SINISTER
3: singularly evil or productive of evil
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Politics as Usual
I've been watching the American elections more closely than ever before. What can I tell you, it is quite entertaining. Which is not a good thing. Say anything you'd like about entertainment, it does not propel us forward. Sure I have lightbulb moments that help me with my angst and love life, but mostly I'm just trying to avoid doing stuff: Cleaning my house, weeding my gardens, teaching my kids, advocating for change.
Today on CBC Radio's daily newsmagazine, The Current, I learned something sinister: those American (inter)nationally televised presidential debates are run a private, non-profit corporation, the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD), owned and operated entirely by the Republican and Democratic Party. I mean Parties. And their budget is courtesy of for-profit corporations and their lobby groups. Who own the television networks?
Oh.
I see.
This explains why the candidates’ parties are allowed to stage their positions and audience questions, control the moderators and the camera angles, and keep all other possible candidates far away from the podium. Seriously, how do these debates prove adequate knowledge to voters? Most Americans I know are completely engaged but can't get answers to their deep concerns about the choices being made on their behalf in their country.
The debates may well be a staged fraud, and Americans are only now waking up to realise they've been conned since the birth of their modern nation.
And why, you might ask, would this Canadian be so riveted by the manipulation of a few to continue to hold power when it is not my country?
We have it here too. The lies, the choices that don’t exist. The colonization of our minds.
In Canada as everywhere, the stakes have never seemed higher. Unlabeled GMO foods. Factory farming. Pipelines and tankers carrying bitumen oil, perhaps the most impossible thing to clean up from proposed remote riverbed, mountain range and sea paths. Global warming? Compact florescent lights, anyone?
We are in the same leaky bloody boat.
Solidarity?
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Update: Here are three parts to a story carried on PBS about this story.
Part 1:
Part 2:
Part 3:
I said it once, and I'll say it again. Canada's election process and debates are pretty much the same disaster as those in the USA. We are in the same boat. We may have to work together to right this wrong and be governed by people who want to govern all of us, and not just control us.
These are the rules for playing at Trifecta:
- Your response must be between 33 and 333 words.
- You must use the 3rd definition of the given word in your post.
- The word itself needs to be included in your response.
- You may not use a variation of the word; it needs to be exactly as stated above.
- Only one entry per writer.
These things are always going through my head as Election Day approaches. >__< I'm afraid of the uninformed/ignorant voter. I, at least, research truths behind the candidates' claims, but not everyone does :(
ReplyDeleteSee?! Most people I know are trying so hard to make the right choices, the right choices just might not be available. While I'm struggling with being Canadian right now, I can say that I am glad to not be American. It seems equally as messy and difficult right now.
DeleteDefinitely messy!!
Delete(p.s. testing for captcha lol)
I am starting to wonder if the conspiracy theorists are all that crazy after all.
ReplyDeleteRight Cindy? And I didn't even come close to talking about indigenous people and colonisation yet. I'm wondering what the right way is, perhaps seeking completely new leaders.
Deletethis is why people should not base their votes on the debates. but really these days, we are just choosing the lesser of two evils =\
ReplyDeleteI think we all are going to have to take matters into our own hands. It is precisely this in Canada, especially after the good guy (the most socialist, least historically connected, unexpectedly popular guy, got cancer and died within the year.
DeleteSinister?
Scary times, indeed. Not much longer to go!
ReplyDeleteI look forward to the afterward, and to see where people go with the results ...
Deletepolitics are simply advertising and propoganda. it's a bunch bs that detours from the true issues and any real resolutions. and other candidates hold no chance because of the two dominate parties holding the reigns. and the whole electoral college crap makes a public opinion less pertinent, if at all. truly a sinister thing indeed.
ReplyDeleteI never could figure out the electoral college thing (nor do I really understand the college athletics stuff, though I am certain they are not exactly related). I'm sorry you find it all as sordid and sinister as I did, though I'm also relieved.
DeleteKaren, you nailed the sinister thing. Politics and their manipulations - in all their sordidness. 2 weeks to go but will the vitriol stop? I doubt it, unfortunately. I enjoyed reading your take on it as a Canadian. As you say, you have the same issues. Well done!
ReplyDeleteOh boy do we have those same issues. But weirdly different as well.
DeleteGood: we don't have the amendments that make us think we have nebulous "rights" that can be interpreted in all kinds of directions
Bad: we have the queen and her consorts as another layer of bullshit. A few years back, when our lefty(ish) guy and his (unexpectedly popular) party were trying to "overthrow" the prime minister and his party by gathering together the other two parties, the queen okayed proroguing parliament, which means closing it, literally closing it until things cooled off. What did we get as a result? The populist guy, a guy who would have really shaken things up caught cancer and died, and the creepy party and pm got a majority government. We STILL can't figure out how that happened.
Now I'm not suggesting that anyone gave Jack Layton cancer, of course not, but the conspiracy theorist inside of me sometimes wonders ...
Whoa! way off track here, way off track.
Anyway, we have a tonne of creationists myths, just not as religiously repeated, over here. And we have the people who are in power, and will be in power until something radical happens. And then they'll suspend parliament again. Rinse, repeat.
