And so, to the ballot box we will sleepwalk once again...

 'Our dreams don't fit into ballot boxes'

May 1, 2011 - day before the

Federal election

...And once again will come the onslaught of pseudo-civic emotional blackmail around voting vs. not voting.

I will never understand why so many supposed 'advocates for change' keep aggressively promoting the 'same-old-same-old'. Is it due to a personal agenda, a fundamental lack of understanding of human nature (and how the pols shamelessly manipulate it to their own advantage) or simple fear of the fact that real change requires substantial risk and the likelihood of getting dirt under one's nails?

So-called 'democracy' has boiled down to nothing more than a symbolic signing away (through the ballot box) of our inherent, natural personal right to directly make and carry out decisions on our own behalf.

The election campaign itself will consist of an onslaught of snippy, self-serving, insulting info-bytes designed to play to humanity's baser instincts while belittling the intelligence of even the slowest among us. The pols will not be willing to put forward and defend their own party's positions but will devote tremendous amounts of air-time and cold cash to snidely demonizing 'the other guy' in true kindergarten style.

And can we count on whoever finally wins this particular horse-race not to betray the trust placed upon them by the voting public?  Painful and oft-repeated history has proven the only answer to that question can be a resounding 'NAY!!!!!' from all thinking, feeling human beings.

Now, what would a true 'government of the people' look like? Are communities, neighborhoods, even members of individual households not capable of independently deciding how to best conduct their own affairs and manage their own resources, in co-operation with other like-minded communities, neighborhoods and households?

What would a true, horizontally-structured, direct democracy look like without the constantly looming presence of a centralized 'nanny state' as now exists, whose primary reason for existence is to ensure a continued smooth upward flow of resources while keeping the uppity lower (sic) strata firmly at heel with the constant threat of  harsh punishment?

With the erosion and fast-approaching disappearance of the so-called 'middle class' (itself another artificial distinction designed to keep the masses in check) the carrot no longer even seems relevant. Instead the harsh stick in the form of violent uniformed thugs and mass human warehouses will become the sole reality in the lives of the majority.

So what will it be, folks - another slow zombie-walk to the local polling stations on the second of May - or will people finally realize they've been had, and reclaim their lives and right to make their own decisions on all matters directly affecting them?

Think about it.

(Reposted Facebook note from March 2011)