“Fine” used to be a fairly typical response to the question of “How are you?” but I don’t hear “fine” as much anymore. “Hanging in there” or “Okay” seem more likely after these past few years of wars, economic reversals, pandemics, and weather catastrophes.
The old “80% of success is showing up” has become even more true. We don’t have to be “fine.” Just be there. That’s a good thing.
It’s true with elections. Voting in occasional elections does not by itself make a democracy — nor does voting give us the changes we want and need; voting is, however, a relatively fast and easy way that we can use every bit of power we have, especially with some help from our friends. It’s in that spirit that I offer a voter guide below.
I also offer the advice to somehow opt out of supporting the oligarchy! I figure now that the word “oligarch” is becoming more familiar because we’re hearing it applied to other countries, we have a better chance of realizing that the US has — or is — an oligarchy as well. Our oligarchs don’t just own fancy yachts; some of them have their own space programs! Not to mention that they own major media outlets, and plenty of politicians.
How do we opt out of oligarchy-controlled entities in our lives? Patronize local restaurants and businesses, mom-and-pop shops. Get a much wider range of perspectives by listening to non-mainstream media. One example is theAnalysis.news, including a recent interview with Noam Chomsky and Daniel Ellsberg. Other examples are The Real News Network and Black Agenda Report. Another way to opt out of oligarchy, wherever it’s possible, is to place your votes and your voter registrations with alternatives like the Green Party or Peace and Freedom Party.
In the state and nation, the government and media by various means keep us locked into a two-party system, unlike more than 90 countries in the world which use Proportional Representation in their elections. Proportional Representation as a voting system creates a political climate that is more likely to be consensual and cooperative. Countries get better governance when they have multiple parties rather than two warring parties blaming each other, and they get better decisions.
For California voters, it is easy to miss that in the first pages of the ballot there are only two candidates in each of the 12 partisan races for federal and state-level offices! All 7 state-level partisan offices — Governor, Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, Controller, Treasurer, Attorney General, and Insurance Commissioner — have only one Democrat and one Republican in each race, no other choice.
The lack of alternative choices is a reflection of the system, not a reflection of what we want in our government. Currently, about 30% of voters are registered in some other political party or they are registered independent (“no party preference”).
In the Green Voter Guide, you’ll get in-depth analysis of state and local candidates (particularly in Alameda County where the guide is produced). As to the state propositions, as usual, those that make it onto the ballot are almost always flawed — it takes a ton of money to get these supposedly grassroots citizens initiatives on the ballot. Some are clear, however, while others are such a mixed bag that even people with similar values disagree on whether to support or oppose. I hope that the write-ups in the guide will help.
Use all the power you have — another world is possible.