{"id":1691,"date":"2014-10-31T14:21:20","date_gmt":"2014-10-31T19:21:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/toppun.com\/blog\/?p=1691"},"modified":"2014-10-31T14:22:18","modified_gmt":"2014-10-31T19:22:18","slug":"poem-democracy-as-seen-on-tv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/toppun.com\/blog\/2014\/10\/31\/poem-democracy-as-seen-on-tv\/","title":{"rendered":"POEM: Democracy – as seen on TV"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wherever I land
\nIn the electoral whirled
\nPoliticians ceremoniously execute
\nThe will of the people
\nIn doctored fashion
\nYet an other sort of capitol punishment
\nDelegated to the coroner
\nTurning voting off
\nIn a Pyrrhic victory
\nSo hollowed by those bored of elections
\nAs a so low survivor
\nLeft to re-collect
\nIn suing came pain
\nPromises unfulfilled
\nA small prize to pay
\nFor virtual democracy
\nOnly calling to mine
\nSurvivor
\nAs democracy
\nIn reality
\nOnly on TV<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here is a poem for election time. While citizens have been cynical about politicians for eons, politicians are digging new versions of low at record rates. For decades, America has had one of the lowest rates of voting of any so-called advanced democracies. This poem does take its titular metaphor from the television age and the more recent reality (sic) television. Run-of-the-mill electoral politics is so bad, like “reality” TV, that most of it is not even worth watching, a palpable waste of one’s precious life. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not against voting. For most non-voting citizens, voting oneself off the island is hardly a very productive way of bringing about participatory democracy. In the pantheon of inane activities competing for our attention, and often winning, voting is still worthy of the modest effort required. Still, I doubt that electoral politics is anywhere sufficient to save the planet or humanity. Most of electoral politics is reactionary, cynically triangulating competing interests without much internal compass. Though politicians are regularly without distinguishable rudders, they can be quite adept at blowing whichever way the wind blows — everything is for sail! So, if not too disgusting, do yourself a flavor and vote for a politician closest to your taste. But don’t let voting get in the way of creating the winds of change necessary to redeem electoral politics. Participatory democracy requires ongoing civic engagement. The quality of our democracy will be directly rooted in the degree by which we are the change we want to see in the world, how we treat our neighbors (friends, strangers, and enemies) and how well we speak truth to power, translating our own lives into vital and vibrant community. May it be so.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wherever I land In the electoral whirled Politicians ceremoniously execute The will of the people In doctored fashion Yet an other sort of capitol punishment Delegated to the coroner Turning voting off In a Pyrrhic victory So hollowed by those … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,38,15],"tags":[563,397,675,331,269,272,646,104,305,313,359,658,94,215,110,615,557,601,529,421,647],"class_list":["post-1691","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-poems","category-political-action","category-political-and-philosophical-musings","tag-america","tag-change","tag-citizens","tag-community","tag-cynical","tag-democracy","tag-elections","tag-enemies","tag-humanity","tag-inane","tag-life","tag-poems","tag-poetry","tag-politics","tag-power","tag-punishment","tag-reactionary","tag-reality","tag-time","tag-truth","tag-voting"],"yoast_head":"\nPOEM: Democracy - as seen on TV | Poems, Political Action, Political and Philosophical Musings | Top Pun's Poetry, Funny Puns, Free Posters, Public Health Radio Show! 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