NationStates Jolt Archive

Got her new book today, along with my copy of Outfoxed (http://outfoxed.org) (which I just finished watching). I'll write a review of that a little later, probably after I watch it a second time--there's so much to digest.

Anyway, Ivins' new book is titled Who Let the Dogs In? Incredible Political Animals I Have Known. (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1400062853/ref=cm_plog_rnr_dp/104-5433137-5360736?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance) While I have yet to even start the first chapter, I came across this section in the foreword and was so inspired by it that I wanted to post it here and I bolded a couple of lines I thought were especially powerful. This is only a small excerpt, by the way. Enjoy.

Because I have been writing about politics for forty years, I know where the cynicism comes from, and I would not presume to tell you it is misplaced. The system is so screwed up, if you think it's not worth participating in, then give yourself credit for being alert. But not for being smart. How smart is it to throw away power? How smart is it to throw away the most magnificent political legacy any people has ever received? This is our birthright; we are the heirs; we get it all just for being born here. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men [and women!] are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pusruit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of those ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it." More than two hundred years later, people all over the world are willing to die for a chance to live by those ideals. They dies in South Africa, they died at Tiananmen Square, they're dying today in Myanmar.

Don't throw that legacy out the window out of cynicism or boredom or inanition: "I'm just not interested in politics." "There's nothing I can do."

You have more political power than 99% of all the people who have ever lived on this planet. You can not only vote, you can register other people to vote, round up your friends, get out and do political education, talk to people, laugh with people, call the radio, write the paper, write your elected representative, use your e-mail list, put up signs, march, volunteer, and raise hell. All your life, no matter what else you do--butcher, baker, beggarman, thief/doctor, lawyer, Indian chief--you have another job, another responsibility: You are a citizen. It is an obligation that requires attention and effort. And on top of that, you should make it a hell of a lot of fun.

Having fun while fighting for freedom is, as you will see from this book, my major life cause. I see no reason why we should not laugh, and in fact I think we should insist upon it.

You're damn right, Molly.

It's good advice, very good advice. Hopefully it will motivate some to be more involved in politics. After all, who rules you is your business.

You can not only vote, you can register other people to vote, round up your friends, get out and do political education, talk to people, laugh with people, call the radio, write the paper, write your elected representative, use your e-mail list, put up signs, march, volunteer, and raise hell.

And yet, what is really accomplished? You register others to vote, and they can vote for the side you abhor. Round up your friends, use your email list, same thing. Political education is great, but isn't going to affect who people vote for. That's based on their beliefs, and how they align with the candidates.

Call the radio, write the paper, put up signs, march, raise hell, etc. In other words, try to cram your opinion down someone else's throat. How often does that ever actually result in changing the opinion of anyone other than blind sheep? I know I am actually less likely to listen to someone who tries to preach to me.

The reality is, you (meaning people in general) have no significant power over who gets elected. You have one vote, which in perspective of millions, will have absolutely minimal to no impact on the outcome. Try as you will, in the end people will vote for who they want to vote for. And even if you could somehow change their minds (and ignoring the moral questions brought up by that), the other side is capable of using the same tactics to do the exact same thing.

If they are equal in numbers, the effect will cancel itself out. If one side is larger in numbers, they will get further ahead - but they were winning anyways.

In short, you can vote, but it's more perfunctory than anything else. Your vote doesn't actually decide who is elected. I've never heard of any election coming down to 1 vote, often it is thousands or even tens of thousands of votes in difference. Remove one vote of those thousands from either side, and what is accomplished? Nothing.

I'm sorry if that comes across as negative, but that's just pragmatic. Vote if you wish, by all means; but don't expect it to actually have any impact on anything.

I've seen elections decided by literally a handful of votes, especially local elections, so even if you only manage to convince one person to change his or her mind, or even better, to engage in a system that they have neglected previously, then your efforts aren't wasted.

I'll tell you another reason why it's important to stay involved and try to involve others. It has to do with the concept of ownership. If you don't take part in the political process, then you 1) really don't have much room to bitch when stuff gets screwed up and 2) you're not invested in the system. If you get involved, however, if you take as much personal control as you can. then you're invested in the system, and it means more to you, and the more people who feel that way, the better, because while an apathetic populace will let itself be shat upon, an involved populace shoves the shit back down the throats of those who would do the original shitting.

I vote if I feel either candidate is deserving of my support. I have never, and will never, vote because one candidate is less evil than another. That's like someone walking up to me and saying "You must choose to kill either 5 people, or 10 people.". I won't choose either. I may be choosing the lesser evil with 5, but I'm still supporting evil.

That just doesn't fly with me.

It is true that local elections can be somewhat more close than national elections. But again, you're really only giving one vote. By just convincing people to vote in general, they could very well vote for your opposition. And trying to convince someone to vote for someone because you believe in them, isn't having them vote for the right reasons. They should vote for whomever they feel is the right person.

That's just my two cents though. To each their own.

I always skip her articles cause she has nothing useful to contribute to american society.

bee to the ump

"Words of wisdom" and "Molly Ivins" appearing in the same thread title is clearly an oxymoron, nullifying your entire post.

"Words of wisdom" and "Molly Ivans" appearing in the same thread title is clearly an oxymoron, nullifying your entire post.

Hi Leynier, nice to see you haven't changed at all since we last talked.. heh

Hi Leynier, nice to see you haven't changed at all since we last talked.. heh

Still as radical-right as ever. ;)

Still as radical-right as ever. ;)

Indeed, I'd expect nothing less ;)

Still as radical-right as ever. ;)I'll give you radical. Right? I'm not so sure.

Oh wait--you were talking about political leaning. My bad. :D