You would think after all this time I would remember my blogger password but nooooooo, apparently I am not that together. Anyway, aside...

Woe betide any Americans in the social circle at the moment. Some poor American bastard had to deal with three drunken girls (yes yes myself and two others) leaning over the back of his couch last night screeching about how we couldn't believe that he wasn't going to vote in the upcoming elections. And then it was just two girls screeching after I could no longer breathe when he proudly announced that he had *never* voted.

Various threats of physical violence were thrown about "If I found out that you haven't voted I'm going to KICK YOUR ASS!" (yes me again) until the retort of "If you don't leave me alone I'll vote for McCain" shut us all up. That shit just ain't even funny.

Though in truth I'd rather him vote for McCain than not vote at all.

I understand that part of the freedom of speech is that you chose not to speak at all but I can't help but thinking that's it's not an actual choice but an expression of apathy. And apathy is not making a choice, it's being frigging lazy.

The thought of having no political voice fills me with horror because if you don't use it, you lose it. Why would anyone cater to you and your demographic if they know that due to recent polls you don't vote and therefore don't count in their search for votes.

I understand that quite often it's a choice between Dumb and Dumber but I'd rather choose the Lesser Evil than have someone else potentially choose the Greater Evil because I can't get off my ass. If everyone thought that their one vote didn't matter Florida would have turned out different. Jesus Christ the Zimbabwe elections wouldn't have been shown to have been such a farce.

I've said before that I vote Greens as my first preference not because I ever expect them to be in power but because I want the two major parties to know that if they want my lone vote than they need to change some of their policies to woo me. And yes, my second preference is chosen for which of the two evils I believe to be the Lesser.

Am I American? No. Do I know the full story? Of course not. Is it my business? Hell yeah! You only have to look at the last two weeks to see the ripples of the US on Oz and that's just the financial market. It gets bandied around enough that people should be more than aware that we are a world community. Very little happens that doesn't affect the rest of the world and for better or worse, the upcoming US Presidential elections is one thing that can really affect us all..

So my poor lazy American friends will get the full screeching treatment in the hope that their one vote, their one voice will make a difference.