[1088] in Discussion of MIT-community interests
Re: So That's Your Price?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Juan Carlos Alicea)
Wed Mar 13 08:05:03 2002
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Message-ID: <Pine.GSO.4.30L.0203130750570.2335-100000@magic-pi-ball.mit.edu>
Date: Wed, 13 Mar 2002 08:03:14 -0500
From: Juan Carlos Alicea <jcalicea@MIT.EDU>
To: MIT-Talk@MIT.EDU
In-Reply-To: <5.0.2.1.2.20020313022244.022e26a0@hesiod>
Democratic systems are based on people voting in their own best interest.
Being that I wouldn't have voted anyway, this is as close as I get.
Someone has to be President and I don't really care who it is. Who is the
President now? Beats me. Things will run just fine. Maybe we'll have a
few more of these system-buckling "scandals" to liven up our MIT lives.
>At least those of you who are apathetic enough to throw a vote like that
> can consider the rest of the students in this school
Hey, I'm not voting for the rest of MIT. If the rest of MIT has a
problem, then vote for someone else. That's democracy after all. Give me
my ten dollars and let me enjoy the show as two guys frustrate an entire
system. Am I apathetic. Yes. That says the UA has not done anything I
can consider important during my first year at MIT. Don't bother to
criticize me. I am the voter; if I'm apathetic, that's what the UA
officers get. It is not my responsibility to consider the rest of the
students. It is my responsibility to consider my interests. And if all I
want is $10, all I'll vote for is $10. And maybe I'll get a President who
has the guts and ingenuity to do things I care about, despite the system.
----------
Juan Carlos Alicea
On Wed, 13 Mar 2002, Kelly Zimmerman wrote:
> I'm so impressed, Rhett, that you want to be the president so badly that
> you're willing to spend other people's money on bribing the population to
> vote for you.
>
> And I'm so impressed by all of you that can be bought for $10-- Mazel tov
> on that refund you expect to get from the $37,000 a year you pay to attend
> this school. You realize that what a decent president could do with that
> money is probably worth a whole lot more to you than $10? There are so many
> things you don't even know about that the UA can do to improve the school
> that you pay so much money to attend, yet rather than receive the benefits
> graciously (and ignorantly apathetically, as most of you will), you'd
> prefer to receive $10 in hand. Or, if you're easily manipulated, you'll
> vote for him to donate $10 to charity because your self righteousness, or
> misguided conscience will be appeased. Well done on the instant
> gratification, too. I thought toddlers already knew how to look past the
> small immediate rewards to look at the big picture.
>
> Do those of you that vote in the election know about the position? Do you
> know what a person in that position can do? Do you know what they have done?
>
> Why does he see it fit to give MY money and YOUR money to people who are so
> apathetic about what the student government does that they can be bought
> for $10? So that's your price?
>
> At least those of you who are apathetic enough to throw a vote like that
> can consider the rest of the students in this school (yes, there are
> others) who actually would like to reap the benefits of a strong president?
> Great, so you use evidence that so few people vote-- but it's not always
> because they don't care! At least those people who don't vote have the
> decency to stay out of meddling in business they know little to nothing about.
>
> OK, for all I know, Rhett could be a strong president... But what's he
> planning on doing in office? Does ANYONE know?? How about those of you that
> voted-- do you have ANY idea? Or were you blinded by the dollar sign?
>
> You say the UA hasn't done anything for you, and you complain (as in
> Rhett's initial e-mail) when the UA spends money on visibility to increase
> student awareness.
>
> I could go on, and maybe I will later, but for now, I need sleep.
> Cheers,
> Kelly ;)
>
>
>
> Kelly N. Zimmerman
> knz@mit.edu
> (617) 225-7315
> http://web.mit.edu/knz/www/
> ***
> 362 Memorial Dr.
> Cambridge, MA 02139
>
>
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