I almost vowed to never do this, but I've been inspired by the book that I am reading right now (not the same book that I got the idea for the post about music with the world's lamest title). First, let me make it very clear that I am socially liberal meaning that I believe that every person in the world has the right to some form of equality. Second, I am somewhat conservative as well since I believe that people are responsible to claim their rights in any way that is possible. Hence, I am not a big fan of things like welfare when it involves a couple that continually pumps out babies because they can't cover it up or put it away. So I am a Green Party member, but I am far from a tree-hugging hippy.
So here's the official rant. The book I am reading is called The Unknown American Revolution by Gary Nash, who is a history professor at UCLA. The book is basically about the lower classes that really drove and fought in the revolution. During the 17th and 18th century there were basically 4 groups of people: rich white colonists, rich white English appointed to serve the King, lower-class whites (artisans, farmers, etc.) and slaves. The "traditional" American patriots that we are taught about in school are usually (but not always) part of the first group. They were all about liberty from the English and didn't want to keep paying unfair taxes, but this book argues that this was more for the goal of financial profit than for the altruistic belief in freedom. So a lot of the stories that I have read involve lower-class groups that only wanted to have a voice in government, maybe not even control it. However, the aristocratic class made every effort to make sure that the colonial tax system would benefit themselves and place the burden of financing the government on the backs of the lower-class while not giving these same lower-class a voice in this system. When complaining didn't work, the masses simply put it right in these rich guys' faces by kidnapping them, burning them in effigy, and by destroying their homes. Sure, many historians argue that this was the result of a highly uneducated class that did not have a great understanding of politics, but I feel that this is the desperate act of a desperate group of people that only wanted what they were entitled to. It was this same group of people that gave their lives in the revolution so that people like Jefferson, Washington, Adams, etc. could go back to their huge estates and their slaves without being harassed by English tax collectors. (I don't really hate these guys, but the truth hurts sometimes)
I am all worked up because I drew a connection between this struggle for independence and the current political situation in the U.S. I'm not going to spend too much time talking about Bush not being elected "fairly", because that is a tired argument and is only true to a point. My complaint today rests with everyone but the hardcore Republicans. We can bitch all we want about the war in Iraq and how revealing the identity of our spies is not a fireable offense, but most of the people that complain do only that. Look at the voting statistics from the last two elections. The greatest turnout is by old white educated rich people (not men, women vote more than men). Our government is successful in screwing over the poor, the minorities, and those who want equality for all people of different races, sexual preference, economic standing, etc. because we don't do enough to stop it. Minorities vote in small numbers. Young people vote in small numbers. Poor people vote in small numbers. Why? Maybe its because we got to choose between which rich old white guy to vote for. Maybe its because the administration hires goons to stop them from voting (not likely in large enough numbers). I argue that its because the people who don't vote are too damn lazy to care. They bitch about not being represented in government, about how they don't get anything because they are _____ (young, black, Mexican, poor, liberal). However, I don't blame them. The "system" has been made so complex and hidden that they don't know what is going on, and that's just how the government likes it. Bush wants "no child left behind," but doesn't help pay for this to happen. Bush wants to protect people from different countries from terrorism, but what about the homeless people in our country that suffer? Let's get freedom for oil-rich Iraq, but not for cotton-rich Africa? Bullshit.
If you've gotten this far, then you are about to be rewarded with the most radical statement I've maybe ever put in writing. We need to start tearing down houses and burning politicians in effigy. We need to make it clear that there are more of us than there are of them. Granted, I am far from being oppressed (middle-class white educated male that votes), but I still want to see this country live out the ideals that we supposedly stands for. If we get 80% voter turnout and the current conservative ideals stay in place, so be it. But at least we'll have 85 million Americans in the majority decide this than the 30 million in the "majority" that do it now. We are so happy to bitch and bitch and bitch, but shit, its about time that we start using the tools that so many people died to get for us. Let's make it simple enough for everyone to understand. Let's teach our kids that rich people don't die for their freedom, poor people do. The 1800+ troops that have died in Iraq were not all ex-NFL players that gave up millions to go sacrifice for their country. I think the same people that do the dying should also be making the decisions, which is something that I would love to see them do.
That's all. Thanks for staying with me.
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