(no subject)

[whitereflection]

...and suddenly the mood swing I've been holding off really takes over. XP Didn't help that Anj read a chapter from Michael Moore's Stupid White Men at lunch today--specifically the chapter on the 2000 elections. I'd had no illusions about what happened during that, but the extent of what was done to rig things truly, truly disappointed, disenheartened, and disillusioned me.

I've been cynical politically since even high school, but now I have absolutely no faith in the system, and no faith in those supposed to monitor the system. I think sometime I shall type the entirety of the chapter she read (on Bush, guess I should have said that) in here...if only just to say "This is why I've never believed in the process, and why I have always felt and will always feel that voting really doesn't matter." Seriously. In the end, people like me, lower-middle-class...we truly have no power. We only like to fool ourselves that we do. Only those with money and with the ability to play political games are in control.

Bleh. Yeah, the rant for the day. Just ignore it really, I'm just grumpy. I hate hate hate hate politics and government stuff. I wish I had something fun to do today.

(...and it literally just occurred to me that in this past year, I've realized that love doesn't always last forever, I've lost my faith spiritually, and now lost what little faith I had politically. Hm, add in losing my direction career-wise, and difficulties finding my creative spark... Yeah, I know--bitch bitch bitch. Rrgh. Okay, I'm shutting up for good now until I'm back in a decent mood.)

Comments

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[whitereflection.livejournal.com]

Thanks... *hugsback* I'm sorry--I'm just being weird and stuff. But thanks for the link--that rocks. ^^ I've got to send that to my Mom. Heh.

[lems.livejournal.com]

crud. LJ screwed up the link somehow. Well, go here

http://southpark.gamesweb.com/flash/sp-studio.html

and make yourself a South Parkian. nodnod. Then quote what you want to say in an Eric Cartman voice.

[yashahime.livejournal.com]

Actually, you know, that's bull. We "middle-class" folks DO have power--the power we take in our own two hands and cling to with all our might. I have the power to tell "Big Brother" to go screw himself. I have the power to say, "I don't care what you don't like--if you don't like, then DON'T LOOK!" I have the power to follow the Eleventh Commandment--"Thou shalt not get caught." I have the power to stand up and say, "That law is unjust and outright STUPID. I refuse to follow it."

And if it gets bad enough, I have the power to start kickin' political ass and takin' names.

People who give up and become victims are only reinforcing "the system." I work within the system when I can--I vote. I don't usually vote FOR somebody, but there's sure as hell always somebody I want to vote AGAINST. No matter what the outcome is, I feel I have a duty to at least try to work within the system before kicking its ass from outside. I think it DOES matter if I vote. Whether it makes any kind of difference in the political climate (oh, and BTW, I wouldn't beleive everything you read in somebody's "anti-system" book; half the time they make up three quarters of their statistics. Who in hell is going to be honest to an author about that kind of thing?), it makes a difference to ME. It means I haven't laid down and spread my legs for "Big Brother."

Politics goes on at all levels. So does psychology. If you think you have no power, then you're weak. You're a victim. If you beleive in your power--your power over your own life--then you're strong enough to make a difference to "the system."

I was outright POOR when I was living in Long Beach, but you know, I still had power, and I exercised it. I went to City Hall and said, "This bill is too high. I won't pay this much. If you're asking me to choose between eating and paying this gas bill, I'll choose eating. You can turn the gas off if you want; I've still got a microwave." You know what? I didn't have to pay a gas bill of $145 when the month before it had been $22.

You want to know the real secret? "The system" is a big, bloated, unmoving mass of brainless plasma. They're the ones with no power. Oooh, the President can sign stuff into laws! So? Congress can vote things into laws, start wars, and raise taxes! I don't think the 9/11 hijackers asked for a vote before declaring war on us, and as for taxes, you realize you don't HAVE to pay them? Legally, you can declare independent citizenship and you will no longer have to pay taxes. (But you won't be eligible for the services your taxes pay for, either--like postal service, police services, Welfare, Social Security, etc.) As for laws--take a good look at the list of laws we've got. Then take an even harder look at the list of laws that are ENFORCED. And WHERE. It's all bullshit. "The system" has exactly what power YOU give it.

I personally don't give it very much. The laws *I* care about are the ones I make for myself; other laws I only follow if they agree with my personal code of ethics.

/end anti-rant rant

*coughs* ...sorry, Shini, it's one of my bigger buttons. I really need to write a formal essay and see about getting it published.

[iscandar.livejournal.com]

*pulls out Kumagoro and tag-teams Di*

Daijoubu.

I was... in Australia at the time of the 2000 Election fiasco. To tell the truth, just about everyone over there thought it was a riot- the US, 1st-Tier country, world super power, world hegemon, struggling with our own elections. I really got tired of answering the Aussies' well-meaning questions.

In regards to the last string of comments... please know you're not alone. I've also lost my faith in love, religion, career, politics... the only thing that keeps me sane are having my art, my dreams, and having guys like you in my life. *hugs* It'll be okay. We've got to keep believing that, even if it takes time to realize that okayness.

.sj.

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[whitereflection.livejournal.com]

Thanks, and I do understand. I just get pessimistic when I let myself get down. I'm just having a stupidweird moment, but it'll pass.

*extrasnugglehugs for you and Kuma-chan* :)