I believe I was seventeen when I proudly thought to myself : aren't I adaptable. Look at me! I have friends who will be the next leaders of this world, and I have friends who never finished year 10. Aren't I wonderful.
What a load of bullshit. Fine, I will concede to my then 17 yr old self that I didn't make any of those friends with collection of demographics in mind - I made those friends because I liked them.
I also remember being proud of my bi-partiality at one time. Yeah, I'll listen to everyone’s views on politics and the world today. From Andrew Bolt to the local greens representative.
Again, what a load of bullshit. In this case, I really was reading Andrew Bolt to seem well rounded.
I firmly believe everyone has a right to say what they want. Doesn't mean I want to listen to them. Doesn't mean I won't stoop to throwing a newspaper across the room. Or has lately been, my computer.
I live in China. Right now, I am in a city that is smaller than Melbourne, with a population that is half of Australia's. The air shows the strain of it - you can carry it in your hands.
My only connection to totally understandable literature, movies, family, and friends is my laptop. I could go to a internet cafe, but they scare the hell out of me. The occasionally one is known for being a front for prostitution. Comfortingly, they're never called internet cafes, but internet bars. (网吧）
But sometimes, when I read about the politics in my country, I feel like throwing the computer into the wall and watching while it breaks into a thousand little pieces.
I feel like I can't vote for Kevin Rudd, because he promised a heap that I actually wanted (namely action of greenhouse gases and the problems they cause) and then abandoned it all at the first sign of someone not liking it. My main thoughts:
News flash mate. You will never please everyone. Please decide what you stand for, and quickly. There gets a point where walking the middle of the road doesn't work. The moment you step a little left or right of the line, the other side will try to pull you back their way, and you will end up back in the middle again. With no position.
On the other hand, I have no plans on voting for someone who says that global warming in nothing but spin, and says virginity is something to be treasured, who runs around in budgie smugglers to show his manliness, and who says most of what comes out of his mouth is a lie. My virginity is my business, and I like an honest man who doesn't always have to prove he is a man.
But, god damn it all, I respect Tony Abbot more than I respect my Prime Minister. I disagree with everything that comes out of Abbot's mouth. Every word he says is opposite of what I think. But at least he has a position and a spine.
I respect him. I hate his policies. I would never vote for him.
So the question eventually becomes - what to do? If this was any other country, I would just not vote at all. Well, maybe not, but it would be tempting. A hell of a lot more tempting then the decision between a weasel and someone who I disagree with on every turn.
But I am Australian. For anyone who doesn't know the county, voting is compulsory. You get fined if you don't do it. Until this point, I always thought this was a good thing.
At this point, whatever way I vote, I will be ultimately responsible for degrading my country further. Come November, it will be the choice of two evils. I will be expected to choose the lesser one.
Ultimately, I will vote green as my primary vote, then sit in the booth and figure out preferences. I will put of voting for Labor or Liberal as long as possible.
But in the end it will have to be done.
Damn it; can someone in politics that has a possibility of ruling please either grow a backbone or some policy that I can agree with?
Swing right, swing left, turn around in the middle. Problem is the middle is nowhere. Is nowhere really better than a bad decision?
No comments:
Post a Comment