The System is Rigged!
Not the election, that’s
just silly. Election fraud on a scale large enough to change the presidential
election would require a level of collusion (by state election systems
controlled predominantly by Republicans) that is absurd on its face. Or a
conspiracy so sophisticated and vast that there is no point in any of us voting
– ever. And Mr. Trump’s statement that the system is rigged only if HE loses
(see previous point re: who actually controls the system) should give anyone
pause.
A system that works only
when it comes out the way you want is NOT a system that is working for the rest of us. People you think are
innocent will be found guilty. People you think are guilty will be found
innocent (or perhaps not even go to trial). Your candidate will win — and lose.
That’s just life and does not mean the system is broken. But perhaps a system
that allows a (purported) billionaire to avoid paying any income tax for 18 or
so years because he lost almost a billion dollars (of mostly his investors’
money) could be considered broken – and rigged, but not in any way that helps
people like you or me.
But he is correct that the political system is rigged. Because the Democrats had experienced insurgent uprisings
before, that party took steps to lock protections into the machinery in favor of those who had paid their dues and shown allegiance to the party. For better and worse. I have
seen and studied how the sausage is made and it’s why I no longer go the
factory, and even eating it (voting) requires an antacid. I predict, regardless
of the 2016 outcome, Republicans will follow suit.
Political parties are
power brokers. Power, more than ideology, is the common denominator and the
party establishments will do what they must to maintain it. Because the party poohbahs
are true believers who feel the end justifies the means, making them little
different from leaders in industry, the military, etc. It is why I have little
hope for reform of the system itself, because money and power will be forever
intertwined. Even if not corrupt on its face (with quid pro quo) it
will appear so and provide evidence to those on the losing
side. Grassroots (popular) movements are derailed all the time, often because
leaders achieve a certain measure of power and either buy into the current
system (to work within) or get bought out (and watch their idealistic followers
scratch their heads and stay stuck in the status quo).
Polling companies
affiliated with parties or candidates have been around for years, using their
polls to create (or blunt) momentum for an election cycle. Ironically, candidates
often complain about phony polls while using their own phony polls to create
the impression they want. It’s all part of the game, but it
doesn’t mean all polls are phony, just because they don’t show what you want or believe to be true. It does, however, require attention
and critical thinking to find them.
Neither is media bias a
new phenomenon. Thomas Jefferson subsidized a newspaper to do a hatchet job on
George Washington. Newspaper names carried their party affiliation on their
masthead. The conservative St. Louis Globe-Democrat harkened back
to when Democrats were conservative and Republicans were progressive. While Fox
News is neither fair nor balanced, it does provide balance to
the (undeniable but exaggerated, IMO) liberal tilt of the so-called the
mainstream media. Whatever your world view, you can find media to support
it. (A topic for another day, maybe soon, maybe not. Sooooo tired.)
Maybe this is the year
the system will be broken. I don’t know. But this I do know. If it does break it will be
replaced with another (probably at least equally flawed) system.
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