Why I'm Not Voting For You: The Final Part

Due to circumstances well within my control (laziness) I haven’t posted the rest of my “why I’m not voting for you” series.
I’d like to say it’s because you don’t deserve it. (You don’t) But I don’t want to say that. Nope, I’ll take the blame for my own lack of production.
So let me go from here.

Put on your hemp pants and light that incense stick. . .time for the GREENS.
On the surface, the Green Party is an innocuous little group. The sort of organization that you look at, smile, and then say “oh, those darned Greens.” And laugh.
But when you look closer you realize they are not in their right minds. First off, for an admittedly environmental party, they spend an AWFUL lot of time pinning their hopes and platform positions on social items (everyone that isn’t a white male is downtrodden). Yes, it’s the touchy feely tree-hugging you’ve all come to know and laugh at.
They do, though, have other positions that aren’t based on ‘recognition’ and ‘respect for diversity’ and ‘free kittens for seniors.’ Ok, I made that last one up.
Their “platform is in 4 parts: Democracy, Social Justice (their main focus, because if people don’t like you for some reason, dammit, we’ll FORCE them to), Ecological Sustainability, and Economic Sustainability.
Really, the final three are exactly what you’d think they’d be.
No nuclear, oil, coal power. Ride your bike to work. Small businesses are the best thing ever. Don’t be mean to animals. People deserve respect because they don’t have money. Blah blah blah. It’s nothing you haven’t heard a million times and when you read it you wonder, “What drum circle did they come up with this one around?” Reality is not their friend.
The first part of their platform, Democracy is just as silly and pie in the sky as the rest of their positions. Their “real path to Mideast peace” is just to blame Israel for everything and force them to do what we want, or we won’t give them any support. If we were to follow this program of theirs Israel would pretty much cease to exist. But I do give them credit for saying “we don’t want to be naïve about this”, but then they go on with more naïve positions.
Their platform, amazingly, has two, count ‘em, TWO items I actually agree with. The first is the elimination of the Electoral College. It’s an anachronism and they got that part correct. The second thing I agree with is their position is about Veterans rights. This is a group that is oft overlooked. They go and do what their country tells them to and when they get back they are sometimes in positions they can’t adjust to. Their position would increase combat pay, increase medical care and basically try to make things right with these young men that put their lives on the line for us slobs.
They also stress this make believe idyll that people live, shop and work in their own tiny little neighborhoods. In reality, that does not exist. People spend so much time out of their own area; they rarely have time for the ‘citizens committees’ to run the neighborhood. The country isn’t some late 60’s San Francisco community where everyone shops at the locally owned store, rides their bike to their used book store for work, and has time to kill going to a myriad of local issues. This is a world where people have to get up and work sometimes far away from home. (I travel 28 miles to work every day.)Once they get home after being away for 10+ hours, they might have a little time to do some shopping before trying to spend time with their families, if they have them, or to have some sort of recreational life. Reality trumps the dope haze on this one.
Other silly positions the Greens have:
-People in Jail should be able to vote. Because nothing says ‘socially conscious individual’ more than killers, thieves and rapists.
-70-80% of illness is because of stress, so let’s do some stress management training such as meditation techniques, yoga, tai chi, qigong, and biofeedback. Ok, now who’s been typing while using the bong?
-An end to the ‘war on drugs.’ Yes, that’s right heroin, coke and meth merchants, you now have free reign. Go forth and have fun.
Frankly, they have so many comically indefensible positions, to list them all would take way more time than I want to give it and more effort than I’m willing to put in.
To sum up the Greens, I’d say they’re an earnest group of people who just happen to be out of touch with the reality that most of us live in. They’re not bad people. They don’t beat kittens or knit radioactive dream-catchers. But I wouldn’t trust them to make any decisions on a governmental scale. Nope. I would let them run my garage sale. Or bake sale. Well, as long as they warned me which were their ‘special’ brownies.