I liked this take on the prompt - it was definitely a unique one this week! As an (I think, informed) American, though, I think the problem isn't so much with the candidates or any false choice, and more with the electorate. 99% of those watching have already made up their minds who they're voting for (even if they don't grasp the policy positions particularly well), and the other 1% is paying closer attention to who looks "most presidential" than to the issues they're talking about. Also the candidates have been trying for a while to control the camera angles used (they hate the split screen), but to no avail :) haha
ReplyDeleteI guess we would have to disagree ... in my experience here and in conversations with my friends, those who are politically engaged and reasonably well-read at last, it would seem that the organisations ensure that the voting public has little to no choice.
DeleteI'm glad you liked the take. I'm not very floral nor magical in my writing, but I still really appreciate having a reason to work out some of the stuff that is in my rattly brain, in a creative and indirect(ish) manner. That whole looking presidential stuff is funny, for sure. How would a woman do that?
This was a well considered, well written post and as a take on the prompt, I completely respect it. I can't tell you how much I disagree with much of it, though. Gov. Romney has been running for President for 8 years. His comments are on the record and an informed voter would be watching his performance on the debates scratching his or her head. Likewise the President hasn't been in hiding the past four years. I doubt that there are many voters in this divided 48%/48% country who are just now tuning in to the conversation during the debates. And I don't know how you come to the conclusion that we have no choice when, in terms of social issues, they could not be further apart. As someone who supports the role of government, who believes in the sanctity of the separation of Church and State, as a woman who fears seeing reproductive choice replaced by a choice between cfl and more conventional light bulbs, I see the difference as stark indeed. Where the candidates do seem closely aligned is on foreign policy. I fear that they really aren't, though. The advisers who surround Mitt Romney (like Dan Senor) are far more outspoken and bullish about pre-emptive war, and they are supported by the GOP. Still, I enjoyed reading your creative take on the prompt and found your north-of-the-border perspective valuable.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this comment, TGH, I really appreciate your information and your candor. I am very much aware of the issues at stake, including but not exclusive to medical coverage, war, incarceration rates and drug wars, immigration, church and state division, gun availability and control, and yes, reproductive freedom. In looking at it from your point of view, I think my CFL comment was probably too reductive, and insultingly simplistic compared to the issues being discussed.
DeleteI am very much aware of the issues at hand in this election, and the rights that are at stake, especially for women. I wonder if I've lost sight of those as I've read about Clinton's and Obama's connections to Monsanto, and the lack of real discussion about the whole GMO thing. But I have followed with interest the discussions on healthcare reform -- it is one of the major reasons why, when my husband considered looking for jobs south of the border I said no (the other is guns. I'm irrationally terrified of gun culture -- not of getting shot myself, per se, but of the culture that is so foreign to me that I can't quite express it right. We have guns on the loose here too, again for the record. >.< )
I pulled my kids from school to attend a local live broadcast of President Obama being sworn in. I will be somewhat relieved if he wins his second term. But I also hear the agony in the voices of some of my friends who remind their friends that there are more than two candidates running in this 2012 election. That said, if I were American, I would likely vote Obama simply out of fear of what may result if I didn't vote Obama. I am just not certain that is the best way to exercise a franchise.
As always, I and most of us north of the border types will be watching with great interest over the next few days.
Again, I'm very much grateful for your generous comment, and glad you enjoyed the read. Thank you.
There is much about Barack Obama's tenure that I am disappointed in -- none more than guns. He was my homestate senator and knows what the gun culture has done to my beloved Chicago. I'm also unhappy about the way Simpson Bowles and the BP oil spill were handled. These do not make "a profile in courage." But I believe that he is our best option, especially since our third branch of government (The Supreme Court) is going to feel this next President's impact in a real and long lasting way. One thing that we all have to remember is that, with time, each President's tenure is judged differently with the perspective of history. To see Bill Clinton applauded now, you'd never know that he was impeached. Now, 60 years after the fact, historians are looking at Eisenhower's legacy in a much more positive light, especially in terms of his attention to infrastructure. So while liberals like me (Or am I now a progressive? We're very quick to label one another here in the USA) may be less than inspired by our choices for President this time, we have to remember that we are trapped in the heat and tumult of the moment. Generations to come may judge these men and their accomplishments more generously when viewed through the prism of time.
DeleteI have enjoyed our exchange here very much. Thank you.
My thoughts are with you at the run up to the election ... and after, of course.
Delete(Btw, I got really verklempt when I read your comment here. I enjoyed the discussion as well.)
anyone who believes a politician ~ any politician ~ is naive beyond imagining. government in the U.S. has come to elected officials openly acting in their own interests and the public be damned!
ReplyDeleteIt is not so easy to be a member of a democracy in 2012, eh? Canada does not feel all that different, I'm afraid, at all levels of government.
DeleteThat said, I know of some politicians who work very hard in a system that is very much broken. I believe it is hard to see the good ones from the ones filled with some kind of self-interest. I also think it is the machinations of those behind the scenes that really cause the most nefarious problems. Though there are some in actual power who refuse to be accountable as well, and I am absolutely not letting them off the hook.
