One of the things I've been told, time and time again, is that in politics, one must be Realistic.

After all, there are millions of people who all want different things, and getting them to agree on anything is absolutely crazy. Therefore, we have to understand that politics is the science of the possible, and refusal to accept what is in front of our faces is tantamount to childish screaming.

So, let's be Realistic.

Healthcare will continue to increase in price and people will continue to die because of it. No amount of talk will change that. While it may be a nice dream to think of a Health Service that exists to help its citizens, we must be realistic and understand that if a service provides a benefit, then people will abuse it. That is why services like the police, military and intelligence agencies are funded. They provide NO benefit to the people whatsoever, and thus cannot possibly be abused by the common person. As a matter of fact, if you are to have any benefit from these services whatsoever, you will be required to actually put in a great deal of time and effort hobnobbing with the rich and powerful to show that you deserve the benefit of those services.

Don't we require that people show they are worthy before being given starvation level doles and food? We already require that people prove that they are in dire need before they are given any healthcare at all, and sometimes even that isn't enough to show worthiness. We must be realistic and understand that some people are just not deserving of help, because it is a waste of resources and merely increases the surplus population.

It is incredibly unrealistic to expect a politician to listen to your personal concerns. While it might be nice to have somebody who cares about your particular fetishes, it is not the duty of the government to cater to them. All your screaming about "Discrimination" is in fact a complete cover for your demands that you be taken care of. In essence, taking the time to ensure that everyone is treated equally is a use of resources that can be better spent improving the lives of those who have invested the most in the system. If you're a subculture who actively rejects norms, why should those who embrace and benefit from those norms seek to undermine their own position for yours?

Demanding that ballots be hand counted is totally unrealistic. Are you going to count them all? Are you personally going to pay people to count? All of that costs money, and it's far easier to pay for a few computers that make far fewer mistakes. Claims of hacking, etc, are just a smokescreen for the fact that the lazy plebs can no longer stuff ballot boxes with dead people, instead of taking the time and effort to build bridges and cater to those who are proven to invest in the system. Besides, it's been proven that nobody can possibly hack an election. We have people that make sure of that, and if they can't stop a few people with computers, rest assured that NOBODY on this planet can, and the only solution is to of course bomb the people with computers who made our computers not work right.

A woman's right to not have a baby is of course not a realistic litmus test. I'm certain that there are millions of good, god-fearing, reasonable Centrists who feel that if a woman has unprotected sex she should be forced to deal with the consequences through pregnancy and public shaming. That should of course, send a good, strong message to the younger generation about responsible behavior. And the children from those liasons of course will be good customers/employees for the MIC if they can stay out of trouble, or the PIC if they can't. Making abortion the hill to die on will ensure we miss out on these valuable opportunities.

It's unrealistic to not want war. War has always been with us and always will be with us. If you want peace you must prepare for war, as the Romans knew quite well. Considering how much war we prepare for, the golden age of peace and democracy is surely just around the corner, and all humanity will bow down in a glorious age of good. Of course the corporations of America that make their living off of war tools will of course lay down their war making tools as soon as that happens. A few billion dollars in sales will be of no consequence to these paragons of human decency and righteousness.

It's unrealistic to want a third party. It ain't gonna happen. I mean, feel free, but remember that if you leave the Democratic party, your votes still belong to the Democratic party. Any deviation from the 2 party system means you're supporting the OTHER guy, and therefore anything that he does is your fault. Even if you hate him. Even if you spoke eloquently against him. Even if the Democratic Party candidate represented exactly zero of your views. Still your Fault. That's Realistic.

(And people wonder why I like Fantasy and SF so much...)

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9C1RCIebYs]