2008: The Year of the Rat

I have never held a strong interest in politics. For whatever the reason it just did not interest me. At times I feel jaded by the thought that those currently in power are firmly entrenched (individually yes, but much more as a group). The political system and "democracy" as we know it could all be a farce where those in power get richer and more powerful and everyone else, upper middle class on down, sleeps easy at night thinking that their interests are being taken care of and their civil liberties are intact. Is there a silent majority? A silent majority of politically apathetic individuals (I'm including myself in this group), that may hear P. Diddy proclaim from on high that you must "Vote or Die", yet are intelligent enough to know that within your state that damned electoral college will render your vote meaningless as your state is always red or always blue and your measley vote will do nothing to change that?

Perhaps there exists a group of people unregistered or undecided who's views straddle the political line. Maybe those who care enough about politics identify as "Libertarian" after doing a bit of research. The phrase "I am fiscally conservative but socially liberal" is one that I have heard time and again, even uttered from my own lips. But if this unorganized, unidentified, quasi political group, (that hates taxes and thinks the war spending is a waste of money yet a necessity given the current situation, and the educational system is f'd in the a by the No Child Left Behind act), does indeed exist, there is no way to identify it. I think it spans the age demographic, but may be firmly entrenched in one age group (Gen X/Gen Y). If this group does exist, there is little chance that it will ever be formally organized. You would have to have even the slightest faith in the political process to think that such a group would have a chance at rising (off their couches) formally organizing, and throwing around any sort of political weight.

A number of years back, a friend of mine, who I met through a job, and kept his "ear to the streets", told me a few things, (1) the "true" story behind 50 Cent getting shot, and the feud with Ja Rule, (this was well before it was published in Playboy and in a promotional DVD), (2) the blander your diet, the easier it is to avoid bad foods; he only ate lettuce and tomato on a roll, with an occassional side of fries for lunch everyday, no meat (I lost 30 pounds that summer - gained it all back and then some since) and (3) that the urban masses are restless, and an uprising is inevitable. Now, this guy is not Nostradamus, but rarely do you get to hear a voice from a different walk of life comment on social issues from the position of just another guy, rather than political activist or politician.

So here we are, in 2008, the year of the Rat (according to my month of february calendar), and assuming the position that (as I have been told) I am shirking my duties as an American citizen (which I'd have agreed with in 2002 when I received a letter threatening legal action if I didn't register for selective service - a consequence of never registering to vote) by not voting, I am going to do my duty as an American and take an interest in the 2008 Presidential Election. I've been keeping an eye on the campaign advertising, diligently reading the Drudge Report, without delving too far into the issues, and am going to first examine the Democratic candidates, then (in another post) the Republicans. I'll use a +, - rating system, kind of like counting cards in blackjack. Maybe I'll come to a conclusion, maybe not. Hell, maybe I'll even vote this time around.

I'll probably have to put this in separate posts...