Thanks for the reading time put in. I got to write it at least 8-10 times (before deleting it) so I got better at it as I went on
Solutions. We just hit on the problem. We're all waiting for someone else to solve it for us.
Nobody who would really want to establish themselves in a leadership position and try to really do the right thing for the american people would touch a political job with a 500' pole. You're scrutinized and exposed by weasels. You're picked apart by both friends and competitors. Even if you got in you'd either be killed or you'd become jaded after a while. The fish does rot from the head down but sticking a good head on a rotten fish doesnt work either. Most of histories finest leaders were real scumbags or shifty little weasels at some point in their lives. Many of our past presidents were drug users, alcoholics, womanizers and slave owners. I would hazard that none of our founding fathers could get a job on a city council in todays politics.
This is a trillion dollar business. Unless someone has billions of dollars and a veritable army of supporters, you have very little chance of challenging the current two party system or changing either party or its leadership. What we've earned is a choice between the most "electable" milktoasts available. Or the pretty boys. And between the two parties there is scant difference, really. Go back and look at the differences between the Whigs and the Tories to see the contrast.
In a way, one of these hot button issues cuts into the other. Our founding fathers put specific language into the constitution and the bill of rights to limit government power by not allowing it to maintain a standing army (it really IS there in the constitution), and by allowing the civilian population to bear arms to form a militia to act as an army and to throw the government out if it became overbearing or operated against the better interests of the people.
So much for that safety mechanism.
And it means you have to read beyond "the right to bear arms", to include the fact that that right was to support two functions that simply dont exist anymore. We have a standing army and a national guard that are armed, and by law you cannot challenge the government of the USA without being accused, tried, convicted and executed as treasonous.
But what it really comes down to is something still near and dear to my heart. You put enough marketing, PR craft and money against something, and you can get a majority of the people to agree with it. If they're not smart enough to see past your 'game', they're so damn busy with their own lives to really, honestly, truly understand what they're voting for and what their options are.
I mean, look at where we are now. Arguing over typefaces on a 30 year old document. When have we as a people discussed which one of these sods is the better leader who will fix the bureacracy, get us health care, boost the economy, etc? Do you think we got here because the public has a burning desire to understand the history of Times Roman or which typewriters could do superscripting in the 70's? We got here because its a rat-hole that diverts us away from the real issues of who should be elected, and we have two guys that would rather be lit on fire than have to talk head to head over the real issues.
You want a solution to this? Well here's one. Try and get a bill like this passed.
- Any candidate can run and any candidate that can present more than a few thousand signatures in support gets put on the ballot. Makes me sick that they're excluding Nader, even though he really has no idea as to what he's talking about on 90% of the issues.
- No candidate can run advertisements or appear on television or radio during the course of an election run. They may appear in person as much as they wish, but they appear alone and their transportation will be by commercial jet only.
- No candidate can discuss any aspect of another candidates life other than their differing perspectives on the issues.
- No money may be given, collected or spent on the election process by any candidate, before during or after elections.
- All candidates will document their positions, their beliefs, and their stand on whatever issues they feel are pertinent. These documents will be collected and distributed in book form to the voting population 60 days before the election.
- The media is barred from discussing any of the candidates unless someone claims their positions in the voting 'book' have been misstated or they've been barred from participating unfairly or unlawfully.
- Registration for voting and the voting process will be used for one thing and one thing only: voting. Not for jury duty, census data, etc.
- Voting will be allowed by as many means as possible: internet, email, fax, telephone, in person, etc. Everyone gets to use their social security number or some other unique identifier once to vote by whatever means they're comfortable with.
Hey! Democracy! A middle-class guy from Wichita that really comprehends the issues and has good ideas on what to do with them, who has run a small business and understands the average joe could go toe to toe with a rich guys kid, a rich womans husband...even a popular action movie star! You know, someone who has actually shopped for groceries, gone to a movie theater and had to buy their own health care.
This playing field needs levelling.