eThoughts : Voting, Freedom, and Choice

It’s voting season again–a time to exercise our freedom of choice and contribute the decisions that guide our fate. Hmmm.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m generally in favor of democracy. And I’m generally in favor of freedom of choice. I’m just not sure there’s a standard application or definition for democracy or freedom of choice. I’m not even convinced that we actually enjoy the fruits of those ideas in the United States.

I guess what’s bothering me in all of the election rhetoric, is how much the exporting of ideas occur. The game seems to be right and to not be wrong. Pretty lofty ambition–one I’m not so sure is achievable on a regular basis. I mean, what’s our benchmark? It seems to me we often don’t find out what’s right or wrong until some later date–and then, as before, we can spin the heck out of it, move around on the circle of perception, and see the entire thing in a different light. So the game is really what, linguistically attempt to move others around on the wheel of perception so we’re all seeing the same thing? That’s democracy? That’s freedom? That’s choice?

Perhaps it’s more manipulative, at least the way we tend to get our information. If we make decisions based upon the information we get, and someone else is managing the informational flow, where’s the choice again?

Whether it’s religion, politics, philosophy, or whatever, too many people are trying too hard to export ideas they themselves know little about. Freedom indeed. Democracy indeed. Like we know what works in other places, much less in our own place. Power, influence, and money indeed! Still! We can dress it up however we want, we can make it noble or religious or political, but power and money are still the feast that draw the vast majority of people to the community table. Those poor souls that show up to this table with true humanitarian notions are soon eaten or sent packing.

I’ll vote again, as usual–though, as usual, I feel like I haven’t much choice, just the illusion of participation. The teeth of the starving beasts are still trumping the heart and soul of those of gentler persuasion. Throwing ourselves into the mouth of the beast is a somewhat goofy choice, we already know the beast is there and dangerous. Killing the beast only seems to feed those that step up to replace it. And figuring out how to exorcise the terrible anxiety that drives those to beastdom is no easy task, and not yet realized. Despite the noble idea, perhaps freedom and democracy have so far only served as a means for the beast to feed without being so obvious.

So, what are we to do? I’m not so smart as to have answers. Maybe the answer is just simply “no more!” But if we actually do that, we might find our precious little world askew and discover why the beast arises in the first place. Or perhaps we’ll find that nobler part of ourselves arise, despite the upheaval. I don’t know, but I suspect we just might find out–and sooner rather than later. At least I hope so, despite more than a little nervousness about all those levers behind the curtain, and the wizard that is yanking away on them–and I mean the curtain, levers, and wizard inside of us as well as on the outside.

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