#2014Americahasoptions #2016Americahasoptions
First and foremost, I know absolutely nothing about running
for office. So with that declaration,
many of you will want to pull out, and I would understand. Secondly, I am not running for office and
have no intention of running for a public office. But, here is where I am, when I look at
career politicians who have held positions of leadership for over 10, 15, and
in many cases, over 20 years, I have to wonder what has happened to our
electorate? When I look at the fact that
there are two (2) major political parties which are most likely to run our
country for some foreseeable time, while we, as citizens, give no reasonable
support to any other party, then I come to the conclusion, that with my limited
knowledge of running for office, that I must be in the same boat as many of
those who actually vote. I wonder what
is it that we, who do vote, are not seeing, are unwilling to see, that we
continue to keep giving men and women, however great, however effective,
however historical, a proverbial blank check to maintain public offices for an
inordinate amount of time?
“Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it
whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong
remedy.” Ernest Benn [1]
I further wonder, that if we, as a country, have moved forward, why we continue to allow
many of our leaders to comfortably assume leadership roles for an extended
period of time? What does that say about us?
What is it that is so difficult about electing our leaders that we don’t
give others a chance to take us to, shall we say: “infinity and beyond!” [2] Many of you may make this out to be sour
grapes about a given candidate. But you
would be wrong. Good luck with that
because I have a problem with a system of electing our leaders where, that
during the process, we hear the lowest grade of information that denigrates
each candidate , rather than focusing on their actual qualifications. Whether it’s focusing on their personal
lives, or focusing on their ideologies, we rarely hear about how the
candidate(s) will improve our lives.
Instead, we learn that our lives would be better off if we didn’t vote for the other candidate.
Take our politicians: they're a bunch of yo-yos. The
presidency is now a cross between a popularity contest and a high school
debate, with an encyclopedia of cliches the first prize. “ Saul Bellow [3]
Is there a better way for us to select our political
leaders? There probably is, and does not
require that we reinvent the wheel of politics.
If we are going to change how we select our leaders though, we are going
to have to look outside of the major parties who continue to hold us hostage
through their big bank-rolled advertising, and policies that divide us, suppress
us, and ignore us. Or, maybe I am the
only one with this misguided perception.
Well in case I am not, let me share some thoughts on the following:
ü
Public
Office-Often referred to as a public trust, I would like to thank that it
takes a great person to run for public office.
Many of the men and women who take the time to put their personal lives
on hold, while serving the interests of the public is indeed, a noble act. However, when many of our leaders’ personal
lives is their public lives, or vice versa, there has to be a problem. There has to be a problem when someone holds an office for 10, 15, or 20 years,
especially the same office, to me, there is something wrong with either us, or
the system. Can you blame a politician
who runs 3 or 4 terms, unopposed? Can
you blame a politician who jumps from one political position to another, and
then is voted for? Can you blame a
politician who jumps back and forth from one party to the other? Many of us believe that we are doing justice
by continuing to put the same names in leadership roles, while ignoring not
only new candidates, but new ideas. This
is a true form of injustice to not only our democracy, but to those who want to
contribute.
ü
Political
Parties-Our two major parties, Republicans and Democrats, God bless them,
demonstrated in the 112th Congress their awesome power. During the final hours of resolving the
so-called Fiscal Cliff 2012, they ended their session without providing for
Disaster Aid to the citizens of the East coast affected by Super Storm
Sandy. It was the highest level of
disrespect to not only those citizens who had lost their homes, businesses,
livelihoods, but also their family members.
What we have seen throughout the
years, regardless of the party affiliation, is a country that is used for
political gain by those who dictate our worth as citizens. We are dictated to on
healthcare, wages, taxes, business regulations, ethics, morality and whatever
else their powers permit, all to the exclusion of the very same leaders who
make these powerful decisions. Their
political authority is second to their political affiliations, and well behind
either of these, is the welfare of the American people. Two parties control America America
can do better because, #America
ü
Political
Candidates-The men and women who run for political office are to be
commended. There is no doubt in my mind,
that they are holding their breaths while they bear their souls, theoretically,
for the intent to make their communities and this country better. But what we ultimately see are men and women
who transform from well-intended public servants, to robots, or puppets, or nothing
close to the person that ran for the intended office. In Louisiana America
“Politics is the gentle art of getting votes from the
poor and campaign funds from the rich, by promising to protect each from the
other.”
