Tim Wise » With Friends Like These, Who Needs Glenn Beck? Racism and White Privilege on the Liberal-Left

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I’m sure it’s a typo, but I think “the Untied States” is the best two-word description of the current state of American politics I’ve ever heard.

It sums up so much of the disconnect, ignorance, and lack of basic empathy that is infuriating modern progressive liberals and alienating the young, who don’t see the point in voting if nothing’s ever going to change.

I think one of the strongest elements of Obama’s campaign is that he electrified the youth vote into action. Older Americans (my parents, notably) criticized Obama’s campaign for portraying him “like a rockstar”, but where they saw arrogance and vanity, I saw a politician who was trying desperately to catalyze some action from those who came of voting age during two Bush presidencies, and entered citizenship with increasing despondency and lack of faith in the system.

I’ve heard arguments from friends and acquaintances that they “don’t vote because it doesn’t matter”. The inherent fallacy of that, of course, is that if you don’t like the way things are going, voting is your first mechanism of action. Activism and actually running for office would be the next few steps, but voting for the change you want is literally the least you can do to effect it. If the only people voting are people you disagree with then you will continue to be disenfranchised and they will continue to walk over you.

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