Tipping Point

If Republican is Red and Democrat is Blue, shouldn’t we have purple too? Every natural system operates in equilibrium. Does this mean our two-party political system is unbalanced? YES! 

There needs to be equity in our political system instead of constant dissent. I thought the purpose of a representative-republic was to give voice to the people, not to create a venue for contention or to advance the fortunes of a few well-placed politico’s. I am wrong again. This system devolved into a coliseum for self-aggrandizement and chest-beating.

Where is the middle ground? What’s in it for us? Of course, there are a few people in Congress with a constituent centered political view; however, the partisan approach to government is an all or nothing rather than a public service-oriented perspective for our country. They quickly learn that compromised ethics are the price of admission. Our legislators must consider what’s best for the country, not just for themselves.

Like everything we’ve created, the two-party system is imperfect in concept and horrific in execution — the intent to provide representation was insightful, but allowing it to degenerate into this circus of accusation and innuendo is outrageous. What our founders didn’t see coming was how power-brokers would pervert this system to their ends.   

“Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” 

Here we are today. The checks and balances are gone. Politicians run our country for the 1%, their significant contributors and financial base, and do little for the people they should represent. That would be us, the majority, the remaining 99%. My point is that these people are not poor. There is no fair representation from members of the financial elite. Which of our misrepresentatives are blue-collar republicans?

There is no balance in a system based on two parties. Especially two parties diametrically opposed politically. It’s as though the war of Northern aggression continued from the outdoor arena to one in the houses of government, continuing unabated, maybe even escalating. Is this our New Civil War? We could easily change the colors to blue and grey. The divisions and geography would be different, but we would still have two opposing sides squabbling over nebulous and inconsequential matters, which increase government power at the expense of the people. The one sure thing is that they will do everything, anything to ensure they remain in control.

What I see in the government is anything but civil, especially the partisan stance in our legislature. Rather than concern for their country, they battle to discredit the other party. How does this serve the people of our country?

My observation of the natural world and systems, in general, is that harmony is most important. Everything in our universe is balanced, and when that balance is upset, the cosmos attempts to rebalance itself. Think of a gyroscope. If you try to tip it over, it rights itself. So it is in nature. 

Our environment, especially our eco-system, is entirely out of equilibrium. We continue to pump millions of tons of pollutants into the air ruining our atmosphere and endangering our health and that of our planet. Regardless of your stance on global warming, the problem is catastrophic. We wast water as if it were a limitless resource. It is FINITE! The air we breathe is another limited resource, yet we think nothing of continuing to spew noxious gases from almost everything we use, especially our power generation and transportation systems.   

I’ve heard that there is no future without nuclear power, but even this is an alternative with extended costs. Solar and wind power generation are more ecologically friendly but require substantial financial investments to replace our fossil fuel generators. Several European countries have made a successful transition to alternative forms of power. I wonder why it’s taking us so long to move. After all, we are a leader in technology. Maybe it’s like healthcare; the solution is worthless if we didn’t invent it.  

It is time we shift our focus from profit at the expense of our planet to investing in fixing our world. If we approach this as an opportunity to repair the damage we’ve done and to correct our foolish choices, we could turn this around. We could even create a few jobs and share the wealth. It could be a win-win proposition. 

Here’s what I propose.

  • Investigate and interview our proposed representatives. I do not refer to the en masse stump speeches replete with rhetoric and carefully crafted messages to the invited demographic. I’m suggesting a real interview where we can discuss our concerns and hear answers. Of course, the candidate would still gear the reply to the attendees, but at least we could listen to the responses and decide if they hold any value. It is easy to hear the bullshit live and in an interview-like setting. It is more challenging to discern a kernel of truth from the canned speechifying done during the campaign. Debates are a great theater, but they only provide a venue for these verbal gladiators to attack each other. Our country is in the shitter; we need to move past the rhetoric and forward to the issues. Let’s leave the entertainment to the courts (jesters).
  • Justice is something missing in our county. A disproportionate number of minorities, including the poor, suffer significantly at the hands of a legal system that bases decisions on financial sandings rather than the spirit of the law. The powerful and influential are above the law, and those of us in the cheap-seats suffer. “What good is money if it doesn’t keep you out of jail. Money should not be a determining factor where justice is concerned.
  • We need to audit our spending. We need to look at the value provides and weigh that against the civic benefits. There should be an overwhelming return for the investment. If not, we scrap the program and use the money elsewhere. Eight thousand new bills presented to Congress in 2019. Do we need more laws, or should we consider a better use for the available time and money?
  • Our national debt through 2019 is $23.16 Trillion. The projected growth indicates that our National liability will exceed $31.4 Trillion by 2030. What are we doing about it? Nothing except spending more and increasing our problem. Stop spending and start cleaning up the waste! Did we really need to spend the $3.06 Million on the impeachment investigation? Aren’t there other programs that could use those funds? And, after all the time and expense, it exposed the lunacy of partisan politics.
  • Corporations are NOT people and should not be allowed to contribute to political campaigns. These contributions presume quid pro quo.  There is no place for corporations of any size in our government.
  • Term Limits. No one should be a career representative. Representative John Dingell of Michigan, holds the current record at 59 years. There are 26 other representatives in their office for over 35 years. Imagine the baggage and obligation 35 years in office carries. I can only guess it grows exponentially. We must impose term limits immediately—limit terms to two per lifetime. It works for the President, why not for everyone else in government, as well.  
  • Watch out for the “Made for TV Politicians.” Yes, I’m talking about people like AOC – Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Recruited as an actress and given a script to read, her sponsors selected her to run for public office with no – no experience in government. And by the way, she is associated with the Democratic-Socialists of America. She is the poster child for what’s coming to the political pulpit near you. Engineering a candidate is a dangerous tactic. Power brokers would love to install political marionettes like ACO in places of power. It’s bad enough that corporations pay for influence; now they engineer them. Send in the clones.
  • Anyone who thinks Socialism in any form is a good government failed history. A cursory survey of the successful types of government throughout the world would rank Socialism near the bottom of the list. It has numerous tries in myriad permutations and has failed every time. Why would anyone in their right mind think it would work in America? Watch out for Bernie Sanders’ team of Democratic-Socialists zealots. Ask yourself, who’s going to pay for all the “free” programs that his socialist team promises? The funding has to come from somewhere. Maybe his camp plans to follow the current process and just print more.
  • Insist that Civics and Social Studies return to the classroom immediately. Our children need to know how our government functions. They need to understand that what they hear from the biased media is bullshit. It is there to push an agenda. Parents must assume an active role in educating their children. Learn with them; learn together. 

All is not lost America. There is hope, and there is a way to make our country work for us, but it will take our direct participation. The first step is to educate yourself and your family. Read about our country and how it operates. There are excellent books available in libraries across the country. Discuss what you’ve learned over dinner with the family. I know, what I’m suggesting seems like ancient rituals, but they work. Turn the television off and discuss what you read during your evening meal.

I recommend reading because the information you gather allows you to form personal opinions and to develop ideas. Sharing these ideas with others gives them substance and clarifies them. You learn how to think and to express your views.

Ignore the news media because they have an agenda. The days of honest reporting are quaint rumors of times long past. Media moguls control the message and the spin. You hear what they want you to hear, and you know what they want you to know. It is all carefully crafted to present their interpretation of the events and to keep you entertained not to keep you informed.

The more you know about your government, the more powerful you are and the better choices you can make.

Take Back America and bring it back into balance.

Let’s make America Purple!