Oscar Ameringer [8]
Oscar Ameringer [8]
ü
Political
Ideologies-here are some notes that I put together regarding Political
Ideology(ies). The first set of notes
are from the website of the Department of Behavioral Social Sciences at the University of Maryland
1.
A Working
definition of ideology: An ideology is a more or less coherent set of ideas
that provides the basis for organized political action, whether this is
intended to preserve, modify or overthrow the existing power. All ideology therefore:
§
Offer an
account of the existing order usually in the form of a “world view”
§
Advance a
model of a desired future, a vision of the “good society”, and
§
Explain
how political change can and should be brought about to get from (a) to (b).
2.
The Evolution
of the Concept of Ideology:
§
Marx used
the term in the title of his work (Karl Marx-1818-1883) German Revolutionary,
Sociologist, Historian and Political Economist
§
The Ideas
of the Ruling Class are every epoch the ruling material force of society is at
the same time the ruling intellectual force.
§
The class
which has the material production at its disposal, has control at the same time
over the means of mental production, so that thereby, generally speaking, the
ideas of those who lack the means of mental production are subject to it
3.
Adam Smith
(1723-1790) Scottish Social Philosopher and Political Economist
§
In an
Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776), Smith
argues that an individual pursuing his own self-interest tends to also promote
the good of his community as a whole, through a principle called the “Invisible
Hand”.
4.
Ideology
after Marxism
§
Vladimir
Ilyich Lenin, (1870-1924)
·
And (for) most
twentieth-century Marxists, ideology referred to the distinctive ideas of a
particular social class, ideas that advance its interests regardless of it
class position.
5.
Conclusion-
o To study “ideologies” is to be concerned
with analyzing the content of political thought, to be interested in the ideas,
doctrines and theories that have been advanced by and within the various
ideological traditions
o Learning the general tenets of ideologies
can be a good starting point in understanding “ideologies” but to make progress
in this endeavor we need to get acquainted with the ideas of their central
intellectual figures.
6.
Additional
Notes on Political Ideology:
·
From:
INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES, http://academic.regis.edu/jriley/introide.htm
Dr. Jim L. Riley, Regis University Denver, CO © 1990 [9]
·
(1) Rule
by the Few - aristocracy /oligarchy
(2) Rule by the Many - polity/democracy
(3) Rule by One - monarchy/tyranny.
(2) Rule by the Many - polity/democracy
(3) Rule by One - monarchy/tyranny.
·
The
characteristics of political ideologies may be summarized by noting their
following traits. They are:
1.
a coherent
set of views on politics
2.
produced by
intellectual elites
3.
dissemination
among the mass population
4.
subject to
alteration
5.
susceptible
to distortion and oversimplification
6.
powerful
motivators of human behavior
7. manipulated by political movement leaders
ü
Political
Campaigns-In this segment, I try to focus on what has become of our
American Democracy. When it comes to
political campaigns, I am offended that those who run for political office,
through their managers, their agents, or PR people have come to present to us,
not a candidate that we should vote for, but the other candidate who is best to
vote against. If I am naïve in my
perspective of politics, I don’t think I am alone. Mudslinging has gone from whom to vote for,
based on their ability to affect change, to focusing more their opponents
regarding who has slept with whom, who they hung out with in school, what their
pastors preach in their churches, and what someone may have done in college
that plays no role or influence in the current election. Maybe, I am too out of touch, but campaigns
have taken a nose-dive in terms of class and respect for those whose votes
candidates are seeking.
