I’ve seen variations of this meme over and over and I can’t believe this scenario is even up for comparison but, what’s worse, is many who attempt to validate this meme don’t even care that the voting system is a total cluster fuck in the first place. Let’s talk about the meme but before I begin, I want to make it perfectly clear how important I think voting is (in a fair system) but I also want to make it clear that I don’t think voting is as important as food; unless you are voting which tastes better: Pepsi or Coke…that vote was critically important to society when I was a kid. But I digress. I hear it over and over, if they can go to the store, they can go vote. Well yeah, they can, but should they you moron? Many of the same blowhards who make this argument also refuse to wear a mask and tell those who are afraid to “just stay home!” (Insert thinking emoji) Let’s go back to the crux of the meme: voting or food…is this really up for discussion? I mean, seriously…we are doing this? A 80-year-old woman who doesn’t have anyone to help her and is scared to death must go out and vote because she grabbed a basket of food at 6am during “vulnerable population” hours? Are you fucking kidding me? I can’t even speak about this idiotic equivalency anymore.

Now, for the real problem; we let mail-in voting draw our attention from the real issues with voting: the electoral college, gerrymandering, and a lack of campaign finance reform. Until we can fix those, nothing else really matters because our “democracy” is already at a disadvantage. Forget about ever having a 3rd party win if we maintain the status-quo. It seems like the vast majority of us are perfectly fine watching the Red Sox play the Yankees year after year…and that’s all you get…forever. Now, I am a Yankee fan but even I get a little tired of it by 18th game of the regular season. Many of us are at that point; the point of “who is the least worst?” If you watched the Yankees and Red Sox play over and over…and over, you’ll get to the point of saying, “I hope the Red Sox win tonight because the bat boy looks like he did a really nice job ironing his jersey.” Is that what we want? Trump is a dangerous man and total embarrassment and Biden is a career politician who is also a total embarrassment. There’s your choices…have fun? I can’t in good conscience vote for either of these imbeciles. Ah, but I don’t have to. Why is that, you say? Because I live in a safe State where my vote doesn’t make a damn bit of difference. The same goes for you if you live in about 40 select States and it’s all due to the electoral college. Oh, you are worried about some ballots which may change the popular vote by .0001%? What about the millions of votes that don’t count; the actual votes of legitimate voters? Oh, I’ve heard it before…”My vote won’t be worth as much if the electoral college is removed.” What about my vote? Worth as much? How about fucking ZERO?! That’s what my vote is worth. At least the Presidential election isn’t cherry picked from voters in a redrawn voting district that benefits the incumbent in most cases. Just take a quick look at this congressional district from the most highly functioning state in the union:

This makes total sense, right? This voting district was drawn totally arbitrarily. You have a problem with mail in voting? Let’s shake up this whole system to make it fair and truly democratic and if you have a problem with mail in voting after that, we’ll talk. My guess is you won’t. Politicians…and I mean all of them…will be scrambling for their political lives once they know they can truly be held accountable. Money shouldn’t vote, geography shouldn’t vote…but actual people should…and be counted!

I really think China is doing itself a disservice by censoring Facebook and other forms of social media coming out of the United States. Not trying to tell China how to suppress political dissent or anything but I think if they said to their people, “Hey, look at this shit show! You sure you want democracy?”, they might be able to scare the populace into submission for years to come. If I didn’t know any better, I would think this nation is going in the toilet; fast-tracked, minimally effective vaccines will contain microchips to track your every move and accept payments for goods because cash is going away. Don’t forget, masks are harmful to your health (masks that have been a part of daily life for many countries in Asia for years) and may actually cause you to get the disease because if you breath out the virus it is going to be trapped and you’ll just breath it in again. Instead, for the sake of the economy, let’s implement a systematic approach to incinerating local healthcare systems…not so much the actual structures, just the people. This way, if we do have a second wave, we’ll be sufficiently exhausted enough to be moderately effective. Oh, and don’t forget, we need to provide an adequate level of uncertainly within our school systems. Have you heard about mass early retirements because teachers fear for their lives? Don’t worry…maybe there’s only a slight chance it will gut the retirement fund. The best way to solve all this? Let’s continue with an ineffective testing system; that way we don’t truly know who does and doesn’t have it…so you should just assume everyone does but please don’t act like they do. Sounds like our national leadership is kinda messed up, right? Nah, they have this all under control and to prove how much control they have, they will make it more difficult to vote in the upcoming election by invalidating a form of voting that has been proven effective time and time again. Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, China, let’s get down to the nitty gritty….families, friend groups, business groups, and cross stitch clubs are falling apart as unjustifiable righteousness is pervasive and has a cure similar to that of Covid-19…get heavily sedated, lay face down, and pray that you don’t suffocate under the weight of it all.

