Why I don't vote

To begin with, voting simply isn't worth the effort for a country cowardly enough to tolerate the gang-style savagery dished out to Marine recruit Jason Tharp, the teenager who wanted out of the military, then drowned during "training." Forced to tread water, Jason was surrounded by Marine swim instructors as he went under possibly six times, screamed repeatedly to be let out of the pool, finally succumbed to exhaustion and coughed, gagged, or vomitted before bobbing to the surface unresponsive.

Only one mainstream media outlet revealed these bloodcurdling facts. Democracy depends on an informed electorate, and an informed electorate depends on a free press. The Tharp case epitomizes the fact that America has neither.

When it comes to the top office in the land, the Electoral College makes a mockery of majority rule. In a real democracy, the winner is the candidate who gets the most votes. One man, one vote. And if it's not the Electoral College, it's multi-billion dollar corporations deciding who gets elected and what kind of legislation gets passed. Corporations are not people. America's two-party system is a sham.

So go get 'em, boys and girls. Cast those ballots, support those imperialistic wars, and by all means, flap those flags. As for me, I'll make a deal. I'll vote for the first candidate who screams bloody murder about the Tharp case. Fair enough?

McCain v. Obama. And the Empress' new clothes.

One thing's for sure. McCain's got the best dressed running mate, hands down. I'll bet Biden's wardrobe doesn't cost half as much as Sarah's. But the real embarassment turns out to be John Edwards. Talk about cheap. Edwards was skimping by on those $400 haircuts...

Pardon the pun, but when it comes to warmongering, McCain doesn't beat around the Bush. And if McCain gets the nod, it might be kinda fun to see folks get exactly what they asked for.

Change you can believe in? I wish Obama was a non-smoker, at least. Yessir, he sure doesn't have any of that "baggage" from back when my generation put an end to one of America's filthy wars. Obama - like McCain - is shootin' for a bigger war in Afghanistan while he makes any withdrawal from Iraq contingent on conditions on the ground. Barack even threw a tantrum when MoveOn.org dared to run the Betray Us ad questioning the integrity of America's scandal-soaked military.

Too bad our last chance for world peace, racial harmony, etc. can't even get along with his minister. If only he would direct some of that hostility toward impeaching Bush and Cheney for war crimes. With Obama and his corporate lapdog Democrat party kissin' up to the Republicans and budgeting billions for America's latest wars, a small pocketful of coins left over after taxes will be the "change you can believe in" regardless of who gets elected.

Thank goodness I no longer bother to vote. This election has been better than an afternoon soap opera, and I can set back and enjoy the show.

Bailout Blues

Let's face it. Neither Obama nor McCain have enough courage to address the cause of America's current financial woes. The chickens of "livin' beyond one's means" have come home to roost, and the response from both parties has been a rush to spend even more. 'Course, it would be politically risky to assert that Americans - borrowers, lenders, and even Joe the Plumbers - need to exercise a little good old-fashioned self-discipline and common sense.

Sadly - as the parties of Obama and McCain budget trillions for America's latest imperialistic wars - our economy is built on suckerdom. Keepin' up with the Joneses keeps the credit flowin' and everyone's fat and happy. Throw in a few fancy Wall Street shenanigans, get the rest of the world involved, and when the entire house of cards comes crashin' down, bail out the culprits with taxpayer dollars from folks who lived responsibly. Folks who didn't buy the lie. Folks who made profits before they made "payroll."

For a number of reasons, I no longer vote. But it should be obvious by now that "Change You Can Believe In" won't start with Obama or McCain. They're afraid to say so, but what we need is less lendin' and spendin' - more savin' and behavin'.