I also suspect that "mob" types are very much in the mix.
sigh.
Nice post - I'm really frustrated about this election and the staging and the promises and the shortsightedness. I feel like government and business have gotten way too cozy (both parties) and that that is really hurting us as a nation. Lived in Canada 18 months! Neat experience! Except the snow in April? Yeah. Didn't like that.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kelly. It is very much a relief to know that others see things as I do. Did you know that here in Canada there are people who believe that if the wrong elements hold too much sway we could see military actions from the US toward Canada over the oil sands? I think that when politics get as out-of-touch with the people as ours are now, the people who hold no power can become incredibly fearful.
DeleteI LOVE snow in April! But then, I live in Vancouver, so that is like snow in June elsewhere ... here it is rain rain rain and for that I am really grateful. I love rain like mad. It lets me sit inside and not worry about getting my kids out in the sun, and then I also don't have to worry about the kids BEING out in the sun. Luckily they like rain too, so when it is time to get outside, they gear up and go quite joyfully.
Thanks for visiting and commenting. I guess we will know what this election brings quite soon. I sure hope it is the lesser extreme ...
It's both sinister and depressing how little has changed since feudal times, so few controlling the wealth, knowledge and thus the world. I too burst with frustration during election times because I want it to be the story that we are sold, of leaders who actually care about their people, who want change, who see just how much water is already in the boat to desire an affect real change.
ReplyDeleteClearly from the responses here, you nailed this one.
I'm pretty relieved, actually. I was worried that, as I often do, I would offend people with my angry disappointment. I heard a brilliant prof talk about the creation of wealth and how it allows people to distance themselves from the people who are, in fact, the grunt labour of that creation. Geographically and culturally, which allows the wealthy to do unconscionable things to "their" workers. He laid out slave trades, sweat shops and the changes since feudal times in this way and I was able to take what he said and put it into the context of unbridled, unfettered and immoral development in the City of Vancouver, his lecture was that good. I'll have to find his video again, and post it here so I can easily watch it.
DeleteIt is rotten to want to believe the story that is told, even though you know it is a falsehood.
Thanks for commenting. I am so glad I am not alone.
Politics is disappointing to me. On TV, we are bombarded by commercials smearing the opponent and presenting half-truths (or out-and-out lies) intended to sway the voters. Many commercials are funded by private interests. I am sad for election time because I feel like I am forced to choose between bad and worse.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with politicians and our political system is that power and money are behind it all. The general American public only matters so far as they are needed to get them into office. I do not feel like my interests, or the interests of my children truly matter to them. Even if there is an honest politician, how can they possibly overcome what has become Washington?
Still, I do take the time to research the candidates and make an informed choice, even though I wonder, even as I bubble in my selection on the ballot, whether I have made the 'right' decision.
Amazing, eh? It isn't an easy time to be a thinking person.
DeleteI have often wondered if it is even possible to govern such huge swaths of diverse geographic landmasses, or is it what allows some to become superrich? I personally was always a fan of the Cascadia concept ... and then this came over the wire today from an indigenous action group I follow who were being interviewed for a film and were briefed on the whole Cascadia thing: "we thought the cascadian bio region was small but we seen the map and realized HOLY SHIT its the salmon people! from oregon to alaska and all in between."
I wouldn't mind exploring alternate forms of governance that maybe won't work on such a large scale ... glad the indigenous people here never signed treaties, it really has hooped our government on some serious legal things. Of course they have cultivated some FN people to act as leaders, but the people on the ground are not going quietly ...
Interesting times, right? Interesting times.
I read a great tweet that said something like, 98% of Americans watching the debate totally agree with themselves. I think that's really all the debates are for is for confirming the stupidity of the guy you don't want and the awesomeness of the guy you do.
ReplyDeleteI also think if you're looking to educate yourself go to a site like factcheck.org and figure that shit out yourself from what they actually said and did.
Also, if you're a registered American voter, vote for Obama. Seriously, do it.
Oh I would, even if it scares the #$*( out of me to do it I would vote for him. I wouldn't be comfortable with it but I'd be less comfortable with the alternative, and I know nothing else, mostly because I am not American.
DeleteThat is a great tweet.
factcheck.org. I'm going to have to check that one out. Thanks!
Thoughtful essay. *holds out had to shake over the border*
ReplyDeleteThank you Kymm. Shaking uncontrollably ... *grin*
DeleteOh my. The more I learn about American politics, the weirder it seems. This post makes me very glad not to be living in the US right now (because it's so much more fun in a tiny country - you can almost touch all the idiocy going round).
ReplyDeleteHeh, Gabriela, having lived in a few smaller places (but only as a detached non-voting guest), I know what you mean. Indeed, I wonder if it is even a good idea to be administering such large places.
DeleteIn the same point indeed!
ReplyDeleteI wish more Americans, myself included, paid more attention to the policies and practices of our closest neighbors!
-barbara @ de rebus
Thank you, Barbara. I think you would find things dismayingly familiar over here right now in some ways. I also think it is a very different thing to be the size of the USA (population, our land masses are similar) and pay attention to things outside of your borders. And there is so much going on outside of your borders that demands more attention than Canada ...
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