Let's Play a Game!

We all love games, right? Whether you're an organized sports fan, a board game geek, a video game crazy, or even if you just love to do a crossword puzzle every once in a while, everybody loves a good game.

But what makes a game good? The game has to be fair. It doesn't matter if it is a game of skill or luck (or both), the game has to have rules in place that make it fair for all players. You have to have some chance at winning.

I wouldn't expect to win a game of Trivial Pursuit against Google.

Politics is a game. The object of the game is to get law makers in play who will create laws you like, and/or get rid of laws you don't. The rules are simple. Just vote for the guy you want to win.

Everybody who plays gets together and votes for law makers. But what about the few who don't want law makers at all? There isn't an option to not have a law maker, so we lose every time. The rules state that you have to pick a law maker. That sounds like a rigged game.

Heads I take 10 dollars out of your wallet, Tails you give me 10 dollars out of your wallet.

Now, you can choose not to play the game of politics (as I have), but that still doesn't change the fact that the players (voters) are constantly playing the game. This is something I normally wouldn't have an issue with. Live and let live. But... the nature of the game that they play is such that it uses force on those who don't participate. 

Think about that...

Imagine getting a phone call from your next door neighbor.

"Hey buddy, the whole neighborhood is coming over and we're about to have a vote between Chris and Ron. Chris wants a 50% share of your car but promises only to use it for charity work, Ron only wants a 20% share of your car to make deliveries for his new business."
"Very funny, Bob. I'm not sharing my car."
"Sorry, but you don't have a choice. Don't worry though, you can come over and vote too. If Ron wins you only have to share 20% of your car..."
"I'm hanging up now, Bob."
<click>

"Pardon my French, but you're an asshole."

Two days later, Chris, the winner of the vote, shows up at your house demanding keys to your car so that he can drive to a homeless shelter to volunteer for the afternoon. He won the vote, and believes that he is now entitled to a 50% share of your car. When you refuse (I know I would), he comes back with cops who now demand you give up the keys, or they will kidnap you at gunpoint, lock you up with murderers and rapists, and give your car to Chris permanently.

Don't try to plea to the neighbors for help either. Chris has made sure that you've already been branded as the evil selfish guy down the street who doesn't care about the homeless.

I won't play the unfair game, because I see it for what it is. I lose no matter the outcome. The day needs to come when more people see it as I do, and stop voting to take away other people's freedoms and property.

That's the way I see it.