Paris Graphics

This will be another unpopular post (maybe it’s the heat?).
Every time that there is a presidential election, the same thing happens… my good and well meaning friends ask me to PLEASE support the Democratic Party candidate. Each time they tell me “It is REALLY important this year! Don’t throw away your vote again Paris!”

I then explain, one by one why I will not. So this time, I’ll post it here.

You are asking me to vote out of fear. Fear that a Republican will win. Philosophically, I can’t go there. Every year I vote for the Green Party candidates and will continue to do so in 2008. Yes, I know that they will not win but that is not the point. I do it because

1. This is how change happens… every year a few more people will vote Green and someday I hope that the US will be more than a two party system.
2. Real change will not happen with any candidate of the two major parties, no matter how good his or her intentions are. These two parties are huge entities with lots of baggage and obligations to those who support them. We are talking about a huge amount of money - and no candidate can throw out the interests of those who are writing checks and supporting the party. Even if the candidate him or herself does not accept campaign money from major corporations or others who aim to buy influence, the party does and has for years and being the candidate of the party means following the rules. Perhaps this is part of the reason that Dennis Kucinich was uninvited from the Democratic presidential debates.

So… I agree it is really important this year.
We are wrongly in a war in Iraq (actually the whole War on Terrorism is a sham - an excuse to make more money for some of the already wealthiest individuals in the US).
We are not doing enough to quickly address Environmental issues.
Our citizens need health care.
And the list goes on.

Someone will say… why are you expressing political views? Aren’t you a programmer? Shouldn’t you keep such things private?

Perhaps it is not very professional to express political thoughts but my frustration with things as they are has driven me to this. Besides, I think that I’m in very good company in doing so.

For more info on the Green Party, please see check out the Green Party Website.