Voting For The Lesser Evil

The very first thing I want to share is the punch line of this article – don’t! It is an emphatic “don’t” appealing to your good sense and judgment.

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The past wisdom was to vote for the lesser evil because, subconsciously, we did not feel like we had any other choice, that we cannot vote for the “good” because there are none, and we feel strongly about exercising our democratic rights. But let me point out that voting for the lesser evil is still voting for evil.? Ask yourself if evil is a part of your own value system, and if it is not, why would you be voting for something that you do not believe in? I am certain that evil is not part of the value system for the majority, and that you are only voting for the lesser evil because you feel that you don’t have an alternative.? So much for the “voice of the people”.? We are also admitting, in so many ways, that all politicians are evil.? As for exercising our democratic rights, I have news for you – you have none. If the sum total of your democratic rights encompasses nothing more than to place a few tick marks on a ballot once every 1461 days for electing the Leader of the Free World (?!?), and the elected leader can ignore your interests for the remaining 1460 days, I am not sure that defines democracy for me.?

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Me today? I would rather abstain than to vote for any level of evil.? I would feel good about the reflection when I look at the mirror every morning while shaving.?

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Let’s imagine that your consciousness will bother you incessantly for years if you don’t vote.? And you don’t want to ignore your civic duty consciousness. You vote.? Your candidate may or may not win.? Regardless of who comes to power, one thing I am fairly certain of is that s/he will not be serving your interests.? Examples abound.?

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Regardless of party, the US President has done the same things consistently – the primary goal was to get re-elected, and in order to do that, they all needed to drop their consciousness, and publicly declare their support for Israel.? I am not making up this statement; this is documented in interviews with past Presidents (Obama and Carter, for example) who admitted being in AIPAC’s pocket for the sake of getting elected and re-elected.? Biden, on being elected, declared proudly the same dictum he has been saying for many years – that one does not have to be a Jew in order to be a Zionist, and that he is a self-declared Zionist.

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Recently, Biden has said two things particularly that are quite bothersome to me and should be bothersome to any thinking American.? He said that if Israel did not exist, we would need to create one. And he also said that Israel has no red lines. I don’t have to explain the carte blanche green signal to do whatever Israel pleases to do is okay with the US.? If Israel was not an apartheid state, violating international laws left and right, violating human rights left and right, and more recently, engaged in a genocide of the Palestinian people, I may have overlooked and ignored such brash comments.

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To any person with an ounce of humanity left in them, Israel’s blatant activities in Gaza and the West Bank are not acceptable.? Again, I do not need to expand on this.? Yet, Biden is providing billions on top of the regular US$10 million-a-day aid to Israel to assist, support and fund the genocide.? Remember that he does not do quite as much for domestic issues. Periodically, he will do some lip-service (Israel's actions are “over the top”), and sometimes he will slip (“…our attack in Rafah”), but he has maintained being steadfast in not calling for a ceasefire.? Shamelessly, when the ICJ made a ruling primarily in favor of Palestine, Biden stated that he was going to punish South Africa (who brought the case before the ICJ).? Does that resemble a cry-baby syndrome or the dreams of a global dictatorship?

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Unfortunately for Biden, and the rest of the governments directly involved, and those who are complicit in, the genocide, this time there is a loud global voice for Palestine; and if we can trust that justice and truth will prevail, a better situation awaits Palestinians.? Meanwhile, every single day and every single moment, they are going through absolute hell on earth.?

Fact of the matter is, they are not stupid or silly; they are simply brash about being hypocritical, and, at the same time, watching you stand silently by as they pick your pockets, depriving you of your hard-earned money, and as they fill their own coffers already full beyond imagination. How can they do it? They have the power, even if they do not have the authority. How can you prevent this? By not putting these people in power.

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For most years of my adult life, I was a registered Democrat.? I switched recently to Independent or Non-Affiliated.?

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Back to your civic sense consciousness gnawing at you – you do have an alternative.? You have the freedom to see it and say it like it is.? Do go to the voting booth, and do a write-in.? I will share with you my write-in vote:? for President and Vice-President, it will be Ceasefire Now and Free Palestine. If some of you feel like legally changing your name to Ceasefire Now, this may be the moment.