George Washington gave voters free rum

Dear Joe,

The only difference between the U.S. and Belize is who gets paid by the candidates ("Getting Out the Bling Vote"). If memory serves, George Washington lost his first election to the House of Burgesses at least in part to his refusal to provide the usual number of barrels of liquor to the voters. He learned his lesson, ponied up the booze the next election, and won.

I'd argue that the low turnout that we see in most elections reflects people's sense that their vote is worth nothing unless they think that they can prevent something "bad" from happening, like homosexuals being able to marry legally. I voted in support of a referendum to let gay men and lesbians marry in 2000 in Nevada because I figure that anyone of legal age who wants to marry ought to be able to get married.

One Supreme Court decision that I'd like to see them reverse is the one where they held that donating to political parties was a form of free speech. I'd prefer an election where NO ONE could donate to the candidate, and the only funds available were those provided by the government, with all candidates getting an equal amount of funding and air time on all stations. Television and radio stations are only renting the airwaves, and donating a certain amount of airtime should be a condition of holding an FCC license.

Joanne

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Amen Sister!

Your memory serves you correctly about Washington. He lost that election to the House of Burgesses in my hometown of Winchester, Virginia. Then, when Col. James Wood advised him to purchase more rum, he won.

As for the low turnout, I think it has been a long time since ordinary working citizens felt their vote had anything to do with the outcome of their lives. Between the dumbing down of the citizenry, and the culture of spectacle, I don't think most people are in any way connected with politics as reality.

And money as speech? That was the ultimate victory for the corporate state. Giving money a voice animates faceless, deathless corporations as living entities. The whole American shiteree was over back when the courts ruled that corporations essentially have the same rights as living breathing citizens. So now money is the blood of the republic. And like Dylan said, "Money doesn't talk, it swears."

Americans put bars of their own cages, then scurry about waiting to be managed more effectively by some great political leader, or party, or technology. Or just some vague Hallmark greeting card platitudinous sense of providence.

Read Toqueville. We are fond of pointing out his more flattering observations, but conveniently overlook his deepest ones. From the very beginning Americans have lived for the buck. Now they live at its mercy. Of which it has none.

In art and labor,

Joe