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Of lizards and elections.
Am posting this now, because I am tired of having so many tabs open.
So, I presume you are all familiar with Hitchhiker's Guide and lizards = politicians, if not, I've copied & pasted the relevant part out below:
“It comes from a very ancient democracy, you see..."
"You mean, it comes from a world of lizards?"
"No," said Ford, who by this time was a little more rational and coherent than he had been, having finally had the coffee forced down him, "nothing so simple. Nothing anything like so straightforward. On its world, the people are people. The leaders are lizards. The people hate the lizards and the lizards rule the people."
"Odd," said Arthur, "I thought you said it was a democracy."
"I did," said Ford. "It is."
"So," said Arthur, hoping he wasn't sounding ridiculously obtuse, "why don't people get rid of the lizards?"
"It honestly doesn't occur to them," said Ford. "They've all got the vote, so they all pretty much assume that the government they've voted in more or less approximates to the government they want."
"You mean they actually vote for the lizards?"
"Oh yes," said Ford with a shrug, "of course."
"But," said Arthur, going for the big one again, "why?"
"Because if they didn't vote for a lizard," said Ford, "the wrong lizard might get in. Got any gin?"
"What?"
"I said," said Ford, with an increasing air of urgency creeping into his voice, "have you got any gin?"
"I'll look. Tell me about the lizards."
Ford shrugged again.
"Some people say that the lizards are the best thing that ever happenned to them," he said. "They're completely wrong of course, completely and utterly wrong, but someone's got to say it."
"But that's terrible," said Arthur.
"Listen, bud," said Ford, "if I had one Altairian dollar for every time I heard one bit of the Universe look at another bit of the Universe and say 'That's terrible' I wouldn't be sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.”
Now, Hillary is obviously a lizard. I'm not disputing that for a minute. But she's a female lizard (very rare), and also no one wants the wrong lizard to get it.
(I don't think Obama was a lizard, which is why he's so rare. Although he could play the lizard's game, which is crucial. But that's a different discussion.)
As for Bernie... I don't know. He reminds me of our Jeremy Corbyn. Full of ideals and easy to love. (He's an adorable grandpa who is on the same wavelength as the Tumblr generation - he's immensely lovable! Please don't think I dislike him. In an ideal he'd totally wave a magic wand and change the world overnight.)
But back to Corbyn - I like Corbyn. I like his principles, and the fact that he does his best to stand up for them in a hostile world. And he gets crucified for it, regularly. The press, the Tories (and his own party to a great degree) are all out to get him, painting him in the worst possible light, and straight-up lie about him. But he is loved at grassroots level. Miss M (17 now - I KNOW) has joined Momentum (a grassroots movement inspired by him). I desperately want him to succeed, to somehow manage to gather the party together & offer a solid opposition so we can get rid of the Tories before they completely destroy the country. But it's going to take time, if it works at all. When I'm hopeful, I think that by the time the next election rolls around he'll have worked out to play the game (in a way that doesn't compromise him too much) and be someone who knows how to appeal to all voters, esp those who currently vote Tory and think a Labour government will do nothing but spend profligately.
Back to Bernie - Bernie has that same appeal, but (to borrow from one of the articles I'll link to below) his plans seem to go as follows:
1. Discover our economy has problems
2. Vote for me
3. ????
4. Revolution!
Revolution isn't a workable strategy. What does he even MEAN by that? Beheading the aristocracy? The Occupy movement? Burn Las Vegas & Wall Street to the ground?
The thing is, Bernie and Hillary want the same things (they've voted the same way... I can't remember, but it's 80%+ at least), but Hillary has plans for how to achieve what she wants. Her goals are lower, but she knows how to get there. She is well aware of the fact that she has to battle the GOP every step of the way, and I very much doubt Bernie's 'revolution' will magically make all the Trump supporters suddenly embrace socialism.
At least, that's my view from over here.
Here are some links for y'all, gathered from conversations all over, so sorry if I can't remember who recommended them:
First of all an up-and-front anti-Hillary article, as I don't dispute there are issues:
Hillary Clinton’s Empowerment
Hard Choices. I used to hate Hillary. Now I’m voting for her.
Bernie Sanders and Revolution Betrayed
An All-Caps Explosion of Feelings Regarding the Liberal Backlash Against Hillary Clinton
And finally, something purely positive:
Hillary Clinton's Autism Plan Suggests Times Are Changing
One thing I like very particularly is that it shows how she's evolved. People change. People grow. People learn. There are far too many instances of people dragging out something she did 30 years ago to prove how horrible she is. Maybe that's another thing that pinged me - there is a whole narrative surrounding her, things people repeat because everyone knows it to be true. It reminds me of 'Moffat is a misogynist'.
So yeah, my position is 'Vote for the Lady Lizard'. The Adorable Gramps is adorable, but I don't think he'd fare well against the [other] lizards. Or do a very good job of pretending to be one, or working with them. (I'm not sure if he's a lizard or not. Don't know enough about him - am currently giving him the benefit of the doubt.)
ETA: Not About Gender: 2 Fast 2 Gender (Re. Sander's leadership style & gender stuff.)
And now I'm off to write Clara meta for this project (SO SHINY!), which will be a lot more fun than politics. :)
So, I presume you are all familiar with Hitchhiker's Guide and lizards = politicians, if not, I've copied & pasted the relevant part out below:
"You mean, it comes from a world of lizards?"
"No," said Ford, who by this time was a little more rational and coherent than he had been, having finally had the coffee forced down him, "nothing so simple. Nothing anything like so straightforward. On its world, the people are people. The leaders are lizards. The people hate the lizards and the lizards rule the people."
