Not Defeatism

Joseph Cannon, over at Cannonfire posts this tidbit:

I've run into it before, of course, in both the equally desperate '04 and '06 elections—the "I'm so disturbed by the state of general corruption throughout the world that I won't vote at all" schtick that veritably curdles the brain with its absolutist defeatism. But I still just—I can't believe there is anyone left who can claim his apathy is severe enough it prevents him from participating.

I think Joseph misses the real point here. I don't think it's the "absolutist defeatism" concept at work here as much as the reality that no matter who we vote for, they will end up not representing us.

Not a single front-running candidate in today's presidental elections is promising to enforce the will of the people, or support our Constitution. They are all jabbering away about how they will do what they want if elected.

Consider McCain... he is running for president because he wants to implement his ideas on how the government(which would be him of course) should run the country, not how it should be run, or even how we citizens - or the Congress - want things run, and he makes no bones about telling us that. He will steadfastly represent and execute his ideas... Period. And, his idea on how to run things is to use the old "iron fist in the iron glove" approach, thus the now popular "bomb bomb McCain" monicker he enjoys today.

Consider Hillary... She is running for president to make history, to be the first female president of the United States, to be the most powerful female in the history of the world. Shove off, Cleopatra... Step aside, Margaret Thatcher... Hit the road, Golda Meir... Hillery has arrived. Her pandering lip service aside, what we citizenss want or need is as far from her mind as the planet Mercury. Keep in mind, she wants your money, and will garnish your wages to get it if necessary. That's power, baby.

Consider Obama... please, get serious. If he is elected, he will be the first president to be elected by a wave of emotional outbreak only. He is a "do nothing" Senator, has no experience in anything but fine-sounding speeches, and would be a fine-talking "do-nothing" president. Just check his track record. Besides, Bill Clinton was our first "black" president, right?

All of today's leading candidates will no doubt do the bidding of the corporate conglomerates and the Israeli lobby, groups that really control the direction of our federal government and this nation.

So... not voting for any of these puppets is not a expression of "absolute defeatism", but more of a demonstration of understanding the reality that it will make no difference to the outcome.