Several people have asked me whether I am serious about and how I expect to accomplish a pledge I made the other day here on Worldview:
To the end of preventing that failure and regaining control our government, I pledge that I will no longer vote for politicians tied to the two incumbent political parties. I will no longer support corporations, groups, or individuals that continue such support. I will work to establish the basis of power in our nation in the individual, at the local level, and for the benefit of every person’s right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
To this I pledge my life, my fortune, and my sacred honor. I pray that you will too.
I think it’s fair to question my sincerity, let alone my sanity, in making such a pledge, and indeed, how exactly do I expect to pull off such a thing?
I did not undertake such a pledge lightly or without thought to what it might entail. Renouncing basically everything that has come to define the modern American way of life is a daunting proposition, but for me it is a natural development of an attitude and an idea I have been gravitating toward for years.
In talking with others who think the way that I do about such things, I have come to the conclusion that the initial goal must be to retract from the most obvious connections to the kinds of things that I see hurt our nation by reducing the circles of influence that overlap me.
What does that mean exactly? Well, I may not be able to start only shopping and eating locally and voting only for independent candidates today, but I can make concious choices to reduce my connection to corporate political culture by not engaging in the most conspicuous kinds of consumption. I can shop an locally owned stores and eat in locally owned restaurants. I can try to buy from companies whose origins and localities I know.
These actions are the first step toward something bigger. Once I am buying and voting as local as I can with what already exists, the next step is to start courting, developing, and growing what does not. Sure, I can probably buy local food and locally manufactured products, but what about gas or cars? The goal is to develop those resources where they do not exist and reestablish the idea of locality being the most important thing.
I understand this will not be an easy task, but I believe that it is a task worth undertaking. The more we reestablish local connections and networks, the less national and international turmoil and stupidity will affect us. When we reach the point where most of those things become distant and meaningless to us, we have achieved true independence. That independence is my goal.
DLH
In voting if you can’t participate in an election then how will you keep your voting status if you can’t vote for the least of two evils? Isn’t this the thing that keeps the democracy from ceasing.You must (in my opinion) paticipate even though the very science of the situation, eludeth, eh?
I fully realize the goal in which you are trying to reach. I too feel as if everyone was able to vote. We might come up with more candidates more worthy and capable for their would be office.
I see you would like to stop partisanship in government. It’s a bit childish and should have be exsponged, long ago.
My approach, at this point, is to look for non-partisan (e.g. independent) or third party candidates who have positions I can support. When they are not available, sometimes the only choice is to vote for the lesser of evils, but my goal is to involve myself in helping seek out and support candidates that make such votes unnecessary.
I know, in Ohio at least, there are quite a few independent and third party candidates that run for all levels of office, but up until now the haven’t garnered much notice. I believe that I am part of a groundswell of people who are working to change that fact by changing how we thing about things.
Maybe what I’m trying to do is finally change we can all believe in.