Voting for Evil

By Ken Prazak

The merry-go-around of presidential politics has started once again. Voters jump on the merry-go-round and elect the lessor of two evils. Then they get upset with their choice, hop off and then on again, voting for the lessor of two evils. Why are so many people surprised when they discover that they did, indeed, find evil on the merry-go-round? And what makes them think that they won’t get the same result the next time? When you keep on doing what you have always done, you will keep on getting what you always got.

The voters got sick of Slick Willy Clinton, so a percentage of them vote for George W. Bush as if Bush was going to bring integrity to politics. Bush turns around and lies to us about weapons of mass destruction, puts the US and our service men in harms way in an unwinnable war. Forcing “democracy” is an oxymoron.

Voters get upset about Slick Willy’s evil, unlawful use of the FBI to harass US citizens. Then Dubbya gets the Patriot Act passed. Now, all US citizens are subject to evil, unconstitutional surveillance.

Kerry and Edwards are running against the war and the Patriot Act. But guess what, both of them voted for both bills! So will the people elect a Democrat this time and continue on the evil merry-go-round?

The problem is that most people regard politics in a very short term fashion. They look at it as a horse race and want to be on the winning side, or at least in contention. What they fail to understand is that politics is a game of trends. The game is long term. One doesn’t have to win in order to influence change. One only has to show a trend of increasing popularity for the ideas one advocates.

Many people fail to vote for a “third” party candidate, not because they don’t believe in what is championed, but because they don’t think there is any chance of winning. But a true wasted vote is to vote for the lessor of two evils instead of voting for what one believes. In this way he is registering his belief. And if enough other people also vote that way, the establishment politicians will take notice. Because of self preservation, they are very in tune to political barometers. But if people don’t vote their beliefs for that “third” party, the politicians won’t be able to read that barometer and therefore will never vote to move the country in the direction of what the “third” party advocates.

This upcoming election will feature not only the Power Party, (the War Party-- the Republicrats) but it will include the Libertarian Party and the Green Party. Both “third” parties are against the war and against the intrusions into our personal freedoms. If those issues concern you, too, vote for the candidate of one of those non-establishment parties to really register your disgust at the direction this country is moving. Even as a Libertarian, I would rather see someone who believes in big government vote for the Green Party then to vote for the Republicrats. There will be time enough, once the Power Party is deposed, for the Greens and Libertarians to fight it out on whether individuals know better as to how look after themselves instead of government bureaucrats doing so.

And at that time, those of us who believe in our founding fathers and founding documents, our heritage, can restore freedom–to everyone this time, by voting Libertarian, and truly restore the American dream.

Until then, it is a long struggle and it starts with one vote of conscience.

Kenneth Prazak is a co-founder of the Fox Valley Libertarian Party, newsletter editor for the Libertarian Party of Illinois, and weekly radio talk show host for a live call-in show called “Freedom Rings” streamed-live every Monday mornings, 9:00-10:00 AM at www.freedomrings.net. Email ken@fvlp.org