I consider myself a somewhat opinionated man. I have quite a few opinions,
some of them rather strong. I have been told I have something to say about
everything. Of course this is a bit of an exaggeration, but it is true that I
have quite a few opinions. I believe this is good.
  Perhaps it is surprising, then, that I am quite non-political. Politics is
one of the most hotly-debated and discussed topics in the world, along with
religion. There are those who go so far as to say that "Everything is
political". Their viewpoint is that politics has a profound impact on every
aspect of people's lives, and so if you do not understand or have an opinion
on politics, you are disadvantaged and not performing your civic duty.
  But how much impact do politics really have?
  Think about this for a while. What could a politician really do? What could
the entire government really do? For that matter, how much do they actually
*try* to do? Just how much is affected by them?
  It is true that some form of order is needed. I am not an anarchist. We
need someone to keep the peace, lawmakers as well as enforcers (police) are
useful and important people. But what about the people who spend most of
their time fussing over how much money to allocate here, how much to put
there, what policies to implement regarding some issue, etc.? Do they really
do much good?
  Take a look at the world around you. For that matter, take a look at the
country around you. Next, think about what politicians strive for, what their
goals are for the country you see.
  Don't all politicians seem to have the same goals? They all want a better
economy, better health care, better education for children, less crime. These
are some of the most important things which virtually every politician (at
least in America), regardless of party, tries to achieve.
  Now ask yourself: How successful are they?
  Are they really getting rid of homelessness? Are the problems of poverty,
illness, crime, and poor education really getting better? And can any amount
of politics ever cure them?
  The answer, at least for now, is no.
  Politicians have some different stances on some different issues. They may
go one way or the other on some matter of whether car headlights need to be
on during the day or whether minimum wage should be $7.00 or $7.50 an hour.
But on the "biggies", the really big issues which stand before us all, they
all have the same views and goals. And yet, these are the very things which
they are powerless to solve.
  No politician will be able to give all the homeless people a place to sleep
at night. They may try, and they may make a few shelters, but it is not
nearly enough. The problems are simply bigger than our capacity to deal with
them. People may trumpet the importance of some bill which is being debated
over some small issue, but the end result is that when it comes to *real*
problems, politics are powerless to do much good.
  In a capitalist society, by its very structure, there must be an upper,
middle, and lower class of people. In a non-Communist country where wealth is
not forcibly distributed among the people so everybody is equally rich, there
will always be poverty and fat cats who selfishly hoard their money. This is
not an endorsement of Communism, merely a statement on an aspect of a free
country.
  Besides their impotence, another problem with politics is the similary
between the candidates. As has been said, everybody strives for the same
basic things, whether they be "left wing" or "right wing". Oh, of course they
have slightly different viewpoints, one wants more taxes so the money can be
used for good things while the other wants less taxes so people can do what
they want with their own money; But the end result is that they merely have
slightly different budget projections. One will tax a bit more, the other
perhaps a little less. And either side will put that tax money in the things
they love to say taxes are good for: Education, foreign aid, welfare, etc.
It is at the point where the two "wings" are so similar as to be virtually
indistinguishable. For all their posing and public view as polar opposites,
Democrats and Republicans are mostly one and the same. Indeed, some have
coined the terms "Republicrats" and "Demopublicans" to refer to both
collectively. When it comes time to vote, people cast their vote for two
virtually identical government drones, then walk away believing that they
have done something magnificently important for the future of their country.
  Another, slightly less obvious and perhaps less practical reason I avoid
politics is the corruption that exists among it. "Power corrupts" is an old
saying, and it is as true as it has ever been. And who has greater power than
the government? No one. The government also has the power to cover up its
corruption. Do you believe that the relatively few government scandals which
make it to public light are the only corruption cases to be found there? Far
from it; They are, indeed, only the ones which make it to public light.
Obviously this is an opinion and not fact, since I have no proof of this, but
it is reasonable to believe that most of what goes on inside politics is
never heard by anyone outside of it. Even the lower levels of government have
it; And to rise to the upper levels, one must pass through those first. By
the time someone has reached the upper echelons, they have already been
immersed in a thoroughly power-hungry and power-abusing culture.
  And so when the polls come, you have a choice. You may vote for a variety
of people who are not worthy of your vote, people who do not deserve the
power they may be about to receive. Or you may not.
  I do not vote. I feel this is a great service I do for my country.