Who will win the presedential election? Things seem to be leaning in the direction of the world’s most accomplished terrorist, George Bush, but we may yet be surprised. Even if Kerry wins, however, it looks like W has the popular vote sewn up, whereas that boot was squarely on the other foot four years ago.
While the mantra of “4 more years” sounds more like a sentence than a cry of victory, I’m bound to ponder the fact that a vote in the US election is really just the exercising of one’s right to attempt to influence the guardians and perpetuators of the status quo over the next four years.
For if Kerry gets in, will we see the US join and sanction the International Criminal Court? Will we see the death sentence repealed? Will we see the billions of dollars in military aid to Israel halted? Will we see a concerted effort to reduce America’s grotesque reliance on fossil fuels?
How much would really change?
Noam Chomsky summed up the presidential choice rather well:
“In the forthcoming presidential elections in the US, there is a
choice: between two candidates who were born to wealth and political
power, attended the same elite university, joined the same secret
society that instructs members in the style and manners of the
rulers, and are able to run because they are funded by largely the
same corporate powers.”
Whoever you vote for, the government wins.
While I don’t agree with your heartfelt ‘worlds most accomplished terrorist’, I do think we live in shocking times, when a prancing nong can get elected not once but twice.
The civilian death toll of the illegal war in Iraq reached 100,000 today. Few other terrorists can match that.
The questions are, would Saddam have murdered 100.000 of his own country’s men, women and children in the last two years and have the sacrifices of more than 1000 dead US soldiers (times 7 wounded) in Iraq saved more than that number of US citizens that would otherwise have died in supposedly thwarted terrorist attacks.
I think we all know the answers to those questions.
I agree the government wins either way. These days in the US, that’s not the question. The question is whether the people win or lose. With the two-party system and the electoral college still firmly in place it’s difficult to imagine the people ever winning.
Then again, it appears the people aren’t even trying to choose the better of two evils at the moment. Depressing, really.