The frustration is real…palpable. It’s truly exhausting. Does anyone really think that destroying other people’s property is a way to effect change? Maybe, just maybe, it will result in all the dirtbag cops getting arrested and convicted but I know that’s not what we are looking for, ultimately. This stuff has been happening for years…decades…and nothing really changes. I don’t condone violence and rioting but can we just stop with the peaceful protest bullshit? Let’s just walk down the street in a large group and expect our elected officials to suddenly change their minds. If it makes you feel good, have at it. If it makes you feel like your voice is being heard, scream at the top of your lungs, but I’m not buying that these protests and marches do shit, anymore. Ya know what will effect change? (I going to channel some Killer Mike here) Go to the voting booth or mail in a ballot and vote these motherfuckers out! If you think that Trump or Biden…or any Democrat or Republican gives a fuck about what the majority of you think, you are sorely mistaken. The individual candidates may not feel safe at one time or another but the parties are entrenched and don’t feel any sense of urgency to make wholesale changes. I’m sick of pussyfooting around; these politicians need to go. Vote them ALL out and then they’ll see the power of the people. Stop believing bullshit, fake memes and “news” stories and stop believing that anyone in the federal government cares about you. “But my representative is a good one, Chris!” I don’t care…not in the least bit. Vote the motherfucker out! Our “leaders” can’t feel safe anymore. Our votes can’t be bought anymore. Stop walking down the street with a Trump flag or a vagina hat and cast a God damn vote that’ll actually do something. My mantra going into the next election cycle? Vote these motherfuckers out!

I see all these food banks open and I read about the current strain on the food supply chain due to restaurant closings…which makes me wonder? Could the government just funnel money to restaurants to create take out meals that could be picked up for free? This would maintain an important cog in the food chain. Customers still place orders for what they’d like and the restaurants handle what they can based upon their staff. Restaurants are able to stay open, food is ordered from the manufacturers, and food is provided to the masses. Less long lines and more social distancing if all the food isn’t at a select few locations. One added bonus? People who couldn’t afford to eat out at certain places before could now experience some amazing meals from some amazing places. Maybe this is crazy talk but I just don’t understand why this couldn’t be done as a complement to the normal food bank setup? (Less people on unemployment too)

I get it…I really do; people are struggling and want to get back to work and get back to a sense of normalcy.  They feel their rights are trampled on by being told to stay home and that is certainly understandable, if not true.  They also have the right to be unadulterated douche bags but should they exercise that right?  Unfortunately, there are those in the media who minimize the virus and perpetuate a notion of a government takeover and this virus is just the opportunity they’ve been waiting for.  This viewpoint is gaining momentum, or at least partially, among the protesters.  If you watch the interviews, some of the protesters are genuinely fearful of the virus but they have a greater fear of the government.  What does that say about our government? (That post is for another day)  What this really boils down to is if you are a human and care about your fellow person. We could get out there and get back to work.  We could thumb our nose at perceived tyranny. We could also overwhelm our health care system while having thousands…or millions more people die…we probably have that right. If we decided to open our businesses regardless of government guidance (executive order), what would the government do?  Would they arrest us all and put us in jail which is in direct violation of the social distancing order?  This isn’t about what we can do, but about what we should do. Let’s stop talking a big game about how we value our medical professionals and first responders, a value which crosses political party lines and differing media outlets, and let’s continue to show them we actually care.  Let’s not dismiss our elderly because they “are going to die anyway”…a disgusting quote which has been spoken to me personally.  We have to stop the goddamn nonsense and address the virus.  We need to save lives and our healthcare professionals along the way.  This isn’t perfect, and nothing is, but we can attempt to “stay better”.  We have mountains to move after this and we certainly can by sticking together; we just need to stay apart for now.

