Who Shall Follow? or What Say Do I Have?

I heard an unconfirmed piece of data that was intriguing and believable nonetheless. Alberta is the world's third longest currently ruling one-party state. This makes some sense. The PC's have ruled since 1971 and I can only think of the communists in Cuba and China that have been in power longer. Perhaps it is right, perhaps it is wrong. What I do know though, is that long rules by one party are not good for democracy no matter who you are.

So here I sit at a cross roads. For $5 I can have more of a say in who will be our next premier than I have had in the last 14 years, and perhaps than I will for the next fourteen years to come. My professional association has encouraged me to get a memborship, pointing out that Ralph Klein needed around 50,000 votes to win the leadership last time, and our membership has 30,000 people. When presented with these facts and thoughts I sat, listened, and thought very uncomfortably.

I can not bring myself to think that I am supporting this oligarchy in anyway. I do not want to put any more money into the juggernauts pockets. I could not face seeing my name on the blue and orange membership card. I would dread opening my mailbox for the next year to see fundraising pamphlets and political appeals. I could not face myself.

And yet...

Here I stand with the greatest opportunity to influence the future of Alberta that I might get to have in the next decade and a half. I don't even know who I would vote for. Although I know who I definitely would not vote for (Mr. Oberg, I'm looking in your direction). I suppose I could do my research. I suppose I could hold my nose and put a mark by the least objectionable name on the ballot. I suppose I could burn my membership the day after the last vote. I suppose I could allow a little piece of me to die within myself for the sake of a tiny piece of the future.

And yet...

I still don't know what I'll do. I'll keep you up to date.