"Odd," said Arthur, "I thought you said it was a democracy."
"I did," said Ford. "It is."
"So," said Arthur, hoping he wasn't sounding ridiculously obtuse, "why don't people get rid of the lizards?"
"It honestly doesn't occur to them," said Ford. "They've all got the vote, so they all pretty much assume that the government they've voted in more or less approximates to the government they want."
"You mean they actually vote for the lizards?"
"Oh yes," said Ford with a shrug, "of course."
"But," said Arthur, going for the big one again, "why?"
"Because if they didn't vote for a lizard," said Ford, "the wrong lizard might get in. Got any gin?"
"What?"
"I said," said Ford, with an increasing air of urgency creeping into his voice, "have you got any gin?"
"I'll look. Tell me about the lizards."
Ford shrugged again.
"Some people say that the lizards are the best thing that ever happenned to them," he said. "They're completely wrong of course, completely and utterly wrong, but someone's got to say it."
"But that's terrible," said Arthur.
"Listen, bud," said Ford, "if I had one Altairian dollar for every time I heard one bit of the Universe look at another bit of the Universe and say 'That's terrible' I wouldn't be sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.”
Now, Hillary is obviously a lizard. I'm not disputing that for a minute. But she's a female lizard (very rare), and also no one wants the wrong lizard to get it.
(I don't think Obama was a lizard, which is why he's so rare. Although he could play the lizard's game, which is crucial. But that's a different discussion.)
As for Bernie... I don't know. He reminds me of our Jeremy Corbyn. Full of ideals and easy to love. (He's an adorable grandpa who is on the same wavelength as the Tumblr generation - he's immensely lovable! Please don't think I dislike him. In an ideal he'd totally wave a magic wand and change the world overnight.)
But back to Corbyn - I like Corbyn. I like his principles, and the fact that he does his best to stand up for them in a hostile world. And he gets crucified for it, regularly. The press, the Tories (and his own party to a great degree) are all out to get him, painting him in the worst possible light, and straight-up lie about him. But he is loved at grassroots level. Miss M (17 now - I KNOW) has joined Momentum (a grassroots movement inspired by him). I desperately want him to succeed, to somehow manage to gather the party together & offer a solid opposition so we can get rid of the Tories before they completely destroy the country. But it's going to take time, if it works at all. When I'm hopeful, I think that by the time the next election rolls around he'll have worked out to play the game (in a way that doesn't compromise him too much) and be someone who knows how to appeal to all voters, esp those who currently vote Tory and think a Labour government will do nothing but spend profligately.
Back to Bernie - Bernie has that same appeal, but (to borrow from one of the articles I'll link to below) his plans seem to go as follows:
1. Discover our economy has problems
2. Vote for me
3. ????
4. Revolution!
Revolution isn't a workable strategy. What does he even MEAN by that? Beheading the aristocracy? The Occupy movement? Burn Las Vegas & Wall Street to the ground?
The thing is, Bernie and Hillary want the same things (they've voted the same way... I can't remember, but it's 80%+ at least), but Hillary has plans for how to achieve what she wants. Her goals are lower, but she knows how to get there. She is well aware of the fact that she has to battle the GOP every step of the way, and I very much doubt Bernie's 'revolution' will magically make all the Trump supporters suddenly embrace socialism.
At least, that's my view from over here.
Here are some links for y'all, gathered from conversations all over, so sorry if I can't remember who recommended them:
First of all an up-and-front anti-Hillary article, as I don't dispute there are issues:
Hillary Clinton’s Empowerment
Hard Choices. I used to hate Hillary. Now I’m voting for her.
Bernie Sanders and Revolution Betrayed
An All-Caps Explosion of Feelings Regarding the Liberal Backlash Against Hillary Clinton
And finally, something purely positive:
Hillary Clinton's Autism Plan Suggests Times Are Changing
One thing I like very particularly is that it shows how she's evolved. People change. People grow. People learn. There are far too many instances of people dragging out something she did 30 years ago to prove how horrible she is. Maybe that's another thing that pinged me - there is a whole narrative surrounding her, things people repeat because everyone knows it to be true. It reminds me of 'Moffat is a misogynist'.
So yeah, my position is 'Vote for the Lady Lizard'. The Adorable Gramps is adorable, but I don't think he'd fare well against the [other] lizards. Or do a very good job of pretending to be one, or working with them. (I'm not sure if he's a lizard or not. Don't know enough about him - am currently giving him the benefit of the doubt.)
ETA: Not About Gender: 2 Fast 2 Gender (Re. Sander's leadership style & gender stuff.)
And now I'm off to write Clara meta for this project (SO SHINY!), which will be a lot more fun than politics. :)
no subject
Oh, totally my pleasure. I've only scratched the surface really, but at least I feel I understand some of it... And of course, I remember Hillary from way back.
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And now you reminded me of Sarah Palin: Fangirl, which is probably the best thing written about Sarah Palin, ever.
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*is a dinosaur* (I was 13 when the Berlin wall fell, if I have to place myself historically.)
so I kind of automatically/naively assume that past governments have been sharply right, highly problematic with issues like gun control or reproductive rights, but at least, you know, credible to run a country =P
When Dubya becomes the voice of sanity, you know the current lot are totally off their trolley...
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*chuckles* Now, we don't want me to go Twelve on you. (That parallel is worth what it's worth given Twelve's age though…)
When Dubya becomes the voice of sanity, you know the current lot are totally off their trolley...
What are standards… ;)
no subject