There are so many things that need to be fixed in America right now. The economy, energy policy, healthcare, social security, wages, environmental policy, financial regulations, etc. The list is long and every item on it weighs heavily on our national conscience. It can be difficult to prioritize which issues to tackle first.
That being said, it will probably surprise you to find out there is one issue that trumps all the others. There is one issue that has a bigger impact on the quality of our lives than all the other big issues combinded. One issue that, if corrected, would have the most positive impact on our immediate future as well as our children's future and our grandchildren's future.
It might also shock you to discover that this "King Of All Issues" isn't even being discussed regularly at places like Daily Kos and other political watering holes. And, not only is it not being discussed, it isn't even on our to-do list. It's simply just being ignored.
So, that's what this diary is about today. We need to get on this ASAP. What is it?
It's The One Issue We Can't Ignore.
Folks, there is something fundamentally wrong with America. I'm not sure when it started but I suspect it's been here all along. It's essentially what is keeping us from realizing our full potential as a nation. And, it's so simple and so subtle that we don't even see it. Actually, that's not exactly true. We do see it, but for some reason it doesn't alarm us enough to do anything about it.
Yet, it should. It most certainly should.
The problem I am referring to exists within the system itself. The system our founding fathers created 234 years ago. The system we call Government. You see, there is a major flaw in the system. You could almost call it a virus, or an infection. And, until it gets corrected, generation after generation of Americans will suffer because of it.
You see, our government is built on the principle of fairness, to as much a degree as is reasonably possible. The founding fathers went through so much pain and turmoil with the King of England that they focused their efforts on how to set up the framework of our nation that makes it very difficult for the government to have over-reaching power into our lives. While not perfect, they laid a pretty good foundation, all things considered.
Now, many of us will argue and debate about the amount of power a government should have. One that is too powerful will oppress its people. One that is too weak cannot protect its people. Finding the right level of government power takes time, trial and practice. And, that's okay. We can have those debates. But it's not the government's power (or lack of power) that is killing us. It's something else entirely.
Unfortunately, there is one small area the founding fathers ignored altogether. A simple addition to the constitution could have fixed it. But, it never materialized. I doubt it was done on purpose. Perhaps it was too difficult for them to envision this problem ahead of time, I don't know. Nonetheless, the founding fathers left a loophole in our system. A big loophole. A big, fat, gaping loophole. A loophole so huge that you could fit the moon through it. And it is this loophole that is the cause of the main underlying problem in America today.
Now, you'd think that a loophole THAT big would be obvious to everyone. It should be at least as obvious as trying to drive with a flat tire. So obvious, that we would look at each other and say, "Well, duh. That's the problem right there. We need to fix this first before we can drive the car smoothly."
But strangely, we ignore it. We drive with the flat tire still on the car and wonder why things don't seem right. We work on healthcare reforms, financial regulations, climate issues, energy policies, etc. and ignore the biggest issue of them all. And honestly, I don't know why. I don't know why Americans aren't at least talking about it. But we need to be talking about it and we need to do something about it.
So, what is this issue I am talking about? What is our flat tire? Let me put it this way...
If money is allowed to buy positions of power, then the poor will always remain powerless.
In America, any citizen can run for public office. The founding fathers got that part right.
And, in America, the people vote on which candidate they want representing them. The founding fathers got that part right as well.
But, the founding fathers failed to protect the process by not including any restrictions on political donations.
And, in doing so, they left a gaping loophole for the rich to buy their way into positions of power. It would seem the founding fathers were so preoccupied with limiting governmental power that they simply forgot to limit the influence of the rich as well.
As a result, our political process has become corrupted. Possibly beyond repair.
THIS is the reason why we are still struggling, as Americans. It's not that we don't have great ideas and solutions to our numerous problems. It's that when we try to fix something we're met with massive political resistance from the public officials that are bought and paid for by the rich (corporations included).
On every issue where the solution would cause them a loss of profit or power, they actively resist us. Sometimes we get away with a watered-down victory. Most times we just lose outright.
This isn't rocket science folks. It's not a difficult concept. We're talking about conflict of interest. We're talking about legalized bribery. Corporations, foreigners and the rich all have unlimited access to our public officials. How on earth can we expect them to faithfully represent us under these circumstances?
We can't. And, we shouldn't.
Here's an eye opener...
