Since I was fourteen years old, my number one passion has been politics. Too bad, I sometimes think, because if I had some other interest, I probably wouldn't be as angry and frustrated as I've been for most of my life. I've been frustrated by the fact that although I'm obsessed with politics and would like nothing better than to be someone who affects change, I've been stifled by a Canadian political system that is rigged to prevent people like me from ever having a voice for change in this country.
It's not like I haven't tried. For example, I used to be part of a political party, but I found out that when you're the member of the party, you're just expected to follow the party leader like a well-trained dog follows its master. Just tow the party line. Oh yeah, and give them your money. Not a month went by without someone from the party calling me asking for a donation. Here in Canada, the party leader is everything. He or she rules the party like an absolute monarch. And if you stray away from the party's script, you will inevitably be kicked out. Now, I won't have anything to do with any political party in this country. Quite frankly, I spit on all of them.
I still do vote. Well, sort of. In provincial elections, I show up at the polling station and decline my ballot, because I can't bring myself to support any of the incompetents we call leaders in Ontario. I would probably do the same federally too, but one doesn't have the option of declining their ballot in federal elections. So I just vote for the folks who I think will support Israel the most, since none of the main parties offer the kind of substantive changes I'm looking for, which include proportional representation, an end to excessive party discipline, an elected or abolished senate, and a freer economy.
I was once told that if I didn't like this country's pitiful excuse for leaders, I should run for office myself. But of course, to do that, I'd have to join one of the parties I hate. Then, if I was elected, I'd have to vote in lockstep with my party and not say anything that contradicts the party line, or be kicked out of caucus. Well, there's always municipal politics. Oh, wait. Unseating an incumbent councillor is virtually impossible, and I don't think I'd have a chance in hell running for mayor, because you need to be a household name to do that and have a realistic chance of winning.
So for those of you who accuse me of just complaining and doing nothing to affect change, I ask you, in light of everything I just said, what the hell am I supposed to do!?
