It's election time

[ZACH ATTACK]

Any predictions? I figure over the next month and a bit Steven Harper is going to do what he does best and not tell anybody anything and run a series of attack ads. Ignatieff, presumably because he doesn't want to win the election, won't make it about how much a shitty dude Steven Harper is and will instead present a wishey washy platform that he'll follow through on if elected, maybe, like, he doesn't have to, but he will if that's what you guys want. Jack Layton, will make a point of swinging around his balls of steel at every campaign stop and everybody will be impressed, but they still wont vote for him. Elizebeth May will draft a platform consisting of whatever is popular and already covered by the other parties, but she'll print her campaign literature on recycled paper which is why you should vote Green. When all the votes are tallied in a surprising turn of events we'll end up a Conservative minority government. The Liberals and The NDP still wont figure out that's because they split the left's vote and if they merged they'd have some kind of super majority, the Green party will still be whining about how come nobody thinks they're relevant and I'll be listening to endless lectures about how we'd be living in some kind of utopia if only I'd voted because mine was that one vote that actually could have made a difference.

[Rude Boy Puff]

I never thought Id see the day I would say this, but I would sort of like a job come summer so vote conservative.

[Human-Demise]

I wasnt aware jack layton has balls of steel, I'd consider that a desirable quality in a candidate, good enough for me any ways.

[Peter]

I wasnt aware jack layton has balls of steel, I'd consider that a desirable quality in a candidate, good enough for me any ways.

He's currently battling cancer AND had hip surgery just over a week ago. And still working crazy hard. The guy is one crazy mofo.

I'll be voting Green. My riding, Saanich Gulf-Island, the Greens have a great chance. I like May a lot, both politically and personally. Sure--I don't agree with every stand the Greens make on certain issues, nor do I with any party, but I'd love to see a Green in the house. It'd be so symbolic of change. Plus, I loathe Gary Lunn. He is an immature, perverted (I use these because when I worked at a restaurant he used to come in and say inappropriate things to a lot of the girls) and he is just a slim ball. FACT: Harper doesn't like Lunn, to the point where Harper hires people every time Lunn speaks publicly to record his speech and send it back to Ottawa ASAP to ensure he didn't say something ridiculous.

[grind/bro]

We will always elect evil.

[Tambro]

Gary Lunn can suck my dick.

[Hollow]

On election day I'm going to get drunk and make fun of people standing in line to vote.

[PaulyHC]

On election day I'm going to get drunk and make fun of people standing in line to vote.

backed

also, jack layton, for all his faults, has definitely battled some hardcore shit, and i respect him and any healing process he has to use. which is obviously consuming a ridiculous amount of alcohol and spew out incoherent ramblings, but given the other options, so be it.

fuck steven harper, fuck voting, and fuck democracy.

needless to say, ill probably vote conservative

[Token]

If I even make it to the polls I'll vote NDP. Y'aint gunna get change if you don't do something.

[dalamar501]

If I even make it to the polls I'll vote NDP. Y'aint gunna get change if you don't do something.

you can just call up one of the parties and they will drive you to a poll.
haha
or at least provincially so i assume federally too.

[darcy]

Jack Layton has got my back.

graffiti: If voting change anything they'd make it illegal.

[Hollow]

Y'aint gunna get change if you don't do something.

if voting change anything they'd make it illegal.

This isn't really directed at anyone in particular, but with the election coming up I'm already getting people telling me I "have" to vote, so fuck it here's my take on all of this.

There are innumerable ways of effecting change. Voting may have been that way in the past, but now it's nothing more than a formalized ritual. Zach's original post was funny, but only because there was so much truth to it. Political parties are either A: useless B: corrupt or C: a fantastic combination of the two. I like pretty much every party, I like pretty much every platform, and there isn't a single politician I would point to as "representative" of my political beliefs or wants. And yet, I "have" to vote.

I don't remember voting to go into Afghanistan. I don't remember voting to host the G20 conference. I don't remember voting to increase our military presence in the Arctic. I don't remember voting to bring the Olympics to Vancouver. Oh, wait, that's because we weren't allowed to vote on that. It was just done, despite the protest of thousands upon thousands of people.

Every three or four years, the government rolls out it's dusty old warhorse of an election. The candidates get up and pretty much play planned out roles. People vote, and the exact same people that got elected last time get elected again. Sometimes a different guy gets to pretend he's leader. Meanwhile, the corporations and private interest groups that funded the election are in a backroom writing policy. Oh, sure, sometimes you get some Mr. Smith Goes to Washington motherfucker who vows to "clean up" whatever shithole city the government of that particular country is located in, but that doesn't last. Eventually, the system either eats them, or they become that which they hated. OR, and this is a recent trend, they're just a straight up shill for corporate interests using populist slogans to get the mooing cattle that are the general populace to vote for them, and then they strip everyone of all their rights (HI SCOTT WALKER!).

Voting has become a formalized, archaic, useless convention that's only still around so that everyday schmucks can feel like they're actually doing something. They check a name on a piece of paper, stick it in a box, and go back to watching TV, secure in their knowledge that they've "changed" something. Meanwhile, the people who are actually in charge continue to fuck with everyones day, and when people complain they can just say "Hey, you voted for us".

Back in the colonial days in America there were a lot of slaves. What most people don't remember is, is that in those early days there were white slaves, too. It was called indentured servitude, and it was basically a contract that stated that rich person A would pay for your way to the New World, but then you were his bitch for ten to fifteen years. OH, and you had very few rights. OH, and if you broke any of the rules stated in the contract they could add five years to your service.

