I think that the Political System in the US is kind of messed up. It’s based on some nice ideas and allows for some useful flexibility – making it function well in our post-industrial globalized economy… but it’s kind of annoying sometimes, too. It really seems like the only way to get into Federal Gov’t is to have sold out to self-interest, lust for power, greed for wealth, and any organizations who are willing to give you the praise, power and money you want — if only you’ll vote for their cause. For the most part the system works fine – but for some increasingly large swaths of our AmeriKaner Cult-ure, it sukz.
I was raised in the Washington DC area and studied sociology for quite a few years. So, as much as our gov’t annoys me, as much as I now consider myself an Anabaptist who is set apart from political infrastructure, as much as I feel that I am like a gnat on the ass of the leviathan — I cannot seem to avoid bitching about it.
This is the part of the show where we sing a little song, do a little dance, and make love tonight. Make love not war.
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Poli-Ticks (pl. n.) 1. a large group of blood-sucking parasites; 2. a collection of Hot-Air-Filled persons with fraternity affiliations and the best law degrees that money can buy; 3. the functionality, or lack thereof, of Democracy in the Federal Government of the United States of America.
June 30, 2008 at 11:46 pm
Power corrupts. Those who have power are inherently suspect. Those who desire power are either naive or already corrupt.
In America, we have a convenient (for some) myth: that our democratic system works and lives up to its title.
In point of fact, the majority of Americans is satisfied enough. Satisfied enough to permit the continuation of the status quo. When (If?) that ever changes, reform will be possible. For a time. Until people forget again as we have forgotten today.
The way it looks to me, we are nowhere near to reaching the level of pain it will take for meaningful change.
July 3, 2008 at 7:07 am
“The way it looks to me, we are nowhere near to reaching the level of pain it will take for meaningful change.”
Maybe. Maybe not. I believe that the power of bread and circus to euthanise our cultural pain is weakening.
– The burbs do not guarantee the promise of the upper-middle-class AmerikanDream that they once did.
– Most Americans actually live in densely populated “urban” areas, where it is obvious that our infrastructure is failing.
– Most of us are losing loved ones to cancer… caused by polluting agents and untested chemicals in our mass-produced foods.
– Divorce is so high, the ‘traditional family’ is a RARITY.
– There is so much sadness and despair, the arts and music industry has a hard time finding uplifting songs to play.
– Churches and Christian Organizations are dying… because the fruits of the spirit, Joy, Peace, Love, Kindness – are so hard to come by in our world.
– LOTS of people realize that Our Gov’t System churns on propoganda and bull-shit policy that serves and protects the ever-narrowing wealthy upper-class.
Maybe the critical mass of pain isn’t there,
But MINE is.
I’m tired, pissed off, and am trying to figure out how to raise my children in a war-zone, where there’s more hatred and exhaustion than anything I’d call dare love or peace.