Nel vino la verità

Published 01 March 08 09:14 PM | root 

When we have a family gathering, two things almost always eventually happen:

1. Wine bottles get uncorked
2. Politics gets involved

First off, don't try this at home. My family is sadistic like this, but in all fairness some great conversations have come out of these. The most recent such event happened yesterday at my cousin's birthday party (he turned 11). Mom is a strong believer in the Democratic party, in voting, and doing her civic duty.

(A little background: She has been a High School counselor for umpteen years (you didn't hear me say that) and always puts health care/education as a priority).

Mom, meet root.

Root doesn't believe in voting.

Oh dear.

Safe to say our conversation was interesting. She got very frustrated with me, almost to the point of being angry. I laughed.

So here is a 10 thousand foot view of our debate.

My points:

• First, my vote doesn't count. Historically, we've seen cases where electoral votes were put towards a different candidate than what the population voted for. All a moot point to begin with. It was done this way because our founding father's thought the general populus were idoits and educated people should make the decision (I tend to agree with them, even in this day in age).
  
• Second, by the time politicians get to the office, they already owe X amount of people favors which will affect their decision making. The system is broken. Like the politicians, the people that hold the electoral votes can be swayed as well. I will not choose the "lesser" of two evils... not that I can (see point 1)
  
• Third (in answer to Mom's rebuttal of "the way to fix the system is to vote") the only way to fix the system is if I (root) got into politics myself and attempted to fix it from the inside. This would require me quitting my job and dedicating many years to a cause that I don't feel strongly enough to fix in the first place.
• Fourth (In response to Bush started a "freaking war" based on a lie, that lesser of two evils is better than nothing), I don't know what Bush had in front of him at the time of his decision to go to war. You can tell me that everything points to there not being WMD but we (general public) don't know that for a FACT. It very well could have been there and then it was moved... Bush could have been acting on the information HE HAD AT HAND. This is all pure speculation, of course. He very well could have lied for his own personal vendetta, or because he holds some stake in the oil. I'm not saying one way or the other because I wasn't there. The bottom line is, I'm not in his shoes and will never be since our government doesn't disclose every little detail they give to the President (for good reasons).
• Fifth, last but certainly not least: It's pointless for people to vote just because it's the right thing to do. I can almost guarantee you that the majority of the people in this country don't know our candidate's platforms. People aren't educated on it but vote anyways. Since I don't believe in the system, I'm not going to vote. I'm ignorant of our politics/platforms because I don't believe in it.

This was about 3 hours worth of debating (for me to get my point across). Then she said "But what if everyone thought the way you did?"

My answer: "If common sense was so common, there'd be a heck of a lot more smarter people in this world. Thank God for stupid people." 

(Extremely frustrated at this point) "But if they DID all think like you? There wouldn't be a government!"

My answer: "No... I'd be President."

By this time we have a small audience (few are brave enough to confront my mother when it comes to politics) and my Uncle so devilishly decides to chime in "You have my vote."
 

The moral of the story, my dearest users: "Nel vino la verità". It's an Italian Proverb which roughly translates to "In wine is truth". 

I should be President.

 
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Filed under: Life, Sadistic, Funny, Politics, Wine

Comments

# PROACEX1 said on March 2, 2008 12:28 PM:

ROFLMAO...You have my vote!

That was a good one Root, but you sure this shouldn't be kept in the Selectee Section?

Anyhows, yea, I actually agree with ya...On pretty much so all of the points...Hehe...

Respectfully,

Your Minion,

PROACEX1

# root said on March 2, 2008 12:31 PM:

That's the beauty of blogs my minion. They can be filled with opinions. Mwahaha.

Thanks for the vote! I should make a shirt:

"Vote for root"

It will be even more popular than Pedro.

And then the world.

# PROACEX1 said on March 2, 2008 12:32 PM:

All heil President Root!

The Master is President now! Must give the Master big red button to push, yes...Must target Russia, China, North Korea, India, Iran, Afghanistan, Canada, Sweden, Andorra, Spain, France and Mexico!

Forward, to World Domination!

*Cough*

Your Minion/Vice-President,

PROACEX1

# root said on March 2, 2008 12:38 PM:

LOL I like red buttons.

# sj1dog said on March 3, 2008 10:47 AM:

Nice post root! And all this time I thought my family gatherings were the only ones that went like that :)

SJ

# Cindylou28 said on March 4, 2008 12:08 PM:

I must say i agree with you 100% I dont vote and my mom gets on my case about it!

