The Illusion of Not Having a Choice
The citizens of the United States of America will be going to the polls in less than a month and the one thing I keep hearing is “There are no choices”.
I’ve read articles waxing poetic about how constraining a two party system is, while on the other side of the aisle we have different articles inciting people to vote for any of the other two choices of candidates.
Yet the conclusion seems to be the lack of choice.
We have to vote for someone. Otherwise the wrong one could be elected and tomorrow we’ll be marrying guinea pigs to gender specific toilet bowls.
We have no choice.
Except that’s the best part about this whole democracy charade. It hinges on people believing that there is never a choice but what is being presented in front of them.
Politicians figured this out ages ago. Make something complicated enough and people will believe anything you tell them.
Cause choice takes work. Choice takes effort.
Being spoonfed involves no action on your part. Just ask the 1 year old you used to be.
Sadly this choice comes in the form of very difficult, highly involving activities.
You don’t like today’s presidential offering? Here’s what you can do:
- Be involved in local elections. Every position matters. Every vote counts.
- Be an activist. Protest. Promote. Raise awareness. Pick a side, even if your side is the very center of it all. Get out there and demand change.
- Debate. Don’t try to win arguments, try to understand why you defend a position and why other people defend the opposite. Read. Learn. Argue. Lose honorably. On the Internet, on town halls, on TV. You might never change the mind of the person you’re debating with but you might sway one or two silent readers of your arguments.
- Don’t fall into the trap of divisiveness. We’re all in this together. Everyone in the world. Politicians have us doing this “Us Vs. Them” dance for them while reaping the rewards and making everyone think change is impossible. Making us think we have no choice.
If enough of us do this, in 4 years the ballot might look longer. It might look better.
You shouldn’t be fighting to have the lesser of two evils in a place of power. You should be fighting for choice.
Having that choice is a process.
Four years from now, when we’re served a poor choice once more, you can look back and say “I didn’t do enough” instead of saying “I don’t have a choice”.
You do have a choice. You’re just choosing not to do anything about it.
