Surviving Capitalism (Not) : Why do we bother with elections?

We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Why do we bother with elections?

by Danny Lucia from Socialist Worker.

Danny Lucia wants to know why we had to pay attention to the elections when the two parties were getting together behind closed doors to plan how to screw us over.

My sentiments exactly. I stopped paying attention to the election circuses many years ago, and I keep wondering when the rest of my fellow Americans wise up.

Instead of watching all the TV hoopla, attending candidate rallies, etc., why not spend your time reading about real current and historical events from alternative sources? Then after learning about how our society really functions to serve the few, you might be able to join with your enlightened fellow Americans to change it into one that is governed by, and serves, all of the people.