From NPR’s website, their article,
Truth by Repetition-The Evolution of Political Mud Slinging, here is what we
learned:
The following is a snapshot of
the exchange between Michael Rejebian and Alan Huffman are former investigative
reporters and their interview with Jacki Lyden, host of weekends’ All Things
Considered (www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered):
There's always name-calling in national elections, but now there are more
ways to get the message out, says political opposition researcher Michael
Rejebian. During the past election, he says, the dirt was just flying more
often.
Rejebian and Alan Huffman — both former investigative reporters — dig up
background on their clients' opponents. While their currency is facts, many of
the political attacks this election cycle were doling out something different.
"A lot of the attacks were fact-based, but I feel like facts are more
often a supporting actor, if they appear at all," Huffman tells Jacki
Lyden, host of weekends on All Things Considered. "And what
really resonates on the Internet or in an ad is more important than whether or
not they're factually based."
"I think it is going to be more difficult to sort of wedge the truth,
based on documentation, into the campaign when you've got huge amounts of money
that can just sort of create truth by repetition," Huffman says. "So,
in a sense ... it's just about the evolution of opposition research, and it's
really not clear yet where it's going.” http://www.npr.org/2012/12/29/168266162/truth-by-repetition-the-evolution-of-political-mud-slinging?ft=1&f=1014
The above snapshot, such that it
is, seems indicative of the atmosphere of political campaigning in America
IT’S NOT FAIR!
It is not fair to us as voters, or
citizens, that our perspective leaders are judged by a criteria that forces us
to look more at our candidates negatively, without a focus on issues that could
move our communities forward. But, that
is where we have come as a nation, and we deserve better. We should not have to focus on who they slept
with, or their religious views, or if they are a Christian verses Atheist, or
Muslim, or Buddhist. We should not have
to focus on their sexual orientation, their education from a community college
or an elite university. For if those are
the things that are determining our communities moving forward, then, a lot of
communities are suffering. We need to change
our view, if not our perspective of leadership.
ü
Political
Support-I for one, don’t recall ever sending money to someone running for
office. Why? Scared, that’s why? Of what?
Of being outted because I supported a candidate that I believed in. I was afraid of the negative backlash that
campaigns promulgate against political contributors, who regardless of the
amount, are made out to be almost criminally, or negatively associated with a
candidate that I would support. But that
is about to change, for me at least.
That doesn’t mean that because I
am going to start giving my few pennies to a select few candidates that
everyone should do it. But it is worth
considering. Why? For those who decide to run, and who espouse
my views and believe in the values that I hold dear, I think it would be great
to make a contribution to their campaign.
What would I expect in return?
Well, I would expect that they would respond to my calls when I call
them, or emails. I would expect that my
ideas for change would be brought to the floor for a vote, and that they would
fight hard for what I believe in. Just
to see that happen would be great. To me
it would be democracy in action.
If I didn’t contribute to their
campaign, or contributed to their opponents, I would expect the same thing, but
would know that the odds are not necessarily in my favor. But I would still push for my ideas to get
noticed, and see how that candidate would work to get not only my vote, but
perhaps, a contribution as well the next time they run for office.
Let’s be clear, we aren’t talking
bribery, or unethical behavior here. We
are following the laws of the land, and working to get our ideas from
conception to reality as it relates to our communities, and our quality of
life. So, by making a contribution to a
candidate, we are saying that we believe enough in the system that we are
willing to invest in someone whom we believe shares our values and
beliefs. Otherwise, we can continue to
sit idly by, hoping that just our votes, or lack of voting, will bring us the
same desired outcome.
For those who run for office, many
may have greater ideas than they do money, but they represent the best of our
communities who are willing to put their personal lives on the side in order to
get things done, not only for their families, but ours as well. Let us consider contributing to a few
campaigns and see how our investment in the process and a candidate or
candidates of our choice, works for us.