Yeah, I said it…but I’m just relaying the not-so-subtle message that the federal government has been sending for years.  The most recent “bail-out” is the proverbial slush fund for big business yet the program intended to support small businesses ran out of money.  Maybe it had something to do with hedge fund managers claiming to be small businesses and weren’t accounted for when anticipating demand but I highly doubt it.  Even when (if) the small business gets its money, they are going to have to prove their “worthiness” in order to avoid paying the loan back.  So a business is supposed to keep employees, whose wages have been suppressed for decades, in order to keep them off the unemployment teat which could, due to the recent changes, give them more money?  Way to put the small business owner in a bind.  The employees could stay home to be safe AND make more money yet in order to keep the business alive, the owner needs to keep them on the payroll? (Gee, I wonder how this could be manipulated?)  Even before this Covid-19 debacle, I truly looked up to the small business owner/entrepreneur because the government really makes you earn it.  I get that there is risk involved with starting your own business or “going it alone” but where is the encouragement from the country that is supposed to be built on the “boot strap” ideals?  Health insurance, for instance (yup, I’m going to talk about it) should be for everyone in this country.  We have the money to support universal health care in some form or fashion and we prove it with every stimulus bill.  The last risk that a American with a dream of owning a small business should have to take is with their health.  Now this…to know that the government might not be there for you when shit really hits the fan?  Or maybe Uncle Sam will be there for you but he’s just gonna take his sweet-ass time and stop at the local bar on the way…sorry you couldn’t wait that long Mr. Small Business but I had to get a refill.  I’ll tell you one thing, I’ve been looking at small business to supply me with what I need more than ever and I intend to stick with it when the Covid disaster has run its course.  If the government is going to continue to screw small business over, I am going to do my part to love ’em and I hope we all do.

…you know, like global warming.  I’m surprised we haven’t heard this argument yet in order to get the economy open.  No matter what the science says, I fear we are on the verge of a battle between business and bodies.  Science takes a back seat when it is inconvenient and could lead to economic hardship but that is nothing new.  Do we disregard the scientific models of what could have happened without social distancing?  I don’t understand the logic of opening the economy without adequate testing.  We have “flattened the curve” due to social distancing and social isolation so the numbers look good enough to open up?  Let people get back to work because not going to work was successful…hmmmm.  I am all for getting our economy back on track but fear could derail the economy nearly as much as the virus itself.  How productive do you think employees will be if they are fearful for their life every day or if they get skittish every time someone coughs?  Let’s change it up a little bit and listen to the medical professionals when it comes to making the big decisions. The decision to shut down was easy relative to the decision of when and how to open up and I don’t want the boss man deciding when it is safe to get back to quasi-normal.  I want the doctors and scientists to plan this re-opening based upon sound data, not how much money is being lost.  I am anxious to see what tomorrow brings at the Trump evening happy hour.

