Everyone loves the underdog. In fiction. In reality, whether or not people are routing for the underdog, they generally aren’t voting for the underdog. An infographic created by Jasper McChesney reveals that the candidate who spends the most money wins the election 91% of the time.

McChesney looked at 467 elections in 2012 and came to the largely indubitable conclusion that American politics is not about conviction, rationality, worldview, trustworthiness, or any of those other earmarks of a bygone political golden age. It’s about the money. Candidates that spend big money get elected, where they vote according to the interests of big money, by the power of the big money they take from the productive people of this country.

This is not a republican government. (Note the lower-case r.) It’s not a democratic government. (Note the lower-case d.) This is a corporatist oligarchy. A sham. A stage show. This is a government of the money, for the money, by the money. And I wish it would perish from the earth.

But it won’t. Unless its money supply gets cut off. Or the people start voting by principle rather than pragmatism. It boggles me how short-sighted and impractical pragmatism always turns out to be. So, good people and readers, make your choice. You have two options: continued slavery or freedom. Freedom has two choices: either don’t pay your taxes (not a very good idea when done alone) or vote on absolute principles, no matter what the outcome might be (an excellent choice both individually and en masse).

But if you think doing anything else will pull this country out of the cesspool it’s in, you’re naïve. Politics as usual and pragmatic voting and incrementalism have gotten us in this mess. You all know what the definition of insanity is… So listen up, those of you who claim to be pragmatic incremental improvers of the status quo. It’s not working! All your votes are being bought with your own money. Try something else.