Unsought Input

Well it’s been almost two very long years but finally the big day has arrived, Election day. In a way I’m just glad tomorrow it will be over I hope. Every ad out there has been for a politican or an issue in the last few week. All I have heard is why should you vote for, who is or what has been lying, and other assorted distortions about the candidates or issues. With all this I can understand people who don’t vote thinking the only options are a both bad. However this is the only shot that everyone over 18, not a felon, and voting republican gets a say. I would love to not think that the republicans will not try to steal this vote but don’t put anyting past these guys. That’s why it’s so important to vote. The people not the neocons need to have their voice heard. If you think that’s the election is over, it’s not. Lets not forget the last two elections. Okay enough of the liberal in me just vote people. Even if the line is long, you only have one day to have your say.

ZOMG!!!11!!

There is a lot of talk lately in this election about Barack Obama having “socialist views” and being “a socialist.” For some – especially those who grew up during the Cold War – this evokes an image of radical Socialism as practiced in Soviet Russia and Mao’s China. Or is that Communism? What is the difference anyway?

The idea of Socialism has been around for a long time – longer than German philosopher Karl Marx (who wrote The Communist Manifesto). Socialism is a set of ideals and not a type of government. Examples of types of government are Representative Democracy & Constitutional Republic (United States), Parliamentary Democracy & Constitutional Monarchy (United Kingdom, Canada), Direct Democracy & Parliamentary Republic (Switzerland) and Socialist Republic (Cuba) … among many others.

Having “socialism” written down as a set of ideals came out of Europe where people had been struggling with class for centuries. Industrial revolutions made the worker more valuable but also the CEOs of the time much richer. Common people wanted to be recognized as a more important part of society and given more rights and better compensation for their work.

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I’m pretty sure there was a duh kind of moment when the good people over at newsnet5.com wrote this article: Racial Views Steer Some White Dems From Obama. I have to say I’m pretty sad about it and I know a lot of people like to think that we aren’t some backwards country where people are still racist.  Wait a minute. I don’t know if a lot of people think that way but I know I do.  I know it’s just wishful thinking on my part but honestly, people are really going to vote for McCain not because they they believe in his point of view or like his attitude or think he’s cooler than Barack.  No, they will vote for him because he isn’t black.

How sad is that?  In an age where we like to think of Americans as progressive thinkers who have learned a hard lesson after four additionally painful years (at least most Americans according to the latest poll I heard which put Bush at a 29% approval rating) people are making a very very very important decision based on the fact that McCain would be better because he is white and old.  Or maybe it’s just because he’s white. (more…)