Raise Your Fists for More Than Pumping, Guido

Politicians are all the same really. That's what people say, right? I think they're only partly right - the system forces all politicians to act in the same ways. They learn how to float to the top. That's our capitalism for you. Do whatever you have to do to make a buck, to get a vote.

I've been reading a lot of documents from the early 1900's, and I learned that while our two major parties have changed their leanings slightly, they're really still the same. Because the system is still the same. Oh, and that promise to "fix" the system, to "change" the system? I'm sure that's as old as the system itself...which ironically was started to change the system. Hey, I'm really onto something here.

I watched Recount, the HBO movie about the 2000 election. Despite my mother's advice, who told me to "get over this politics thing," I watched it and learned. It's incredibly depressing how little power the people have in a system that purports, "Democracy gives the power to the people." What's fascinating to me, though, is that the people do have the power - the power to vote for the other candidate, the power to peaceably assemble in protest, the power to impact the economy by controlling the pocketbook, and the power to not give a damn. And that's really why the system isn't working. Sure, it has its problems, and it's not even close to perfect, but the people aren't working, and that's the real problem. People just don't care.

I swear, if I ever hear someone tell me again that they're a "fiscal conservative," I'm going to say something rude and possibly get into a street brawl. What a fancy way of saying, "I care more about big business and my stock portfolio than people." If you're a social liberal but a fiscal conservative, what you're really doing is choosing the "fiscal" over the "social." Ick. And I just can't stand that. I care most about people. The people are where it's at. And if they ever realize that, there'd be a lot of changes around here.