Under the Spreading Apathy

The campaigns shift into high gear. The candidates smell blood. The goal is near. Within a month, the lifeless carcass of the American voter will, once again, be dragged in a victory lap behind the chariot of the alleged "people's choice", thus closing debate, for another four years, on the sham our elections have become. But that's down the road -- for now, it's enough to note (as the media do -- endlessly -- on a daily basis) that the campaigns have become "personal", "nasty", "hard-hitting"... "partisan", even! It has gone beyond saturation in the broadcast media... and I'm getting at least a half dozen phone messages a day urging me to vote for one or another of the presidential candidates, or a local wannabe. And yes, the voters appear to be "engaged" -- the campaign is the leading topic of conversation (after sports and the economy, of course) in sandwich shops and barber shops across the land. And yet I accuse the American voters of apathy, simply because they refuse to consider -- run from, in fact -- the real issues. The real issues? Yeah -- like, not these trivial marginal issues of whether to increase or decrease a given government program by one or two percent. Is anyone talking about simply eliminating any government programs? No -- way too scary. Is anyone talking about simply pulling out of Iraq? No -- not really. It's all a matter of how to "handle" the "next phase" of the conflict; the desirability to remaining _in_ the conflict is never questioned. How about... oh let's see... the elimination of the income tax? You know, like -- poof, it's gone, and the massive IRS bureaucacy along with it. Nope, no can do. How about declaring the "War on Drugs" over with -- no winners, no losers, it's just finished. Unh unh. How about telling it like it is re: the "Global War on Terrorism" -- that it's basically a hoax? Wow -- I just can't deal with that. How about some honest answers as to what really happened on 9-11 and why? And of course, the last word in never-to-be-discussed topics, our "relationship" with Israel -- why is that never even brought up in any public forum?

Now, the politicians and our "leaders" may have their reasons for avoiding all of these topics -- and there are vested interests a-plenty. But why do these questions scare the average citizen -- the average voter -- to death? Just breathe a word of any of them and they either clap their hands over their ears and go "waawawawaa", or run the other way. Why was Ron Paul universally censored by the mainstream media? For the good of the citizenry and their peace of mind, undoubtedly. But enough people heard what he had to say, especially during the debates -- and they just shut it out, like a neurotic on the psychiatrist's couch. Too hot to handle. It "blows my mind". It threatens everything I have come to believe in, thanks to public education and the media.

So basically it is fear of dealing with the real issues that is driving the electorate, once again, back into the arms of the establishment, AKA regime, in the form of McCain and/or Obama, because I assure you, with regard to all of the issues mentioned above, there is no discernable difference between the two... and there will be no difference once one of them takes office. Each of these men is "The Man", and job one will be to perpetuate, and further strengthen, the phobia that the American public has about thinking the unthinkable.