All Voters Matter

I’m running for the victory,
I can’t give in,
I can’t give out.

Because your love of liberty
is not an after thought to me,
it’s on my mind, all the time.

I’m running for unity;
I’m running for your freedom;
I’m running the race of my life!

Because if fatigue beats me—
who will defend our democracy,
if you all are comrades?

Help me find my second wind,
and together we’ll be lifted up,
high above, on the wings of eagles.

Self-preservation is a deeply ingrained human instinct that compels us to act in our own best interest, ensuring our survival and well-being. However, when taken to the extreme, this instinct can lead to detrimental consequences, both for individuals and the nation as a whole. The perils of self-preservation can be observed in two distinct scenarios; the decay of democracy through unrestrained liberalism (see endangered species poem), and the development of a police state born out of a cynical and disengaged population.

In a society where citizens prioritize their self-preservation above all else, they may be willing to abandon their commitment to democracy. Patriots who fear the failure of their country due to what they perceive as unrestrained liberalism might be tempted to cut their losses and metaphorically “jump ship” before the nation sinks. However, by doing so, they trade liberal democracy for an autocratic alternative, potentially sacrificing their freedoms and the principles upon which their country was founded.

Moreover, this departure of patriots who are afraid of the consequences of liberalism can disproportionately affect specific demographics within society. Often, marginalized communities, who are already at a disadvantage, bear the brunt of these choices. They are left to navigate a society where their voices have been censored, their rights disregarded, and their opportunities for progress hindered.

When individuals fail to question the government’s authority and abdicate their responsibility as engaged citizens, they create an environment ripe for the growth of a police state. Cynicism and apathy allow the corrupt and power-hungry politicians to exploit the situation, gaining more control and dominance over the population.

The famous quote by Benjamin Franklin, “A republic if you can keep it,” echoes the need for constant vigilance and active participation in safeguarding democratic principles. Society’s tendency to become complacent and decadent (see fellow travelers anecdote) if it can get away with it should be countered by exercising self-control and working towards progress that benefits everyone, not just the well-connected. It is crucial to prevent corrupt government officials and elites, and the crony capitalists who fund them, from increasing their greed and power at the expense of those who cannot defend themselves, lest they become marginalized or assimilated as second-class citizens.

In conclusion, self-preservation holds the potential to shape societies in both positive and negative ways. It can motivate individuals to become heroes, fighting for their fellow citizens and the preservation of democracy. Conversely, apathy and cynicism towards the constitution can reduce patriots to mere zeros, thus facilitating a government with the capacity for tyranny. To prevent these detrimental outcomes, citizens must remain vigilant and engaged in the democratic process, advocating for the common good and ensuring that those in power remain accountable. By doing so, they can contribute to the preservation of a society that upholds the principles of democracy, equality, and justice for all.

Voting Quotes: “Every time you vote, it is vitality important. Because if you don’t vote, sooner or later you won’t be able to vote anymore. This may not be the most important election of your life, but it has a fair chance of being the last election of your life. The most important election is always the upcoming one, even when we are choosing between bad and worse.

Look, I don’t particularly like Biden, but I’m not above casting a tactical ballot to save the Republic. If the same liberals, centrists, and moderate conservatives who abhor Trump can’t bring themselves to vote for Biden just to keep a wannabe dictator away from the White House, it won’t be because they’re more principled than me. It’ll be because they haven’t given enough thought to why we even bother having principles in the first place.

This reminds me of a question I heard years ago: Which step of a journey is the hardest?
It could be the first one, because you are stepping from the familiar into the unfamiliar.
It could be the last one, because your energy and desire for the journey are long spent and you just want it to be over. It could be one of the steps in between, where both of those factors are at play. It doesn’t matter, those things are really just abstracts. The hardest step is the current one. Because it’s the one you have to take now. This election coming up is the most important election of your life right now. Not just because losing it may well mean that the USA tips over the edge and spirals toward a fascist dystopia or a theocratic apocalypse, but because this is the one you can influence now. This one you can have some say in right now, and if the Democratic Party isn’t the party you want it to be, change it. There are a bunch of groups trying to turn the party into something that more closely aligns with their vision. They all need people to do that. Find the one that best fits your vision for the party and put your weight behind that. If every disaffected voter did that, American politics would be very different, from the current mess it is in.”

“Here in America, it’s a civil society. People who really believe in liberal values. The problem with people who usually vote Democratic, they are a little bit demotivated to go and vote. They think it’s in the bag. They have to be sold 100% for their candidate. But the thing on the republican side, they will go every single time. They don’t care about who represents them.” By: Bassem Youssef

“If our democracy dies, the reason won’t be that Americans were too apathetic to save it; it will be that they voted it out of existence.” By: H. Scott Butler

Let’s talk about the most important election of your life.

How to build a Dictator: When a country finds itself at a constant impasse, where compromise seems far-fetched and political ideologies hold people captive, disillusionment with liberal democracy sets in. Frustrated citizens grow weary of corrupt politicians and a Congress that fails to bridge the divides. In such circumstances, the road seems to lead inevitably towards an illiberal democracy, a system where civil rights and democratic principles are disregarded.

In an affluent society, cynicism towards democratic institutions and the rights they safeguard becomes more common. The weariness, both physical and emotional, threatens to erode the spirit of the people. When citizens start believing that their efforts to effect change are in vain, they may succumb to the perceived easiness of surrendering liberal democracy and entrusting a power-hungry authoritarian with their governance.

Drawing parallels with historical examples, we find that even in biblical times, the Jews, despite having the opportunity to govern themselves with judges, often chose to relinquish their freedom in exchange for a king. At first, this seemed to offer temporary peace and security, but eventually, the facade crumbles, and they experience the hardships of domestic abuse.

Yet, the allure of a populist president remains strong. Many believe that placing power in the hands of such a leader will fix the nation’s myriad problems. However, for this vision to come to fruition, citizens must strip power from Congress, the Senate, and the courts, and transfer it directly to the president. Consequently, citizens must willingly grant the president more control over their lives, both through their allegiance and financial support.

Essentially, citizens find themselves caught in a web of gaslighting as the president manipulates their hopes and fears. The president, in turn, uses the citizens’ trust and support to justify his need for more time and power to achieve their desired outcomes. This symbiotic relationship becomes codependent, with the fascist president continuously making excuses for his governance failures. By the time patriots realize their mistake and demand a different president and the restoration of their liberal democracy, it is often too late. Having empowered their dictator, they have unwittingly surrendered all their power to an authoritarian regime and its crony capitalists.

This dangerous pattern is comparable to addiction. The more energy and money the patriot invests in it, the weaker his willpower becomes to resist. All he can think about is the fleeting pleasure he receives when the manipulative rhetoric of the cult leader convinces him, that with just a little more effort and sacrifice, they will achieve their desired outcome. Unluckily, he becomes hooked, trapped in a cycle of chasing the promises of affirmation, fearing the loss of his investment and the potential, that he’ll become a laughingstock in the eyes of everyone he knows. Desperate for salvation, he turns to religion and fanaticism, losing all sense of reason as he clings to his idol.

In the end, the consequences of surrendering power to a charismatic charlatan and undermining the principles of our constitution are tragic. It is a cautionary tale of the dangers of failing to uphold the pillars of liberal democracy, of the seductive allure of promises unfulfilled, and the high cost of misplaced trust in authoritarian regimes.

“Everything in the State, nothing outside the State, nothing against the State.” By: Benito Mussolini

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Bible, Isaiah 40:31