Hillary, Barak, or McCain.  Does it really matter?  Over and over again I try to uncover the false impression that living in a democracy brings, namely, that we are living in a society that is run on truth, fairness and respect of personal rights.  This is what I was taught, while living in the West.  However, today, we are seeing this myth shattering before or eyes.  It’s not that there is some corruption that happens once in a while and that it should be expected.  I can accept that.  Nothing is perfect.  However, when one learns that it is not a fluke, rather the way things are really run, it is hard to accept.  It is hard to accept because we don’t want to believe it.  Because to believe it, means that we are not as ‘good’ a society as we believed ourselves to be, and it also means that we were more or less lied to while growing up and taking history and social studies classes in school. 

I want to state here, that I am not angry.  I actually understand (though am disillusioned) why all of the back room wheeling and dealing is being done.  It is much more efficient to make deals, convince, sweeten the pie, bribe, twist arms, and threaten behind the scenes.  One can get much more done that way. It’s just good business.  And before anyone states that government and elections are not a business, let’s look at this startling fact…. Of the world's 100 largest economic entities, 51 are now corporations and 49 are countries.  Isn’t that interesting?

And so, if someone were the head of a corporation, he/she (I will use he from now on for simplicity) would definitely find it good business to buddy up to the politicians who are the ‘chosen’ few that make laws and enforce them.   He would probably make sure that whichever senator or governor who runs for office was in HIS pocket.  He would also try to tip the scales of votes for the one he could control the most.  After all, if he was a good businessman, he wouldn’t want any of these petty politicians stopping his corporation from functioning at full speed. 

And so we see how big business interests can conflict with what is good for the People, and what the People want.

The American people are now in the midst of election fever.  They are under the impression that they really are going to get the candidate they want.  All they need to do is to go out and cast a vote.  But is that how it really works?  Do the people really get the candidates they want, and more important, do they get the policies they want?

Too often we hear about voter fraud; 

• Dead’ people voting. 
• Chads not clearly punched through.
• Electronic voting machines not working ‘properly’,
• Voter intimidation and deception. i.e. sending out letters to voters that they are not eligible to vote.
• Shortages of voting locations and ballot forms, or even the case of ‘More votes, than voters’! 
  

Remember the old saying:  "Those who cast the votes decide nothing, those who count the votes decide everything." - Joseph Stalin

And if all that doesn’t work,,, there’s always the Super Delegates to cancel out your vote.  Watch this video, it will open your eyes so you can better understand how the SYSTEM works, not for you, the People, but for others who can control their interests through controlling other politicians. This is why Candidate A can win the popular vote (the vote of the people) and yet lose the election to Candidate B.  Remember the Bush-Gore-Kerry election fiascoes?

(This video is from CBS news.  They have some other very good videos which you might like to watch.)

Now, with all this said, I wouldn’t say one should give up their right to vote and choose to stay home.  We live in a physical reality and G-d gives us tools in order to try to make this world better.  Therefore, I believe that one should take advantage of their rights and cast a ballot, but one should vote -not for a party-  but for the candidate that has the most integrity, honesty, and courage to stand up to evil.  It’s not guaranteed that once elected they will pass the tests they will face, but a person who is honest, idealistic and fears G-d more than Man,  would be the best person to even try.