“Those
who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those
who are dumber.” Plato [11]
ü
Party
Shopping-3rd and/or 4th Party Options- There will always be Democrats and
Republicans. The Democrat Party goes
back to the 1930’s http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Party_(United_States),
and the Republican Party http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_(United_States)
goes back to the 1800’s as an anti-slavery political group. But as with most everything, change is
eminent, and change, not to be confused with President Obama’s “Change”
(Presidential Campaign slogan 2008), is necessary to bring about an improved
quality of life. With all due respect to
those who hold and have held positions of leadership throughout the years, it’s
time for a change. That change becomes
obvious when the Democrats and Republicans can demonstrate so high a disregard
for American citizens in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina, where citizens were left
on roof tops, in the Super Dome and in the New Orleans Convention
Center
That change is still eminent when citizens of
Hurricane Sandy have to be put on hold in 2012 because Congress has other
obligations, and those obligations are not that other citizens similarly subjected,
but perhaps more pressing and personal obligations. Regardless of the party in control, the point
remains that we have a Congress that believes citizens, regardless of their
ethic background, their religion, their sexual preference, or their income, or
whatever other condition(s) there maybe, citizens can wait for Congress, and to
me, there is something that is wrong with that mindset. To me, it’s time to go Party Shopping. Let us shop not only for a 3rd Political Party, but a 4th
party. Let us shop for a 5th
and a 6th party. But whatever
we do, let us no longer be satisfied that the political parties that currently
occupy the seats of Congress, have a guaranteed and unfettered access to the elected
seats of Congress. How can this be
achieved?
The answer to a change in America ’s future could possibly be found in America America United
States
1. The
Fiscal Cliff of 2012[14],
and
2. The
Debt Ceiling of 2013[15].
FINAL CONCLUSION-There
is no real conclusion when we talk about running for office, except to say that
those who run for office are truly special people, from the start. How they finish is up to us, as voters. It is up to us as citizens, to stop creating
the super-powerful, the career-oriented politician, and/or, the totally
disconnected elected representative who, once they have tasted political power,
exempts themselves from the very laws that they pass on to the very people who
elected them. It is up to us, should we
decide to accept so challenging a task, to remind our political leaders that
they are not delegated to relegate us as citizens to their whims in the form of
Fiscal Cliffs, shutting down government at will, walking out on those in need
of disaster assistance, or running for office until they decide they want to spend more time with their
families. It should be our choice, and
we should not be limited to Republicans and Democrats, the good-cop-bad-cop
politicians of Capital Hill. We deserve
better as Americans, and unless we take that step beyond the norm, we can
expect to continue to be disregarded, denied, and suppressed when we disagree
with their various and sundry agendas.
It is America America America
Disclaimer: Your political leader maybe the exception
rather than the rule; your political party may also be the exception rather
than the rule with respect to how they communicate with you and/or for you on
matters of importance to your community.
But on the whole, as a country, the divisiveness and the failure to
focus on what is in the best interest of moving America
[1] http://www.great-quotes.com/Famous_Political_Quotes.htm
[2]
“…infinity and beyond!” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buzz_Lightyear,
Buzz Lightyear is a fictional
character in the Toy Story franchise. Buzz is a space
ranger hero according to the movies and action figure in the Toy Story
series.
[3] http://www.great-quotes.com/Famous_Political_Quotes.htm
[4] http://www.dailyjournal.net/view/story/06887679bdb54905a1b7d3e54fd84583/US--Jindal-Public-Records/
[5] http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/05/read_the_text_of_mayor_mitch_l.html
[6] http://articles.latimes.com/2007/apr/29/nation/na-march29
[7] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/14/obama-gun-control_n_2471698.html
[8] http://www.great-quotes.com/Famous_Political_Quotes.htm
[9] : INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES, http://academic.regis.edu/jriley/introide.htmDr.
Jim L. Riley, Regis University Denver
[10] http://www.basicjokes.com/dquotes.php?cid=7
[11] http://thinkexist.com/quotes/plato/
[12] http://www.nationalcenter.org/ContractwithAmerica.html
[13] http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/09/newt-gingrichs-new-contract-with-america/
[15] http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/15/us/politics/obama-to-press-house-gop-on-debt-limit.html?_r=0
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