In 2034, I thought the choice of “Wisecarver” for the name of the National Security Advisor who is leading humanity to destruction was a nice touch – not his fault if he doesn’t make it all the way!
2034 has been called a wake-up call, and I think for independents, like myself, this has a very particular meaning. Elliot Ackerman and Admiral Stavridis have made the U.S. president the first woman and the first independent (without party affiliation) to be so elected. (She is also said to have, as her first concern, not being seen as “weak”.)
What? Are we to believe that our successful struggles for open primaries and other structural political reforms that empower the voters are not going to stop a nuclear holocaust? (Fifty million or so incinerated is certainly a holocaust, even if it’s not the end of the human race.) Yes, for me, that is precisely the message of 2034.
Structural political reforms are absolutely essential to break the stranglehold of the duopoly on the political process. But to put the Wisecarvers out of business, we must do more. We must fight for these reforms in a way that simultaneously builds a new political culture. The how is even more important that the what. Without a more humane political culture, we will always be threatened with nuclear annihilation.
Lou Hinman lives in New York City and is an activist with IndependentVoting.org and a member of Independent Voting’s Welcome Committee.
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JOIN US TOMORROW
Thursday, August 12th at 2pm ET
For the Politics for the People ZOOM Event
With 2034 Authors Elliot Ackerman
and Admiral James Stavridis
CLICK HERE TO RSVP!
