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[embersandashes]

I have never voted in or donated to a political election, and I never plan to-- democracy is ridiculous, and I refuse to take part in it. But for some reason, American political parties keep sending me fundraising emails.

Is this how you get your votes? By harassing people into giving them?

Comments

[powerofpink]

It really is ridiculous. I'm getting them too, and I'm not even on Earth anymore.

[embersandashes]

Do you have an Earth email address?

[powerofpink]

I think I might have linked my Terra Venture email address and forgot about it after deleting my Earth account.

[embersandashes]

I'm not sure how they got their hands on mine.

[powerofpink]

You might have to use that one as a junk account and keep more secret one.

[embersandashes]

I'm not going to make another email address.

[powerofpink]

Yeah, it's a pain. I'm not sure how to block it, though.

[embersandashes]

I send them to my spam folder. Eventually, some of them have started going there automatically.

[powerofpink]

That's something, at least.

[embersandashes]

They might leave me alone if I told them I'd like it better if America had a monarchy.

[powerofpink]

I don't know if replying to them works.

[embersandashes]

It doesn't; they're automated. I was just kidding.

[powerofpink]

You never know, depending on worlds. There could be a world that hasn't figured out automated emails yet.

[embersandashes]

But if that were true, replying would work.

[powerofpink]

Always a chance, right?

[embersandashes]

Not in this case.

[powerofpink]

Very true.

[embersandashes]

At least it's only mildly annoying.

[powerofpink]

There are much worse things we could be suffering through.

[embersandashes]

Like viruses. Do you know how long it's been since I was affected by one?

[powerofpink]

Probably about the same for me. It's been a while--not that I'm trying to call on one or anything.

[embersandashes]

How long have you been on the community again?

[powerofpink]

About two years now, give or take some time spent dead. I haven't seen a gap like this between viruses, not this long anyway.

[embersandashes]

The community might have gotten tired of our reactions, and decided it'd rather infect only newer people instead.

[powerofpink]

...That actually makes a lot of sense, and it's scary.

[embersandashes]

Not for us.

[powerofpink]

Well, good point.

[embersandashes]

But if I'm serious-- I'm not sure the community would actually do that. I think it's just coincidence.

[masked_god]

Elections? How...quaint.

[embersandashes]

I think "irresponsible" is a better word.

[masked_god]

There are far worse systems of government. Though it mostly depends on the people, not the system. Still, one would think the homeworld would have advanced a bit beyond outdated ideas of republics.

[embersandashes]

In the case of systems like this, the people play a large part in creating the system. They never do a good job; there's too many of them to.

[masked_god]

Indeed. And they have little incentive to vote well. "Bread and Circuses" after all.

[embersandashes]

I haven't heard that phrase before. What does it mean?

[masked_god]

It means that the populus is easily distracted from politics if you give them entertainment and food. Which means they are remarkably easy to sway. A far off war, a promise of grain...provide that, and you'll have them begging out of your hand.

[embersandashes]

That's true. Most people don't want to think about politics.

[masked_god]

Indeed. Better to save them from the hassle, correct?

[embersandashes]

You might as well. Even in this "democracy", a significant part of the population doesn't vote, even if they can.

[masked_god]

...really? I thought it was a law that everyone must vote?

Or - Damn, which country are you in, again? You're still in that Earth World that hasn't unified yet, right?

[embersandashes]

Not here it isn't.

It's America-- the United States.

[masked_god]

I thought most lived in...Japan, was it?

[embersandashes]

A lot of the people here do, but I don't.

[masked_god]

To be honest, all the countriest seem the same to me.

[embersandashes]

I don't blame you. Did you know there are almost two hundred of them?

[masked_god]

Presumably it all runs off of a central government, though.

[embersandashes]

Not at all. If you count countries that are only semi-independent, there are even more of them.

I can show you an internet link.

[masked_god]

That is ludicrous. How do they get anything done?

[embersandashes]

They don't try to work together. They all govern separately.