Now the scariest group.
Libertarians.
Most of my interaction with Libertarians is similar to my experiences with born-again christians. They seem like normal, nice rational people. Then you say something that doesn’t jibe with their point of view and all of a sudden the door to crazy land is opened. And the level of seething anger there is quite disquieting. They react loudly and then very dismissively toward those who are not fellow ‘believers.’
I mean, honestly, is it such a threat to you that I possess a different opinion? I’m not stealing from you or hurting your loved ones. I am just not in agreement with you. Now stop twitching and raising your voice and try to enjoy your dinner. Jeez.
Libertarians are selling personal responsibility. I’m 100% for that. If you do something stupid, take the consequences. That lady who spilled the hot McDonalds (don’t call it “Mickey D’s” for god’s sake) coffee on herself, sued and won because it was too hot? A fucking idiot.
The old ‘big government is bad’ boogyman is the Libertarian bible. They have a hands-off attitude about things, which sounds right in a bubble, but which in reality might not quite work.
An example: “We call for the repeal of the income tax, the abolishment of the Internal Revenue Service and all federal programs and services not required under the U.S. Constitution.” Ok, hard to have any sort of services if you do that, let alone, “We support the maintenance of a sufficient military to defend the United States against aggression.” Or “The defense of the country requires that we have adequate intelligence to detect and to counter threats to domestic security.” Ok, but where is the money to maintain sufficient military power coming from? And what is ‘sufficient’? Sorry to say, but much of the reach of the US military is economic. You think we get such cheap oil (it IS cheap) because we’re nice folk? Nope, we have a huge military and can either guarantee support for governments or withhold support for governments. That is a key. We get produce, meat, clothing, electronics, cars, oil, and countless other consumer items from out of the country. If we decide to go all ‘isolationist’ on the world, you can bet your ass we’ll have far fewer of these items we enjoy. We live in a global economy. And that’s a GOOD thing. Retreating from international commitments is not a good idea.
“We would end the current U.S. government policy of foreign intervention,
including military and economic aid.” So, despite supporting, in theory, the rights of people to “resist tyranny and defend themselves and their rights” we will do nothing to support them. And, of course, starving nations. . .screw you. We’re in business for ourselves.
These kinds of laissez-faire attitudes sound good, but are certainly unsustainable and cannot help but destroy the standard of living you have now.
What else do they want? No social security. No government interference in business (goodbye minimum wage, safety regs, child labor laws, and hello a return to the ‘Jungle’, by Upton Sinclair), and, of course, a massive shift of power FROM the federal government TO the state and local governments (No way I’d trust these local nitwits more than the federal ones.) Quick, name a few successful countries that thrived with a weak central government where the power is in the hands of the individual near-sovereign states? Not many huh? Sorry.
In sum, the ‘government bad, people good’ ethos that is the overriding message of the Libertarians I just can’t get behind. I like having social security so old people can at least try not to live on the street. I like having drivable roads. I like the space program and bananas and I’m in favor of some form of government help for people who are poor and are trying.

Democrats

The problem with my support of democrats is that they seem to be really free with how they spend MY money. Sure, they have more of a ‘help the downtrodden’ attitude than the Republicans do, but at the core, they’re just as sleazy, slimy and rotten as their rivals. They take special interest money, they have their little pet projects, they waste money on programs they don’t need, but because of political favors passed around, they support.
I’m not saying they’re corrupt. (They are.) But they’re hardly saints. The common image of Democratic candidates is that they’re for the ‘common man’ and they are more like you and me than those evil Republicans are. Truth is, they’re the same as the Republicans. Same schools, same privileges. They’re politicians. And all politicians are essentially the same. They all spend more time solidifying their own position than doing anything real.
Socially, I’m more with the Democrats than the Republicans. Gay marriage? Sure, whatever. Doesn’t affect me in the least. Abortion? Not my decision as I don’t have a uterus, but I’m fine if a woman is. Evolution? Hell yeah! In this realm, I’m far more likely to be a “do what you wish” kinda guy, (except for drugs.)
Economically, I don’t like the direction we’re heading. The health care bill is fraught with problems.
Now, to be fair, I’m not a fan of socialized health care. It can work, in concert with private health care, but I’m not a fan of it because it is not really what this government has done and tends to stifle innovation. (Private health care made a big comeback in Britain and its profit and the free market that inspires innovation.) But, having said that, if you’re going to do something, DO IT RIGHT.
You want to have universal health care? Ok, then DO IT RIGHT. Set up the whole system, bottom up, to incorporate everyone. What we have now is a tacked on piece of garbage that rests its expensive head on the shoulder of the non-system we have now. Ungh. Forcing people to support a system they cannot benefit from and they don’t support is not good. (It’s not socialism, righties, it’s more like forced capitalism.) Plus, the cost of this ‘system’ given beforehand appears to be way off. Ick.
There are two types of tyranny of the majority. First is if 90% agree to make the other 10% do what they want. The other is when 51% gets to make the 49% squirm. That’s this health care bill. Notice how this bill was rammed through at warp speed? Because it’s not a good system. It was a “Let’s get this through and if it sucks, we can always adjust later.” Hardly a recipe for success.
What would I be in favor of? Old people covered. Children under, say, 9 covered. Long term diseases covered (ALS, MS, Cancer, etc). That’s a hell of a start I’d say. And I’d pay a little extra a week for that. Sure.
The democrats have also decided to take a page out of the Republican play book by pretending they have a mandate…because they have a majority. Much like during the Bush administration, the Democrats now have this arrogance because they CAN have one. THEY are in power and, dammit, they’re going to use it just like they couldn’t when Bush was in charge.
That’s the problems I have. I don’t think they’re bad folks. But they have that wonderful mixture of earnestness and arrogance I can’t, in good faith, support. I’d prefer fully thought out ideas and more fiscal responsibility.

