Economic Cannon Fodder

Almost all of us are unrepresented Americans. You're just economic cannon fodder for the machine of consumerism. It's how our country sustains its survival.

Our government doesn't care whether we are for or against abortion, the death penalty, public education, the environment, universal health care, gun control, gay rights, or whatever else -- except in the sense that the chosen policy maintains social stability and doesn't detract from economic prosperity.

Unless you have an enormous financial stake, you're being pacified by government policy so that you don't revolt.

Nations run on money, and strong nations are the ones with the most economic power. Government policy is almost exclusively dictated by economic concerns.

Is it any wonder that public education, health care, and social security are the programs that are under the most political attack? They consume an enormous amount of the budget. National defense takes an enormous amount of the budget as well, but the biggest bully on the block can always take everyone's lunch money until a bigger bully comes along or until the bully has a change of heart about knocking other people around.

So, it's nice to be thrown the bone of civil rights, child labor laws, women's suffrage, safer food, and other things (all of which I will maintain were a threat to economics); but unless you're in the top 1% of people that controls 33% of the wealth in this country, your opinions don't really matter.

95% of Congressional elections aren't competitive. With gerrymandering, your legislators are chosen for you. Your vote barely matters. National policy wouldn't be that much different whether a D or an R were president. Yeah I know, some of you will disagree about the different bones we will be thrown.

In Texas state politics, only three people matter -- the Speaker of the House, the Lieutenant Governor, and the Governor. The other 149 House members and 31 Senators have virtually no say except on their local issues that the three demigods throw bones to them for.

Countries are amoral and only concerned with power. The goal is to survive and prosper.

Given all of that in my early Saturday afternoon rant, I will say that I am represented because the powers that be allow me to vote on which bones I am thrown. However, I always vote third party, or maybe I should say second party since the goals of the R's and D's are virtually the same; otherwise they wouldn't simply hand each other congressional districts through redistricting. They're in cahoots.

It's just a dog and pony show, and what's funny is that so much of the nation is so passionate about it and thinks it makes such a huge difference.

Kang: It makes no difference which one of us you vote for. Either way, your planet is doomed. DOOMED!