The agonizing and deliberate death of a young man's idealism ...
The year 2000 was a myopic adventure for me. It was a year where I thought rationally, distorted reality and enjoyed the experiences college allowed.
I was working 3 jobs: I was a student taking 15 credits, working 30-35 hours at a paid internship and working 20 hours a week at a concession stand. Struggling, as I was, to pay for my rent, my upkeep and everything else that was involved.
I was also a Pittsburgh Pirates fan. So, you know, that was going on.
And, so, one crappy October night, I was sitting on my couch doing everything I could do be an American: I was watching baseball, flipping through a text book and filling out an absentee ballot.
The Yankees and the Mets were in the World Series. This was the first year in modern memory I hated both teams involved.
This was my first presidential election. The first in modern memory that I hated both people involved.
I was excited, to say the least.
It actually was the first time I ever voted. And, so far, it was going great. The senate vote was easy. I have a personal vendetta against Pennsylvania's junior senator, Rick Santorum.
(See, I think homosexuals -- while not my bag of tea -- are fine. I think they should be accorded all of the benefits everyone else is entitled to. Santorum, apparently, feels differently.)
And, when I got to the part about ... you know, who will be the president. I had a hard time. The rational side of me wanted to vote with my heart. The irrational side of me, the one that just wanted to have a normal and civilized life, was going to vote with my brain.
It was vote Nader or vote Gore, in that order. Rational: Nader's the only person running for president who's done ANYTHING for us. Irrational: Gore isn't Bush.
I rooted for a scoreless tie in the Subway Series.
And then I voted for Nader.
Amazing what 4 years can do.
The year 2004 has been a great year. But, still, a myopic adventure. I got a new job that has me working 40 hours a week and pays me good scratch. I no longer struggle to pay rent and upkeep and I've got a pretty decent life in Kansas City.
And so, on a crappy October day I was watching baseball on television and realized that not much has changed. The Yankees were again on the verge of the World Series. But this year, my decision on president was pretty much cement.
(It is so cement, this year, I have actually talked to my family about politics. Doing such is usually like an invitation to a beheading. My beliefs kinda stand out among them.)
The Yankees are Republicans. Most Republicans I know like the Yankees. They are the fundamental example of Capitalism. They buy what they want. Money is not a option. They always win. They hardly ever change. They have tons of money.
The Boston Red Sox are Democrats. They are hipper. They have the "cool" guys. They are also the upstarts. They've had a long history of disappointment. And, more than that, they are from Massachusetts.
And, as such, my hatred of the Yankees led me to root for the Red Sox. Much like my hatred of George Bush has me rooting for John Kerry.
I should've seen this coming.
There goes idealism out the window. The exact same reason why I voted for Nader in 2000 now no longer seems relevant. Do you hear that sucking sound? Did you just feel that breeze blow by?
I voted for Nader as an ideological protest vote. If Nader could get matching funds, this might return to a democracy. If Nader could somehow pull off a good showing, maybe this two-horse race system might break down.
If Nader could somehow do good enough to wake up the sleeping "liberal" party, we might actually return to ... democracy.
Amazing what hatred will do. Amazing what it makes you want to do.
It makes you forget certain things.
For instance, the Yankees may have spent $183 million on that team. But, you know what, the Sox spent about $132 million. They have the second highest payroll in the league.
Exactly how are they the underdogs?
Do you see where this is going?
Just because the Red Sox didn't spend as much as the Yankees, doesn't meant they still aren't a shining example of what is wrong with capitalism: GREED.
Just because John Kerry isn't George W. Bush, doesn't mean he won't be a corporate shill and a shining example of what is wrong with democracy: GREED.
On Nov. 2, I'l hang my head and vote with my brain.
And the rational side of me will die.
Go Boston!
I was working 3 jobs: I was a student taking 15 credits, working 30-35 hours at a paid internship and working 20 hours a week at a concession stand. Struggling, as I was, to pay for my rent, my upkeep and everything else that was involved.
I was also a Pittsburgh Pirates fan. So, you know, that was going on.
And, so, one crappy October night, I was sitting on my couch doing everything I could do be an American: I was watching baseball, flipping through a text book and filling out an absentee ballot.
The Yankees and the Mets were in the World Series. This was the first year in modern memory I hated both teams involved.
This was my first presidential election. The first in modern memory that I hated both people involved.
I was excited, to say the least.
It actually was the first time I ever voted. And, so far, it was going great. The senate vote was easy. I have a personal vendetta against Pennsylvania's junior senator, Rick Santorum.
(See, I think homosexuals -- while not my bag of tea -- are fine. I think they should be accorded all of the benefits everyone else is entitled to. Santorum, apparently, feels differently.)
And, when I got to the part about ... you know, who will be the president. I had a hard time. The rational side of me wanted to vote with my heart. The irrational side of me, the one that just wanted to have a normal and civilized life, was going to vote with my brain.
It was vote Nader or vote Gore, in that order. Rational: Nader's the only person running for president who's done ANYTHING for us. Irrational: Gore isn't Bush.
I rooted for a scoreless tie in the Subway Series.
And then I voted for Nader.
Amazing what 4 years can do.
The year 2004 has been a great year. But, still, a myopic adventure. I got a new job that has me working 40 hours a week and pays me good scratch. I no longer struggle to pay rent and upkeep and I've got a pretty decent life in Kansas City.
And so, on a crappy October day I was watching baseball on television and realized that not much has changed. The Yankees were again on the verge of the World Series. But this year, my decision on president was pretty much cement.
(It is so cement, this year, I have actually talked to my family about politics. Doing such is usually like an invitation to a beheading. My beliefs kinda stand out among them.)
The Yankees are Republicans. Most Republicans I know like the Yankees. They are the fundamental example of Capitalism. They buy what they want. Money is not a option. They always win. They hardly ever change. They have tons of money.
The Boston Red Sox are Democrats. They are hipper. They have the "cool" guys. They are also the upstarts. They've had a long history of disappointment. And, more than that, they are from Massachusetts.
And, as such, my hatred of the Yankees led me to root for the Red Sox. Much like my hatred of George Bush has me rooting for John Kerry.
I should've seen this coming.
There goes idealism out the window. The exact same reason why I voted for Nader in 2000 now no longer seems relevant. Do you hear that sucking sound? Did you just feel that breeze blow by?
I voted for Nader as an ideological protest vote. If Nader could get matching funds, this might return to a democracy. If Nader could somehow pull off a good showing, maybe this two-horse race system might break down.
If Nader could somehow do good enough to wake up the sleeping "liberal" party, we might actually return to ... democracy.
Amazing what hatred will do. Amazing what it makes you want to do.
It makes you forget certain things.
For instance, the Yankees may have spent $183 million on that team. But, you know what, the Sox spent about $132 million. They have the second highest payroll in the league.
Exactly how are they the underdogs?
Do you see where this is going?
Just because the Red Sox didn't spend as much as the Yankees, doesn't meant they still aren't a shining example of what is wrong with capitalism: GREED.
Just because John Kerry isn't George W. Bush, doesn't mean he won't be a corporate shill and a shining example of what is wrong with democracy: GREED.
On Nov. 2, I'l hang my head and vote with my brain.
And the rational side of me will die.
Go Boston!
posted by dr gooch at 22.10.04
4 comments
