Changing Politics - February 8, 2009
I have often toyed around with the idea that someday perhaps I would get involved in politics. You see, I’ve always thought that I had valuable insights about society, and creative ideas about how to improve things. I have always been able to imagine myself sitting down with various leaders to help broker deals. This has never been a hunger for power, but rather a deep desire to find solutions.
I don’t believe that poverty has to exist. I don’t believe that war is inevitable. I don’t believe that greed is human nature. What I believe is that we have created these things over the years and taught ourselves to accept them as standard procedure for world society.
Logically, my feeling is that we need a new vein of leadership to emerge in this country and in this world that shares my views on these fundamental concepts. That’s pretty natural – we would all probably want leaders that actually represented our beliefs. But here’s the thing: I don’t see many out there. There is an obvious shortage of responsible leadership. So, what to do?
Today I watched Meet the Press. During a facilitated debate between two democratic and two republican congress members, the conversation turned to corruption. One commented on how the American people were right to be cynical about politicians because they saw the evidence of rampant corruption everywhere. He even went so far as to comment on how amazed he personally was that so many relatives of Congressional leaders were actually working as paid lobbyists. He said this whole system needed to change. Keep in mind that this is a United States Senator saying these things. He makes the rules! He can change them quite easily. Another member of the panel chimed in to indicate that both parties were guilty of this corrupt behavior. But here’s the most amazing part: when the facilitator prodded one of them to suggest how this would actually change, one responded quite nonchalantly that it would change when the voters began to hold them more accountable. Did you get that? He said, on Meet the Press, today, that Congress will stop being corrupt when we, the voters decide to stop them. I was blown away by the arrogance of this statement. I’m still blown away by it two hours later. Who the hell do these people think they are?
It is because of statements like this congressman’s this morning that our country is in very precarious waters. That idea, that they won’t do anything until we make them, has permeated throughout the entire governmental apparatus. They won’t build bridges until they almost fall down. They won’t shift to alternative energy until the planet is actually so polluted it is no longer safe for life. They won’t change the healthcare system to make it affordable for all. They won’t provide accurate information about health and wellness, but rather just promote drugs and surgery while the problem gets worse and worse. They won’t stop the wars, the greed, the corruption, the poverty. In fact, they enact policies to systematically encourage more of these very things!
Yes, it is no wonder that we don’t trust the majority of our “leaders.” They haven’t given us much to trust, at least not in my lifetime.
So, I have to say that I heard the message today loud and clear. If we want to actually solve anything, we’re going to have to do it ourselves, because they aren’t going to do it unless we make them. I gladly accept that mission and encourage you to accept it as well. We need to form citizen committees to independently oversee the job performance of our congressional leaders. We need to have substantial cooperation from the media in reporting the findings of these committees. And we need the ability to recall any politician that fails to act ethically. We need politicians that are more than just partisan ideologues. We need politicians that are service minded rather than career motivated. We need politicians that aren’t trying to get elected, but that get elected because they are doing what is right. We don’t need more posturing. We don’t need more corruption. We don’t need more cowardice. Things need to change on a fundamental level, and that is going to require us to ask some difficult questions about the very fabric of our society. That is going to require an immense amount of honesty and character from our leaders. So, let’s start identifying some people who can bring these traits and more to the table, because there’s a lot of work to do and big challenges ahead, and the longer we wait, I’m afraid the harder and harder this is going to get.
Here’s to an Always Improving World!
I don’t believe that poverty has to exist. I don’t believe that war is inevitable. I don’t believe that greed is human nature. What I believe is that we have created these things over the years and taught ourselves to accept them as standard procedure for world society.
Logically, my feeling is that we need a new vein of leadership to emerge in this country and in this world that shares my views on these fundamental concepts. That’s pretty natural – we would all probably want leaders that actually represented our beliefs. But here’s the thing: I don’t see many out there. There is an obvious shortage of responsible leadership. So, what to do?
Today I watched Meet the Press. During a facilitated debate between two democratic and two republican congress members, the conversation turned to corruption. One commented on how the American people were right to be cynical about politicians because they saw the evidence of rampant corruption everywhere. He even went so far as to comment on how amazed he personally was that so many relatives of Congressional leaders were actually working as paid lobbyists. He said this whole system needed to change. Keep in mind that this is a United States Senator saying these things. He makes the rules! He can change them quite easily. Another member of the panel chimed in to indicate that both parties were guilty of this corrupt behavior. But here’s the most amazing part: when the facilitator prodded one of them to suggest how this would actually change, one responded quite nonchalantly that it would change when the voters began to hold them more accountable. Did you get that? He said, on Meet the Press, today, that Congress will stop being corrupt when we, the voters decide to stop them. I was blown away by the arrogance of this statement. I’m still blown away by it two hours later. Who the hell do these people think they are?
It is because of statements like this congressman’s this morning that our country is in very precarious waters. That idea, that they won’t do anything until we make them, has permeated throughout the entire governmental apparatus. They won’t build bridges until they almost fall down. They won’t shift to alternative energy until the planet is actually so polluted it is no longer safe for life. They won’t change the healthcare system to make it affordable for all. They won’t provide accurate information about health and wellness, but rather just promote drugs and surgery while the problem gets worse and worse. They won’t stop the wars, the greed, the corruption, the poverty. In fact, they enact policies to systematically encourage more of these very things!
Yes, it is no wonder that we don’t trust the majority of our “leaders.” They haven’t given us much to trust, at least not in my lifetime.
So, I have to say that I heard the message today loud and clear. If we want to actually solve anything, we’re going to have to do it ourselves, because they aren’t going to do it unless we make them. I gladly accept that mission and encourage you to accept it as well. We need to form citizen committees to independently oversee the job performance of our congressional leaders. We need to have substantial cooperation from the media in reporting the findings of these committees. And we need the ability to recall any politician that fails to act ethically. We need politicians that are more than just partisan ideologues. We need politicians that are service minded rather than career motivated. We need politicians that aren’t trying to get elected, but that get elected because they are doing what is right. We don’t need more posturing. We don’t need more corruption. We don’t need more cowardice. Things need to change on a fundamental level, and that is going to require us to ask some difficult questions about the very fabric of our society. That is going to require an immense amount of honesty and character from our leaders. So, let’s start identifying some people who can bring these traits and more to the table, because there’s a lot of work to do and big challenges ahead, and the longer we wait, I’m afraid the harder and harder this is going to get.
Here’s to an Always Improving World!