Republicans

Just like the out-of-power Democrats while Bush was president, the Republicans have become whiney little girls. My god! Stop whining and complaining! Ok, done? Thanks.
Here’s a few problems I have with this here grand ol’ party.

-Catering to the religious right. This manifests itself with support for crap like prayer in school and states trying to teach creationism. No way can I support that. Not in a million years.
Let me get this straight. . you want to force children to pray to your god? That’s the definition of unconstitutional (unlike the health care law, which isn’t unconstitutional, but IS bad.) And you want to teach children creation myths. Not just any of them, oh no. Just the one in the bible.
I just have a problem with political decisions being made solely based on religious things.
When John McCain ran for president, he was supposed to be a ‘maverick’ and willing to shake things up. But as soon as he became the GOP candidate he fell in line with the same old Republican lines. Prayer in school, amendment against flag burning (you’re kidding right?), blind loyalty to the 2nd amendment, anti-abortion, anti-gay. It was all there on his presidential website. I was dismayed. Here was a guy I liked because he wasn’t, or didn’t seem to be, like all the other Republican politicians. But when reality set in and he needed the support and funding, he had to retreat into the same ol same ol that this party is known for.
-The well known anti-abortion stance.
-Anti-Gay marriage. Ok. I’m not gay. No harm in that. Or in being gay. But exactly HOW does two people you don’t know getting married hurt your marriage? That has been the tenor of the anti-gay marriage debate here in the golden state. If two gay people marry and it hurts your marriage, you have a pretty piss-poor marriage buddy. Sorry to say it. Again, this is PURELY a religious thing.
-State’s Rights. There was a war that eliminated the concept of state’s rights. It also happened to eliminate slavery, so that was good too. See, there’s no problem with doing a sort of downsizing of the federal government. It’s big and wasteful. We all know that. But giving more power to the states is not only stupid, it’s irresponsible. State’s rights folks want to have power to the states to decide things like abortion. They argue there’s a common social bond that people in a state feel that makes people in a state maybe not want to have legalized abortion. Not surprising that this state’s rights fever comes from the south. And this is the area that used its common social bond to require separate bathrooms and drinking fountains and places of worship and of eating for those of a different skin color. Yes, these are the people we want deciding how social laws are decided. No thanks. Go back to the early 1800’s if you want that. We here in the present don’t need that ignorance.
Which brings me to my next point.
-The past. There is either progressive or regressive. Going forward or backward. And the Republicans seem to have planted themselves clearly in the going backward area. Repeal health law. Undo the abortion laws. Go back to state’s rights. Teach creationism. Each step is a step back in time. That’s not what they should be doing. They should be moving forward. You know who wants to go back in time? Old people. Old people who are afraid and can’t adjust to what is new, modern and now. Not coincidentally, that’s the audience for Bill O’Reilly. (Sorry dad.)
My suggestion would be to move forward. You hate the health care bill? Ok, provide an alternative and move forward with it. You want to do something about immigration (which is a shambles)? Then do something positive about it. Come up with a plan. Don’t complain. Don’t blame. Give me a plan. You CAN’T go back in time. Do something real. Do something positive.
And finally, for the love of god, if you can’t have a political discussion without using the word “liberal” then you’re an idiot. All I read is “The liberals want to do this” and “The liberals want to do that.” Really? ALL people who are liberal believe all the things that your pal Rush Limbaugh says are evil? Sorry. That’s just wrong.

That’s it. That’s why I won’t be able to vote, in good conscious, for any of your parties. It’s not pretty, but there it is. Not one of those parties represents my interests. They all have their little niche interests and when they have to really nail down a position tend to retreat to odd little political positions.
If only there was a Bull Moose Party. Oh well, one can dream.

PS. For full disclosure here's my votes on the CA props
19-No no a thousand times no
20-yes
21-no
22-yes
23-no
24-yes
25-no
26-yes
27-no
(damn, a pattern)