If I’ve learned anything during the first month of the Covid-19 shutdown it’s that we could very easily take charge of our government and it wouldn’t take a revolution, in the general sense.  All it would take is for the vast majority of us to get on the same page for a cause…any cause…and get organized behind it.  I’m not talking “Occupy Wall St” style crap which had no singular agenda and no real leadership, I’m talking about getting a particular thing done and with a laser focus by the masses.  Why do we need this? Well, because the one thing the majority of us would have to do for an extended period of time is stop buying shit. Buy your food, buy your fuel, and pay your basic bills but other than that, shut it down.  Our federal government is already panicking about the economy and it has only been a month.  Granted, we are in a situation where people are having trouble eating and there are other circumstances which urgently need to be addressed but can you imagine if, in a time of relative calm, we lived on the bare necessities for a few months?  The government wouldn’t be able to fulfill the demand(s) of the populace fast enough.  This is why the government and the the commercial media outlets try to divide us.  It’s not because they want us to support their respective agendas, it’s because they don’t want us to support OUR agenda.  Once we are done fighting this virus, we should begin fighting for a government that is actually beholden to its people. Since voting by ballot doesn’t seem to be working, we should vote with our wallets; that’s what the corporations do, right?

I haven’t written anything in a few weeks for a couple of reasons; one of those reasons being that I felt everything I wanted to talk about was already being talked about…ad nauseam.  The next reason is I’ve been working on my second job that I hope will supplement my first job…the American dream, right?  Well, I’m going to have to suck it up with the second job but as far as political/social topics go, it’s like any movie or TV show that premiers; just variations of the same stories but they still can be entertaining.  Hopefully I can make my posts somewhat interesting, if not entertaining.  Speaking of entertainment, let’s talk about a virus more lethal than the flu but not nearly as bad as Ebola.  I don’t want to get into the specifics of the disease because, well, I really don’t know anything about it another than washing my hands could be the proverbial border wall keeping the “illegals” out.  I certainly know there is more to the COVID-19 (kinda reminds me of COVFEFE…let’s start the conspiracy theories) virus but I can’t help but blame our government for the current state of misinformation.  There is no need to panic but every time one person get’s it, we’ll update the national news ticker.  You most likely won’t die but there is a good chance you will die IF you have certain preexisting conditions…like diabetes, heart disease, large ear lobes, or webbed toes…I think.  Where were we? Oh yeah, the federal government shit show.  It all starts at the top with this debacle.  Trump basically says the virus will disappear in Spring once Venus is in the 3rd House and skunk mating season has wrapped up…trust him, he’s not a doctor but he knows a lot about the disease; probably more than most doctors out there because he’s done a lot of reading on Twitter and Etsy. (Hand towels that say “You finally decided to wash your germ ridden hands and all it took was COVID-19” are now available) Trump and his administration can’t get the message straight but why is there even confusion about the message?  Let the real professionals state the facts and figures so we can get on with our sanitized lives and worry about the real threats…like heart disease, lyme disease, and antibiotic resistant gonorrhea.

Is anything happening in the world of U.S. politics right now except pardons, golf trips, and tweets?  Seriously, I’m asking because I truly don’t know.  Trump is running his normal propaganda-misdirection-show while the Democrats battle it out over who is the “least worst”, but I wonder if actual policy is being created, debated, and implemented? I’m beginning to think this is exactly what the American public yearns for.  We are like packs of dogs that are thirsty for blood and everyday policy is a little canary that can’t satiate the pack…but there is also a writhing sheep that’s crying for help and it’s an easy meal; the sheep being the political reality show which never seems to end.  Would people even care if there was an easy way to find policy (in layman’s terms) where they could see the actual “going’s on”?  Is there a place where the government can take policy suggestions from outside sources? (I don’t mean lobbyists and special interests)  It sounds ridiculous but I wonder if the ravenous behavior is because, in general, we feel left out.  All we have now is elections and pep rally’s to reinforce your beliefs and discredit the validity of any opposing viewpoint.  Oh wait, you get to vote every four years and that really matters…unless you are in a safe State…then it kinda matters…sometimes.  We need better outlets to address the issues, suggest changes, and not let special interests dictate our lives.  We need to find a way to draw attention to that proverbial canary.  While it may not satisfy the appetite of the masses, it can (for those who are willing to listen) prevent the inevitable.