Friday, August 29, 2008

Flipping a coin

I think I may have found one article that does a good job of expressing my ambivalence over the upcoming election. Here's a a paragraph that resonates:
The most exhaustive examination of the McCain and Obama budget proposals I've found comes from the Tax Policy Center, sponsored jointly by the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institution. It's discouraging reading. Though details differ, neither plan would realistically limit spending or eliminate deficits. This is especially true when the Obama and McCain health proposals are considered. Both would cost far more than $1 trillion over a decade, says the Tax Policy Center.
The article is 2 pages. The above quote is on the 2nd page.

Up to this point, I've been leaning towards McCain in the vain hope that the opposition would result in less that the government did. Obama seems to be trying to advertise that he'll unite the government. I don't want that. I want the government to be divided and fighting each other. That way, they tend to not have enough time to focus on fighting me. A united government strikes me as a horrific affront to individual freedom. Now, re-read the last sentence of my quote. It means that the opposition that McCain and Obama have is over small trivial things. They agree, quite strongly, on a whole bunch of ways that they're going to spend other people's money. On a whole bunch of ways in which they're going to interpose the government into individual choices. Aw, crap.

Then I am reminded by Greg Boyd of what's important:
But its precisely at this point that I have to remind myself that I am a citizen of a different empire and am not to get overly invested in civilian affairs. I have to therefore regard Obama’s call to embrace the audacity of this political hope as a temptation... Whatever good Obama, McCain or any other politician may or may not be able to accomplish, the ultimate hope and allegiance of all Kingdom citizens must remain in Jesus Christ and in the mustard seed Kingdom he established.
Me. Busted.

It's easy to hope that if we change our government and get something in place that is less invasive in individual lives, that life will get better for all. And I think that's true. But that's not the world we live in. The only hope we have for elminating the desire of humans to rule over each other is to set Jesus as the leader. We *all* follow. He leads. He is the ultimate omniscient and benevolant dictator. He is the one that *can* solve Hayek's knowledge problem. And He's incorruptible.

Until He comes, every other person who would preside, rule, lord, dictate or otherwise command others can really only accomplish one thing: make things worse.

I might as well flip a coin. Last time I convinced my wife to vote Republican, maybe I should return the favor.

UPDATE: Jimazing pointed me to this very entertaining interaction that Don Miller had with Barack & Michelle Obama.

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