Column: Getting nowhere

Politics, n:  [Poly “many” + tics “blood-sucking parasites] Larry Hardiman, oh how true my friend, how true. In light of recent excitement over the impending 2012 presidential election I would like to take the opportunity to rant and rave to my heart’s content.

First of all, I hate the idea of political parties in general. What is the point? All it does is create an environment where people will vote based on their party affiliations and not what would necessarily be best for the country.  Also if you are a democrat and live in a republican state your vote doesn’t really matter, and vice versa. You can vote for whoever you want, but if you live in a state with more of the opposite party than you, your vote might as well not even have been cast.

The Electoral College is a horrific breech in our constitutional rights. This system which makes only a handful of people responsible for the actual election of our president and vice president. Basically the electoral members are voted in at the republican conference and the democratic caucus. Then those elected go on to vote for president nationally. the only way to make your vote count, is to vote in the caucus.

Politics is bullshit because the president you elect only ever does half of what he says he’s going to do. Then people bitch and moan because they think he’s betraying them. One person can only do so much, especially when they have to deal with Congress and the federal government.

Just look at the criticism the Obama administration has gotten over the last few years. Remember that fiasco about his birth certificate? Really now people? Are we really that dumb? He couldn’t have even have attempted to run for the presidency unless he was in fact born in America. I would like to ask all the idiots out there if they really believe that someone could become president without first having completed an ungodly thorough background check?

Society is partially to blame. If America didn’t value the things that go wrong above all others, then we may have noticed the massive amount of jobs that the Obama administration has actually created. Or the fact that Osama Bin Laden was finaly found. Or that the Obama administration has invested heavily in green energy.

Obama is not perfect. No one can claim to be perfect. All of the candidates running have their down sides, things that we don’t agree with. Most people consider politicians to be the scurge of the earth. Maybe they are.

But of course if we all attended law school then we might understand why politicians do some of the things they do. I suppose if we had, then I might understand why we’re now fighting a war on “terror” that, by definition, is utterly unwinnable. Or why it is necessary to monitor all electronic communications inside the United States?

Somehow I doubt it has anything to do with the good of the people anymore. If you ask me, politics is just big business.

On that note I would inquire of our leaders, why exactly is government surveillance of citizens of this country steadily increasing? Has anyone heard about the civilian drone program? Well with all the success that the military has had in the Middle East and Asia with unmanned attack drones, now everyone wants them. The police, news agencies, and homeland security I’m sure will be purchasing a few thousand, along with the NSA and any other agency that would be aided by having an almost invisible eye in the sky. What does this mean for the average Joe? It means the word “privacy” has just been removed from the dictionary.

Wake up people! Try to pay attention to what is going on! The system is walking all over us and we’re letting them. Get involved. Read the news, talk to people, have an opinion and defend your opinion.

Opinions expressed in editorial and opinion articles are the views of individual NIC students. These views do not necessarily  reflect the opinions of the Sentinel, North Idaho College, or any other organizations or groups there-in. North Idaho College is not responsible for the accuracy of statements or opinions shared.