I sat, getting dressed in the locker room before pickup hockey. It's a local league with a mix of local people so it's as diverse as...well, the middle of no-where male dominated sports league can be. But what is absolutely diverse though is age and politics. The older guys will often razz each other with running conversations about politics, continuing discussions from Facebook, and (oddly) often times relatively rational (if you've been in a locker room, this is never to be expected).

When someone (jokingly said) "Hilary is so terrible I'd almost vote for Drumpf...{razzing} I SAID ALMOST" I stopped and gained insight into the flawed logic of much of American politics (#thanksmedia). To this discussion I said "vomit" (the group is aware I'm pretty outspoken politically). Someone then said "Well what if it was reversed" and I said "Double-vomit". Some people laughed and said they'd write in Mickey mouse, etc.

It's a Binary decision

Then the phrase came up "Well, it's a binary decision" and for the first time in a long time... I kept a conversation going about politics when I'd honestly rather just go play hockey. "No. it's not, or if it is it's Binary between 2 terrible options and 1 option that isn't that" (Eloquent I know). This was met with other small laughs and a few discussing that they can't vote 3rd party because they've done that before and nothing happens. The heard mentality, the need to vote one way the media tells you to or the other, is exactly why we are in the current mess we are.

There are no good options

This simply isn't true. As I've written about previously in the unity of thought that exists between Tea Party and Occupy Wall street people, the two party system perpetuated by media and advertising dollars is the problem and a reality TV "star" parading under the banner of one of those (while being blatantly racist to play upon people's fears) is not going to solve anything.

To my Conservative friends

To my Conservative friends, there is a far better option and you are being played by the same media that your false choice is the only choice (at the same time decrying how corrupt / worthless the media is). You are being played by a media and political class that insist you either are for (the evil) Hilary (HHHHEERRRRRR ) or not. You claim to believe in small government (HA), being socially conservative (HA), open minded, having the moral high ground, better on the economy, better on tax policy, better on local control; and yet you will claim that this  is your best option. "Sad".

To my Socialist friends.

You "believe" in what you claim to believe on the basis of social justice, criminal justice reform, the need for fairness, anti-corruption and getting wall street out of the business of the people. You march in the streets, you demand change, and yet somehow here you are even after "change" sweeps into power, still here, on the streets, powerless and more divided and broken then before. Almost 50% of you latched onto someone who said you could get free stuff in this country if we just changed everything, if we just taxed more, if we just had Wallstreet less, etc. And yet you lay down your principles that you "fought" for and spoke out about for months to support someone who is clearly above the law and funded heavily by the same people you claim to need to get out of politics.


I love you, I care about you both (all of you actually) and I wish you could get out of your own way. I wish you could embrace each other and see the goodness in each but sadly, you are too busy worrying about "winning" (which isn't a thing, this isn't a sports league, there is no concept of win eternally nor in your life time, there's always more ). But you both are arguing with each other instead of realizing that you can unite against a common enemy: Corruption, Greed, authoritarianism.

Another way out

There is another way out, which has a foothold in American politics, which is socially minded, which is fiscally minded, which is on the ballot in all 50 states, which has a base to its movement and a message. It's too small (relatively speaking) to be backed in the same way by the same corrupt institutions that have brought us to this point. It is largely ignored by the media because it doesn't see the same click throughs as the corrupt two parties we see today. I'm speaking of course about Libertarianism and the Libertarian party.

Historically I am a libertarian leaning conservative, but seeing what conservatives supposedly support and stand for, I increasingly identify as only Libertarian. It is the way out. What policies do they represent? Minimal government involvement in the lives of people. They are counter to the establishment of each political party because they voice that the government and structure of government is the problem. Not that we need no government, that we need an emphasis on people and individual liberty. Live and let live.

Google it

What policies specifically? You can use Google, I don't need to spell that out for you. But when someone asked me about such a question I answered with "does it really matter? You currently have the same authoritarian 1 or authoritarian 2 option." Some binary decision that is.

Look, search, seek out information, especially beyond what you are comfortable with. In the age of the digital revolution, it's insane that we only have two options to set the course for society. To all options though, regardless of who that is; instead of asking do I agree with these policies, ask yourself who will make you more free? What points in the direction of the internet, more free, more choice, more speech, more options, more ideas? Then you'll have your answer of who to vote for, rather then simply who to vote against. We deserve better then this, make it so.