This has easily been the most important election cycle in American History. Aside from the obvious aspects. a man of African descent being nominated by a major party, Hillary Clinton's historic run for nomination and the nomination of Sarah Palin as Vice president for the Republican party. But the players aside... when we look at the climate of the world we are living in. the country faces financial meltdown which threatens the world economy. Russian reemerging as a world power and flexing their military muscle. China China abandoning their traditional role as a regional power and stepping hard on to the role of global power broker, With Unemployment at an all time high (Keep in mind that the unemployment index is assessed by how many folks are receiving unemployment it doesn't include how many people have exhausted Unemployment and are just out of work). Small business is reeling. Consumer confidence is LOW. Even in the entertainment industry cut backs are insane! Record sales are slumping dramatically, tours are drying up. 
Only upside to this situation is that the people making music at this point damn sure aint making it cause they wanna get rich quick. They're making it because they must sincerely love making music. 
With so much going on this political process has engaged the full attention of the entire world. When I speak as a social pundit for the BBC's "World have your say" program. I am astonished at how aware the citizens of the world are about American politics. I am often left with this sense.  that although people may not blame Americans as individuals for the international policies of the president, they do blame and hold us in low regard for our APATHETIC IGNORANCE and INACTION in the Democratic processes. This process we sacrifice our youth to war for. this democracy that we bomb the homes of Iraqi mothers for, turning sons and daughters to orphans adopted by the sort of vengeance that breeds terror. This process that has been disguised as a righteous cause, but in truth is a Wolf named imperialism hiding in a sheep clothing called democracy, I am speaking about a process that my people have been enslaved to establish, segregated to be excluded from. and used by others so they might be included in. This is the democracy that we so cavalierly promote and cram down the throats of people on an international level while we callously ignore the duty that is part and parcel to this process.
The duty I am speaking about is VOTING.
ask yourself have you REGISTERED TO VOTE?
 
I have.. with my son for the first time ...  (see here  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDeqp4WyPM8 ) Share this video with friends and blogs .. get the word out about getting involved. Apathy and Ignorance are evil.