voting and democracy

Remember when Iraqi's went to the polls and everyone in the White House touted it as a victory? One of the many victories we scored in Iraq. One of the many missions accomplished. But as today's vote in Zimbabwe clearly demonstrates, voting does not equal democracy. You can vote all you want and dip your finger in whatever color dye you prefer but it won't do you no good.

I mention Zimbabwe because it is easier for Americans to relate to than Iraq. On Iraq, opinions are divided, and some people are effectively blocked from seeing the truth. Maybe they are Republican and so they need to toe the party line. Or maybe their friends or relatives are in Iraq putting their lives on the lines. When things like that happen you have little choice but to see progress. Not seeing progress must feel like betraying your loved ones. And we all know how easy it is to influence the human mind. People see what they want to see, or in some cases, what they are told to see.

But the purple-tipped Iraqi finger so proudly displayed, and so widely advertised in the US media, is no more free than the red-tipped Zimbabwan finger illustrated on the BBC's front page today. Voting is one thing, but if nobody cares about your vote, or acts on it, what good does it do you?

Much the same problem happens with free speech. Sure, you are welcome to express your opinion. You can say what you want without fear of prosecution or imprisonment. But if nobody listens, what good does it do you? If a few people control all the media and effectively shut you out from access. Like the red finger of Zimbabwe or the purple finger of Iraq, your voice is meaningless.

It is something big corporations, greedy bosses, and their government minions have figured out long ago. Whoever controls the media, controls the news. And with the news comes public opinion. Better let you waste your breath without anybody hearing you, than make a martyr out of you by arresting you and throwing you in prison. Because, unlike your cries, your arrest would most certainly attract attention.

So it is one thing for Bill Maher to say he is happy that he lives in a country where he can open his mouth without getting arrested, but the reality is quite different. Bill no longer has mass media access. His ideas were not appreciated and he was summarily shut down. Now he has to make do with the much smaller audience on cable TV. So Bill, better watch out what you say next. It is still a long way down.