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We are told that the country has never been more polarized. We are told that this may be the most important election in history. We are told that the future of the world, the very existence of American democracy is at stake. What is our response?

BULLSHIT!

Polarization? You betcha. As usual, more than fifty percent of the electorate is paying no attention whatsoever. They are cynical and fed up with politicians "moving their lips"...that is...lying. The other half remains anchored in the dream world where they can pretend that it will make a "dimes worth of difference" which one of the two wealthy aristocrats gets to live in the White House for the next four years or which half of our one party system holds a majority in the congress. We were going to vote for Ralph Nader...definitely a "protest vote" given our libertarian beliefs and this man's faith in government solutions...but are now leaning toward joining the non-voting majority for the first time in our lives. We are told that a vote for Nader...or no vote at all...is really a vote for Bush. We say that no vote is NO VOTE...for any of these bastards.

An important election? Get real! Numerous pundits have bravely come forth and made the easily constructed case that nothing of importance will change no matter which of these two congenital liars ascends to the Imperial throne. Weapons of mass destruction and various killing machines will continue to be manufactured...by American corporations...and our congress will willingly surrender our tax dollars to this cause. Foreigners..the "others"...will continue to die in droves as "unintended targets" of these arms. And, of course, American "boys and girls" in the military will also continue to be killed and maimed, as those others show their displeasure of being forced to do as our leaders wish them to do...at the moment. Remember when al Qaida were the good guys (in Afghanistan against the Soviets)? Or, how about those pictures...now made famous in Michael Moore's latest movie...of Donald Rumsfeld shaking the hand of our "ally", Saddam Hussein?

The gap between the rich and the poor will continue to widen. Welfare state giveaways to individuals...a mere pittance compared to the largesse rendered to corporations like Cheney's Haliburton...will continue to keep the really poor from rising up and "eating the rich," as they have done so often in the past in less affluent societies. The flood of cheap new gadgets and toys for the entertainment of the middle class...made in China, Korea and Malaysia...keep them from smelling the rot at the center as well. It is ironic that China...still technically a communist state...is embracing free market capitalism and various new freedoms, while we are getting ever cosier with massive monopoly corporations and shutting down those same freedoms. Betcha you didn't know that China has the fastest growing ecomomy in world history...a 25% increase last year while we were still mired in stagnation. For some strange reason, you don't hear about that in your local media.

The future of the world? It strikes us that it depends far more on what China does than what we do.

American freedom and democracy? They are definitely vanishing. But which of the monsters and their backers running for office this year is about to change all this? Perhaps Arnold Schwarzenegger...if we amend the constitution.

In truth, if we ever want things to change, WE OURSELVES must be the agents of change, but voting this year just won't cut the mustard. Voting in the election of 2004 is a total waste of time and energy...unless, of course, there are local elections of interest to you. Instead, take a look at the short video clip at JibJab. It sums it all up and will at least give you a little amusement In these VERY bad times.

Talk to you later...

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