Javier Ogaz

I know it sounds a little harsh, but I’ve had to endure the last week of football posts. I was calling them #thecolosseum.

There is no escaping advertisements! I pay for a subscription to Hulu Plus and it is impossible to watch a movie or tv show commercial-free. I’m not sure I understand the point of paying for a subscription if I am forced to watch eight ads during a forty minute show. I hate to complain about something insignificant, but the above message really pissed me off! Hulu is asking me questions to curtail a more personalized “ad experience”. 

The thought of an “ad experience” is quite laughable. I pay Hulu to provide content of my choosing, but still subsidize their service by subjecting myself to their ad campaigns. The worst part about it is there is nothing I can do. They are going to give me ads and I am going to like it! I know that this a first-world problem, but that doesn’t make it any less absurd. 

Political convictions are complex and not always easy to express. They give background and history to the beliefs that guide and influence our political life. We take our beliefs and reconcile them with the choices that are provided to us whenever it is time to vote. In essence, we try to translate the way we see the world into a checked box. 

I’m sure there are arguments, some valid and some not, about the effectiveness of representative democracy. Is it possible to directly affect the policy and decisions being made on behalf of U.S. citizens? We are told that the vote makes this possible. If we trust this system, we should vote our conscious, knowing full well that there are others who disagree with us. Going into this year’s election I want to take a moment to share my general thoughts on some political issues.

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Exactly one year from tonight, I will be anxiously waiting for important news: the United States will have chosen its next President. It’s impossible to guess who that will be; a year is a long time, especially in politics. 

However, I do know a few things. I know that this next year will be consumed by shallow political discourse that does nothing to address the tough issues we face. I know that more money will be spent on this election than any other election in the history of our country. I also know that we will have more of the same.

The last part is the most difficult to accept. If we profess to believe in democracy, and consider it sacred, than why do so many people feel the contract has been broken? A recent poll states 84% of Americans disapprove of Congress.

I’d like to think that things will get better. Over the next year, I’m sure I will have a lot to say about politics. If there is such a thing as an election of a lifetime, this one seems like mine.