Politics is such strange game, isn’t it? I don’t mean the branches of government and the stuff we watch on C-SPAN (am I the only one?), we know how that all works and there’s not a whole hell of a lot we can really do about it. The progressive resistance liberal types usually beg to differ on that point. They’re just full of answers, and it’s usually some combination of the following:

⁃ Making performative and divisive posts on Facebook!

⁃ Directing us towards the Democratic Party’s vast network of non-profits and straight up front groups!

⁃ Telling us that if we want change then we’ll have to change the party from within!

⁃ And of course, we can’t forget to vote. It’s our moral imperative. It’s literally the reason for all that is bad and the only path towards meaningful change…so just vote already, damn it!

This isn’t to say that we shouldn’t use social media platforms to articulate our ideas for and visions of the future. Of course we should, but that isn’t what happens. 9 Times out of 10 we just alienate one another with our bullshit hot takes, refusal to budge, and disingenuous performative wokeness. We’re jockeying to have the best take, rather than diligently education and engaging with one another. We all know people that are like this.

Grassroots non-profit work isn’t necessarily a waste of time but it often becomes little more than a mirage of false access to the politicos we seek to rub elbows with on our own path towards political relevance and legitimacy. They claim they just want a seat at the table and convince themselves that they’re gonna get it! What’s more likely is being served up as the main course at $3500 a plate fundraiser.

Obviously, we all realize the futility in trying to change a monolithic institution like the Democratic Party, from within, from without, or otherwise. It would have happened already. Yet here we are trying the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. There’s a word for that.

While I won’t tell anyone to refrain from voting, we should absolutely be questioning how voting is framed to us. We have so few choices in that realm. Some things will change but much of it stays the same, that’s just how this whole thing is designed. One step forward, if we’re lucky, and many numerous steps back. Voting might weaken and eventually outright defeat Trump and the GOP but we’re only treating the symptoms rather than working to eradicate the disease. If there’s a cure, it’s being sat on and guarded like a pharmaceutical executive would, as the only people who would benefit are those who need it the most.

This brings me to my conclusion: The only way to win is to not play the game. At least not the game as it currently stands and certainly not by the set rules being prescribed to us. It’s going to have to be something much different and since I’m a bit of a pessimist when it comes to these things, it’s probably a long way off.

Until that day comes….

How about a nice game of chess?