And then suddenly, indentured servitude was made illegal. You know why? There was an slave revolt in New York that came very close to successfully taking over the city. The reason it was so successful was because the white indentured servants, realizing that they were pretty much in the same boat as black slaves, joined in on the fun. And since the indentured servants were white, they could buy guns. Which they did, and supplied to the black slaves.

This terrified the landholding elite, so they hit on an admittedly brilliant plan: they abolished indentured servitude, gave rights to the former servants, and began the process of imposing universal male suffrage. "My God!" they said "We can't believe we treated you so badly for so long. Here are some basic rights. There, now, see how much better you are?"

They played one oppressed group off the other, in order to better control them. Sound familiar?

Fuck voting, and fuck government.

[KYLESTYLE]

We will always elect evil.

evil? really?

[tylerp]

I'm voting
(for joe thomas)

[darcy]

I don't remember voting to go into Afghanistan. I don't remember voting to host the G20 conference. I don't remember voting to increase our military presence in the Arctic. I don't remember voting to bring the Olympics to Vancouver. Oh, wait, that's because we weren't allowed to vote on that. It was just done, despite the protest of thousands upon thousands of people.

Voting has become a formalized, archaic, useless convention that's only still around so that everyday schmucks can feel like they're actually doing something. They check a name on a piece of paper, stick it in a box, and go back to watching TV, secure in their knowledge that they've "changed" something. Meanwhile, the people who are actually in charge continue to fuck with everyones day, and when people complain they can just say "Hey, you voted for us".

backed.

[grind/bro]

We will always elect evil.

evil? really?

I'm voting
(for joe thomas)

you are voting for beard then

[ZACH ATTACK]

Since 2006 we've had a government that 60% of Canadians didn't vote for, but your vote makes a difference.

[grind/bro]

Since 2006 we've had a government that 60% of Canadians didn't vote for, but your vote makes a difference.

[destroy]

Willa's rant was almost 100% free of "blah blah blah anarchism this blah blah old man blah blah that".

can an iphone playa get a hookup to my man wyclef - if i was president?

so... in the town of about 150,000~ where I live, we have a conservative mp and have for more than 30 years now. my parents happen to know our mp a little. my mom pretty much started the operation red nose campaign in BC and he's come out to volunteer before. he even thinks it's really cool that i'm so interested in green energy. i don't know the guy, but he seems okay... on the flipside, our liberal candidates are usually real turds. however, the wildcard came this morning when I saw a sign for a guy I went to high school with. he was openly gay in school and took a ton of shit for it. his parents kicked him out of their house and he had attempted suicide. he was also a mega-nice dude who was really smart and involved with all kinds of stuff outside of school. when i first met him he was really impressed at how political-minded i was (suburban high school anarchism rawwwr!) and we got along. i haven't seen him since i was 17 but turns out he's our NDP candidate. it's too bad. i don't think this town will ever be ready for queers in office, and he ain't svend robinson.

personally, i've always voted green. i too think it would be awesome to see a green in office. the amount of votes that they've gotten from the 2004 election onward is pretty outstanding growth, and I think it's come from more than just yippies and fake-liberal enviro faux-movement. that's pretty cool, even if it's largley inconsequential in other ways. it'd be nice to see some change of balancing and a real ruckus on the hill.

nonetheless, i have been quoted saying, "there's no such thing as liberals and conservatives... just pandering asswhipes."

[Hollow]

so... in the town of about 150,000~ where I live, we have a conservative mp and have for more than 30 years now. my parents happen to know our mp a little. my mom pretty much started the operation red nose campaign in BC and he's come out to volunteer before. he even thinks it's really cool that i'm so interested in green energy. i don't know the guy, but he seems okay... on the flipside, our liberal candidates are usually real turds. however, the wildcard came this morning when I saw a sign for a guy I went to high school with. he was openly gay in school and took a ton of shit for it. his parents kicked him out of their house and he had attempted suicide. he was also a mega-nice dude who was really smart and involved with all kinds of stuff outside of school. when i first met him he was really impressed at how political-minded i was (suburban high school anarchism rawwwr!) and we got along. i haven't seen him since i was 17 but turns out he's our NDP candidate. it's too bad. i don't think this town will ever be ready for queers in office, and he ain't svend robinson.

That's still pretty rad that he's running. If I got that amount of shit just for being me, I'd probably leave town and never look back. You're absolutely right about him probably not getting elected, but that's still pretty ballsy. Respect.

personally, i've always voted green. i too think it would be awesome to see a green in office. the amount of votes that they've gotten from the 2004 election onward is pretty outstanding growth, and I think it's come from more than just yippies and fake-liberal enviro faux-movement. that's pretty cool, even if it's largley inconsequential in other ways. it'd be nice to see some change of balancing and a real ruckus on the hill.

True story: I interviewed Elizabeth May once. Nice lady, passionate about her politics, smart and a pleasure to interview. It was for the Martlett, and they weren't looking for a hard hitting piece on the Green Platform, so it pretty much ended up as a fluff piece. Still, it was fun to write, and she was a nice person.

The Green Party is still never going to get elected with the platform they have now. Be ready for a more socially conservative shift in the next five to ten years. There will be much pandering by all.

nonetheless, i have been quoted saying, "there's no such thing as liberals and conservatives... just pandering asswhipes."

Truth.

Finally:

Willa's rant was almost 100% free of "blah blah blah anarchism this blah blah old man blah blah that".

I DO WHAT I WANT.