This year, there’s an organized way ( www.swapyourvote.org ) to use the Electoral College to serve real democracy while dodging the forever angst of the “lesser evil” nightmare.  

Especially during Florida 2000, Ohio 2004, Wisconsin-Michigan-Pennsylvania 2016, and America 2020, progressive voters have faced the inevitable circular firing squad.

With regular Democrats facing the likes of George W. Bush and Donald Trump, John McCain and Mitt Romney, the idea of “throwing away” a vote on a third party candidate has roused bitter anger.

This year has been no exception.

Without suffering through the polarizing details, I’ve managed to avoid this dilemma by exploiting the insane Electoral College, which should have been abolished a long time ago.

From 2000 to 2016, when I voted in swing state Ohio, I’ve tracked down fellow progressive activists to vote for third party candidates.   

In a gripping, real-life moment, the world watched as a man stood alone, his fatigues worn, his face covered with a keffiyeh, his arm severed. Armed only with a wooden stick, he raised it against a drone hovering above, defiant even in his vulnerability. It wasn’t long before a tank responded, firing a shell to silence him. This was not a Hollywood scene; it was a raw, viral image that exposed the brutal reality of Gaza.

Watching this scene unfold, I thought of the ancient story of David and Goliath, a tale passed down through centuries. In the biblical story, David, a young shepherd, faces a Philistine giant who terrorizes his people. Armed with nothing but a sling and a few stones, David steps forward alone, facing a foe who had crossed battle lines unchallenged for 40 days. But in one brave strike, he overcomes the seemingly invincible Goliath.

Thursday, October 31, 7-11:55pm

1187 W Broad St, Columbus, OH, United States, Ohio 43222

WitchLab is throwing an old school Halloween Party!! Dry Ice, Rubber Spiders, Potion Shots, the whole gig!! We'll also have live music and a costume contest!!!

Music:
Risk Kishk
Anna Rose Flood
Good Reverend (Solo)
Cacklin' Racket

Tickets $10 at the door.

Under the slogan ‘Gaza is Ours, Forever’, a large number of Israeli extremists and right-wing politicians met in the settlement of Be’eri, near the Gaza border region, on October 20-21.

“I’m just a consumer” is a phrase I often heard on shop floors during my youth when I lived in Columbus and other places in the U.S. It’s worth noting managers and department heads shared those feelings.

I admit I can understand why, and there are at least four good reasons for such sentiments.

Spending that Paycheck

First, we buy the merchandise we need in the weekly grocery store with the income from our employment, then run to pay the rent or mortgage, utilities, car payment, and so on. Spending that paychec reinforces that “I’m just a consumer” feeling. Writing these lines, I recall a coworker who often whined aloud how “it feels like I live for my car!” She wasn’t able to save for things she really wanted because the car, house, appliances, and so forth always needed repair and replacing.