An old Army joke goes something like this, 'After weeks in the field, short on supplies, morale at an all-time low, a sergeant approaches his men, "Good news - everyone is finally going to get a change of socks." Even the smallest relief is welcome; the men's spirits begin to rise until the sergeant continues, "Smith you change with Jones; Jackson you change with Berger..."' If you have been paying attention you may have noticed this is just about what we are going to get this election season.
The left has proven, as the right had before them, they cannot bring about substantive change - nor do they seem to want to. The conservatives (what's in a label anyway?) are all fired up about the direction the nation is headed. The liberals think things should be different and are disillusioned as the coronation failed to produce the flowering of a new era. As the confused masses wonder what is happening, the moneyed elite drive swiftly and surely to secure their fortunes. Thoughtful observers stand idly by watching the wanton destruction, while the industrious scramble to loot the wreckage. Will / Can November make a difference?
Some analysts are projecting the Democrats will lose control of the House. Many expect a shift in the Senate but not enough to change the majority. What are we going to get? Nothing but a change of dirty socks.
Our system of government has now assumed diametrically opposed, but ingeniously effective, dual roles: one of benefactor to the masses; the other as enormously enriching money machine for the wealthy elite. The electorate is lulled into complacency through generous and pervasive social welfare networks (social security, Medicare, Medicaid, etc.) causing the individuals to focus on securing the scraps they have come to believe are their entitlement. The real prize, however, goes to the men and women controlling the levers of power: those who put the politicians in office and then act to ensure the house deals a favorable (i.e. enriching) hand.
By allowing money, special interests, and career "public servants" to dominate politics we have brought about a system of skewed, often misguided and ill-conceived results. Our politics and the policies they engender prove expansive and schizophrenic. The decisions made, not deliberately but never-the-less progressively, to abandon self-determined dreams (by building and creating) led us astray. Establishing "finance" (leveraging money) as king, combined with the persistent influence of money on politics, have created an immutable force centralizing power and wealth in hands of the few at the expense of the many.
Politicians with the public interest at heart are perplexed and bewildered. Those clearly devoted to other causes maneuver within the system with impunity. We end up addressing a myriad of extremely complex issues by ensuring and insisting the right parties benefit. We pile one arcane law on top of another. We all but have abandoned the wisdom and virtue of the people, for a system of written proclamations and we wonder why these empty words don't make things right. Too much money is at stake.
Our system is fundamentally flawed. The problem we face is far too serious to be left for politicians to solve. The elemental weakness in any form of governance is the flaw of human character. The "ego" covets power, control, and dominion. Allowing "ego" to predominate is a sure road to ruin. We must become the solutions we seek and return governance to people of virtue. Until the electorate recognize this and generate the political will to change our fortunes through deliberate wise action, we remain on a sinking ship - a ship buffeted by strong winds, rough seas and taking on water. Do you have the will to act or are you seeking a change of socks?