USA Election 2016

For all of you over in the USA forced to play your part in this political nightmare, I’d like to point out a few things:

·         If Trump wins (he won’t) he will have hardly any individual political power. Look at how much Obama has struggled to push the democratic agenda with the full support of the Democratic Party behind him. Now consider that Trump achieved his candidacy by default, not by the popular support of the Republican Party. His own people hate him. He’d be entering a system resentful of his presence and pulling against his agenda at every available opportunity. In the few instances where he does have veto power, there is no actual way to enforce policy on a state level if it is insane enough that those expected to enforce it will object to it. The most he could ever do is allow the individual states to be responsible for their own laws, or fuck up attempting to assert the laws through stretched federal agencies.

·         If Hillary Clinton wins (she will) there’s the problem of a reinforced status quo. Don’t be fooled by the razzle-dazzle the campaign reserves for the final push, all the more attractive because of who she’s running against. There was great support for alternatives like Sanders because many people want change – they realize the system is broken, even if they aren’t entirely sure of a feasible way to fix it. Ultimately though, most people want ‘business as usual’ even if they profess otherwise. Having things exactly as they’ve always been steeps in danger the longer it continues. This is why it takes time and awareness to accept an outside voice, and that doesn’t happen in a single election cycle. It takes a build-up over several. Even then, most of this just disguises the fact that close decisions (anything within 15%) are going to be decided by your Electoral College anyway, who will always attempt to reinforce the status quo that gives them the authority to sway the vote to start with.

·         If your values weren’t with Hillary Clinton from the beginning, you’ve lost this election. You can win by changing your values, but if you hold them then you’ve lost. Losing is okay. Maybe I’m proposing something radical here, but I have to say that winning isn’t measured in one election and a four-year term, as much as the political elite would like you to believe it is. A suitable metaphor is of a marathon runner who decides to sprint for the first 100-meters of the race. Yes, the runner wins a 100-meter sprint. But in doing so, they give up the marathon. They’ve altered the integrity of what they set out to do in order to win a short term goal.

For a more detailed example of where this thinking leads, I’d recommend reading Philip K. Dick’s ‘The World Jones Made’.

·         Third party votes won’t win this election. No-one is stupid enough to think they will, so don’t assume that it is done with any sort of whimsical hope, ‘conscientious objection’ or stubborn pride. It’s a political action designed to have long term effects, not short-term ones. Third party votes assert that at this election cycle isn’t worth winning, and extend their election race to the next available chance of actual success. They aren’t prepared to sprint now and lose the marathon later. They’re planning to win the election 20 years from now, and the way to do that is by time and awareness. First, your country has to survive for another 20 years to have that election. If you believe either Trump or Hillary Clinton poses a legitimate threat of collapsing the USA within a four-year term, then please vote for their majority opposition. But be very, very careful when making this assessment, because both primary parties know that convincing you of this is how they will get your vote. If you determine that both candidates will reach office and flop about ineffectually, increasing some liberties and reducing others while having no real effect on the USA’s constitution, then it is better to extend your vote to a longer term by making people aware of third party options.

I’m not saying that this can only be done by voting for a third party. You can preach Green or Libertarian to raise awareness. You can attend rallies or quote Hayek to your friends. But one very powerful way you can be heard on a national level is by simply voting third party and letting people know why. At the moment, polls are run by primary parties and are skewed to reflect their constituents more than registered independents. But the greater the independents make their desires heard, the fairer polling will have to be to account for numerical discrepancies. This eventually culminates in TP candidates getting actual consideration alongside PP candidates through platforms like the national debates, at which point a personal campaign becomes an organised one with (hopefully) charismatic, experienced representatives who can uphold your campaign on a national level. When the ballots are counted and people see the rising number of independent parties pulling votes, it doesn’t matter that they lose in the short term. Their names are on the board. People uncomfortable but trapped in mainstream politics realize they don’t have to make the impossible choice between two unlikeable parties, because there are more options, and people who actually stand for what they believe in are ready to fight for them on the political frontier.
Also, get over the idea you need politicians to represent you but they don’t need you to represent something to them. It’s an equal trade, a deal with them you can honour by committing a vote for them. Every vote for a third party raises the confidence of independent parties, keeps them assured that there is a reason to keep fighting that uphill battle for your liberty. Without you doing that – what reason is there for them to fight?

·         Lastly, if you are voting, you are not wasting your vote. The only way to waste your vote is not to use it at all. I get it, I’m tired of the system too. I’m not even a democrat in the universal sense of the word. But the vote is a weapon you are given to fight against state-level injustice, and even if it is an inferior weapon to the ones the state uses or the other weapons you have in your arsenal, it would be senseless not to take a stab at victory if you are given the opportunity to injure your opponent. Please vote. If you are planning on voting for the biggest scumbag in the election, please vote. If you are planning on voting for someone who no-one has ever heard of, please vote.

If we’re going to do democracy, let’s do it right.