking lawyer or Poly Sci graduate to understand how local, state, and national election processes work. And in each case individuals have the chance to participate in many different ways.
But the problem is that too few do. The only people who do are go-getters and politically-savy grassroots operatives (union leaders, non-profit advocates, etc) who, because of their ardent support of the process, make HUGE differences in the shaping of politics.
The problem is not a lack of choices. THE PROBLEM IS LACK OF PARTICIPATION.
Fuck, is it THAT difficult to understand? Do I need to continually beat this point with a sledge hammer until someone gets it?
I can't believe how childish some of you people sound. You use such silly rationalizations to hide the truth, which is that most of you don't do a fucking thing when it comes to political action. You sit on your goddamn couch every night complaining to your boob tube (or on your blogs) about how fucked up the system is, yet the system is still capable of changing if enough people join together, organize, and fight for changes.
Crying and apathy will not change the system. So dry your tears, get off your ass, and DO something instead of whining.
I'm done. I am disgusted with what I am hearing. You people who are so apathetic and whiny about our political system don't deserve any respect for your weak and childish opinons and views; you need a kick in the ass--and an education in civics, apparently.
Nice to make all the points Mat. At least leave one dangling for the rest of us :-)
Well, shit, Vinny, I am sick of this BS. It's just spoiled children trying to desperately legitimize their laziness and apathy.
If I seem a bit harsh, oh well, maybe a good kick in the ass is what we need to give some of these crybabies. Personally, I believe harsh criticism--and ridicule--are effective means to point out just how lame and pathetic their arguments are.
Damn Mat I wish you'd quit pulling your punches.
I wasn't particularly thrilled with Bush or Gore in 2000. Should I, by Preece's logic just not have voted? Obviously not.
I voted Nader. Why? Because he had a good shot of making the requirement for votes to "legitimize" his candidacy, something that I thought would be a good thing.
There's always an alternative. You just have to be willing to get off your lazy ass and not have it spoonfed to you.
I have to agree with Mat's comments as well, though I wouldn't voice them as forcefully. (No offense, Mat.)
Norm, what that article seems to be implying is terrible. Yes, it's a problem that uninformed people vote for poor candidates--but the problem is that so many people are un- (or mis-) informed, NOT that they're voting. Withdrawing from the democratic process is only conceding defeat. Complaint and dissent are vital parts of democracy, but NEVER to the EXCLUSION of participation in the system. The system is not just going to go away because you stop participating. This is what we have to work with; don't like it? Get inside of it, wrest away control of it, and change it. I too am deeply dismayed at the seemingly mindless votes that went to the GOP nearly a dozen days ago, but the best response is not to scorn the voting process, it's to continue to dissent and strive to edify the 60-odd-percent of eligible voters in this country who didn't even bother to cast a ballot.
Complain AND vote. Not just one or the other.
(By the way, I like the blog.)
Leah, Thanks for the kind words, and lest someone new to onegoodmove should stumble upon this post and mistakenly think that I agree with Mr. Riemer's view let me say "no fucking way". I'm definitely in agreement with Mat, Leah and the enigma named Vinny.
Here is your chance:
VoteNader.org
Now prove it!