From: ptownson@eecs.nwu.edu (Patrick A. Townson)
Subject: Re: This Time Around, DON'T VOTE !!
Organization: EECS Department, Northwestern University
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 06:35:16 GMT


In article <schumach.718479466@convex.convex.com> schumach@convex.com
(Richard A. Schumacher) writes:

> Anyone who chooses not to vote should shut the hell up about
> politics until the next election. 

Why? What does the simple-minded act of voting in a corrupted system
where your vote means nothing have to do with discussing how bad
things are? You expect that the vote I did not cast will change
things?

> I'd still like to throttle those whiners from my old co-op
> who chanted "Carter, Reagan, both the same!" while sitting
> out the election in 1980. 

Do you know what is the difference between Dan Quayle, Bill Clinton
and Jane Fonda?

    Well, Jane Fonda actually went to Vietnam ...

> (On the other hand, if enough reactionary Republicans and
> fuzzy-minded Libertarians emulate that old radical error, the Busher
> will soon be out of a job!)

Good! Let him be out of a job ... that suits me fine. Or maybe he will
beat Clinton badly ... that's okay also. 

Yes, the Libertarian line -- if you follow it all the way -- is very
fuzzy and unworkable. Some libertarian (small /l/ rather than large
/L/) concepts are pretty good and would be workable ... might even be
the answer to lots of problems in the USA.  I don't think the current
Libertarian Party has any good solutions to things however. Andre
Moureu would probably be better than Bush/Clinton; how much better I
am not sure. Perot might be okay, but I don't like him much either. 

My point is things are going to have to collapse completely in the USA
before they start to improve. We could be talking about the budget,
about health care, about full unrestricted rights for all Americans
regardless of sex, sexual orientation, race, etc ... we could be
talking about crime, education, many things. Right now we are merely
putting patch on top of patch trying to hold the country together as a
liveable, enjoyable place to be.

The Demopublicans and Republicrats have a monopoly on government in
the USA. They have failed badly.  They keep desparately telling people
to get out and vote, everything will be better if you just elect *my
team* into office, etc.  Things won't get better, they will get worse.

Government bureaucrats are secure in their jobs regardless of who gets
elected next month -- and they do not give one iota what you say or
think. Clinton or Bush: take your pick. There will not be less violent
crime; there will not be less taxes or a balanced budget. AIDS will
continue to be a menace. Your pockets will be empty and many of you
will continue to live in dangerous slum conditions. You will continue
to stand in line at government agencies and be given a run-around. You
will continue to have your rights and liberties violated by
organizations which say with a straight look on their face that they
are actually protecting your rights and liberties.  

In the next couple years, we will see violent crime increase at a huge
rate. There will be more riots like Los Angeles. Every large urban
area in America today is a powder-keg waiting to explode. 

Bush/Clinton, et al -- the Demopublicans and Republicrats -- desparately
need you to *validate* them.  Don't do it!

Like an elderly relative in long term hospital care who will never
recover and who you would 'pull the plug' on if only you had the
courage to say goodbye and godspeed to them, American politics need to
be allowed to die and put aside once and for all. 

Bush/Clinton and local politicos say "Keep the system going!" ... but
they know it won't work either ... and like a cancerous body part you
refuse to have removed until you have to because (a) you are scared
and (b) you keep hoping somehow the cancer will go away on its own you
keep on *validating* the existing process year after year. You keep
hoping that one of these guys actually knows how to reduce crime,
improve life for Americans and balance the budget, etc .. 

Because you love America you participate and pretend that everything
will soon be okay ... all it takes is a vote for candidate X ...
when in your heart I think you know it no longer matters.  

I love America also, and I suggest maybe the time has come that people
have the courage to tell the government NO MORE GAMES. Humoring and
validating is a thing of the past. Tell them to get out of office and
stay out; we could have a Board of Directors which did as well at
running things as they do, and at far less cost. 

STAY AWAY FROM THE POLLS!   DO NOT VOTE IN NOVEMER!  


Patrick Townson