They Paved Paradise and Put Up Politics

As you might guess from the title, I'm going to compare politics to parking lots: both seem to have a supernatural ability to make people stupid. They lose what sense they already have, and back-up without looking or vote for the candidate with the nicest smile.

Of course, I don't have great confidence in people's common sense. So if political stupidity were just a matter of people failing to successfully work towards their own self-interest, I would not be disappointed. But politics is the only place where you see people actively working against their own interests, then congratulating themselves for a job well done.  A great example is this poster I saw in downtown Kitchener:

Yes, it's another in the long list of people who think that politicians will change as a result of low voter turnout.  I'm assuming that they imagine the politicians changing their ways out of a sense of personal disappointment in how few people vote.  But it's really not likely that political candidates - at a time when they are working hard for their job and their political ideology - will take time out to do something for a group that had already made it clear they will not help elect anyone. If you believe a boycott would work, ask yourself about young people: they mostly don't vote; do politicians for harder for youth concerns in a bid to entice them?  A quick look at modern-day tuition rates would indicate they don't.

I don't know if you can see it in the condensed version of this picture - I didn't see it at first - but someone has written a note on the next sign down expressing disagreement with this boycott campaign, for the same reason.  That remark uses some colourful language, but is still more politically aware than the poster.  Then again, so is the ad for strip-club beer on which it is written.

Of course a real cynic would suggest that this sign was put up by someone cleverly campaigning against pro-working-class politics, to dissuade their opponents from voting. But I doubt that explanation, again on the principle that no one would be that clever in the political arena. It wouldn't occur to them to communicate through photocopies taped to a lamppost. They'd be more likely to create BoycottTheElection.com and then wonder why they aren't reaching any poor people. Or more likely, they're busy organizing their own campaign to boycott the election on the grounds that no parties defend the interests of the rich. In short, I'm embarrassed to admit that the most likely explanation for this poster is that a fellow member of my species is actually trying to encourage their own voting bloc not to vote, thinking that it will advance their cause.

But there is one positive I can take from it: If, like me, you have a concern for the plight of the poor, and worry about the consequences elections have on them, then you can take some solace in knowing that for at least a few of them, they deserve all they get.