Make the shirts!!! I would wear mine and the button! You've got my vote as well. haha I am making an exception to vote.. LOL

~Cindy

# auden said on March 5, 2008 3:58 PM:

Our dinner table politics talk is just a bunch of set-ups and punchlines. For example:

"America's not a real democracy because we don't actually vote for anything. Now INDIA is a real democracy - everyone votes on everything - but they never get ANYTHING done."

"So China is clearly the most efficient of 'em all!"

"Yes! CHINA!"

"Where no one votes for ANYthing!"

"Oh no, no. Everyone votes in China. But they all vote for the SAME thing."

Anyways, I don't vote either, but I will say that having McCain as president might be the best choice for someone who doesn't initially care. He's so old that, if he does something I don't like, I can reasonably hope and expect him to drop dead before his term is up.

# root said on March 5, 2008 8:59 PM:

LOLz @ auden

# HOGHAULER said on March 6, 2008 7:11 PM:

Hey root I agree with you there man cause I have never voted in my life, politically speaking that is.

# ladytekki said on March 7, 2008 7:35 AM:

I respectfully disagree. We should vote, at least there will be a record we try to make a choice. The first shadow over Mr. Bush was the Florida incident, we should remember that  some of those  Supreme Court  justices were nominated by Mr. Bush father, back when he was President. So even the votes were ignored, the fact they existed can't be deny. During my families reunion, I'm the one helping family members registering to vote. Even if they will vote for a candidate I don't approve.

BTW, Root, if you ever become President, I would call you "Master Root" all the time with bowing included.

# root said on March 7, 2008 8:17 AM:

"BTW, Root, if you ever become President, I would call you "Master Root" all the time with bowing included."

Do you need a job?

# PROACEX1 said on March 7, 2008 8:37 AM:

He already has me, I've already got the job and low hourly pay, so back off! :P

Just kidding... ^^

"BTW, Root, if you ever become President, I would call you "Master Root" all the time with bowing included."

I already do that...I'd still do that anyhow... :D

Yea, we should vote...That is, when we have a candidate worth voting for and when we don't have electile dysfunction going on...

Your Minion,

Respectfully,

PROACEX1

# ladytekki said on March 7, 2008 11:09 AM:

@Root: Well, I might  be great advisor. However, you  should become President first.

I suggest reading The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli, excellent book when it comes to acquisition, perpetuation, and use of political power in the western world.

@PROACEX1, I'm not trying to compete with you. You will always be #1 for Root.

My bowing is more gracious though.

If Root make it to the White House, he would need more than one aide-de-camp.

# root said on March 7, 2008 7:47 PM:

The Prince is a great book

As well as The Art of War by Sūn Zǐ Bīng Fǎ

The end justifies the means. *grin*

# richone said on March 8, 2008 8:51 AM:

any connections to root beer?

# root said on March 8, 2008 9:58 AM:

The Linux root, not to be confused with sudo and fakeroot

*grin*

# PROACEX1 said on March 8, 2008 3:41 PM:

*Bump*

I just added Ohio to the list of targets Master! XD

Respectfully

PROACEX1

# daniel88c said on March 9, 2008 10:39 AM:

Alright start making those bumper stickers! Vote for Root!

# root said on March 10, 2008 4:45 PM:

Update your Sigs! lol

# Tallon41 said on April 4, 2008 2:36 PM:

Tallon41

I thought you didn't WANT to be Pres....LOL

A truely democratic society collapses under it's own weight, as in waiting for all to be heard, nothing ever gets decided.  (kinda like now eh?)

I vote to keep people I do NOT want in office...out.  Whether or not my vote changed the outcome per se, doesn't matter as long as I've done what I could, (short of joining the race or throwing gobs of money at a candidate,) to try and elect officials I believe will do the best job.  

I understand that you don't "believe" so you don't vote.....it also means you lose the right to complain about who gets elected since you did not exercise your right to participate in that process....  :^)

# slmclarengt said on April 6, 2008 9:44 PM:

Go for it root; sudo instate root

Access granted; instating root

494%252345j%#$@$%#@45lkj5kljgfsdlkjjlk system error, cannot modify root with root and use root to override root.

Btw, I have a cousin who works in Texas as an IT outsourcing trainer...

Slmclarengt

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