During this whole BP oil disaster we learned that the MMS (Minerals Mining Service) would profit more by foregoing proper regulations, inspections and permits. They were in charge of regulation yet at the same time they were being paid by the same people they were supposed to be regulating. When Americans learned about this, we screamed at how crazy this was and how there was a massive conflict of interest.
Yet, when you really think about it, how is our political campaign process any different than the MMS? Doesn't the same kind of conflict of interest exist in our Congress? (And it goes without saying how much more important our Congress is than the MMS).
But where is the screaming? Where is the outrage? Where is the change in law?
Have we become so dull-witted that we can't tell a scam from legitimate process? Have we become so tired and worn out trying to get this changed that we've just given up? Are we being distracted by everything else that we haven't been able to focus on this? Is it some of all of the above?
Folks, the game is rigged. It needs to become unrigged. If we don't get this changed, you can expect to see every major issue get half-assed, watered down, faux solutions until this country is completely destroyed. Have we not already seen a plethora of this just since 2008?
So, that brings up the question... how do we fix it?
Admittedly, this is hard. Our task is to get a Congress that is at least 70% corrupt to write and pass a law that cuts off their money supply. We also have to avoid upsetting the Supreme Court over first amendment rights.
There is only one solution. We need a constitutional amendment. And it needs to be simple. For example...
All citizens shall have representation that is free from corruption. Political contributions to any federal elections shall only be made in the form of direct cash payments and shall be limited to $1,000 per individual, group or entity per year. Citizens shall have unrestricted rights to volunteer their time but shall not use or donate any other resources beyond their own personal labor and effort to promote any political party or campaign. All campaign propaganda, literature, advertisements, signage, websites etc. must be paid for directly by the campaign itself from the donations it has collected. Every federal election campaign shall keep detailed records in as such that it can be ascertained where their income is coming from and where it is being spent.
Now, please don't jump down my throat for getting some of the wording wrong; I'm not a lawyer. But you get the general idea. Writing this kind of amendment would handcuff the Supreme Court so they couldn't pull this Citizens United crap on us again. It would also limit the power of a corporation and level the playing field for regular people that want to run for office.
It doesn't have to be these words. Just as long as it accomplishes the same goals. And, for you first amendment folks out there, let me just say this...
If we found a way to invade people's privacy for the sake of national security, certainly we can find a way to limit free speech via campaign contributions for the sake of national security as well. Corruption is every bit as legitimate a threat as terrorism is, perhaps even more so. It is time to acknowledge that fact.
This is really the issue of all issues. We The People won't be able to accomplish very much without it. Especially these days. Corruption has snaked its endless tentacles into our government process and is now destroying this country from within. If we don't kill this cancer soon, America will be no more.
This is not hyperbolic ranting. This is not conspiracy theory trolling. This is just following a path of basic, predictable logic. A simple cause and effect. Corrupt elected officials will eventually lead to the destruction of this country. That is the truth, like it or not.
And while we're on the subject...
There is also another law that can be passed that is incredibly simple and full of common sense. Many people complain about the two-party system we have now. They argue that there is a need for more parties. Well, here's a novel idea; How about we eliminate political parties altogether? Instead of Republican Senators and Democratic Senators, we would simply just have Senators. We could do the same with all federally elected officials.
Has it not become obvious that political parties interfere with proper governing? Have we not seen every major vote split along party lines lately? Doesn't our current system undermine the very democratic processes that this country is founded on?
The law could be as simple as two sentences...
Candidates in federal elections shall not be affiliated with any political party. Once elected, public officials shall remain unaffiliated with any political party.
Imagine how this would change things. Elected officials would be free to vote what is best for their district. Imagine how easy it would be to pass common sense ideas and laws in that kind of environment.
But if we're not even willing to acknowledge that THIS is the main issue of our time, then we might as well be playing pick-up sticks with our butt cheeks. If you are frustrated with our current system, then start putting some thinking into changing that system. Forget about supporting candidates that will only sell us out down the river.
Instead, work to make the process more honest so they can't sell us out down the river.
Where to start? Start at the beginning. Start by acknowledging this is a major problem and that we need to fix it. Write a comment below and let others know that you want to see legislation that would put an end to the ridiculous conflict of interest that exists within our federal government. Include it in your political discussions. Write a diary on it. There's lots of small things you can do to give it the exposure it deserves.
But whatever you do, don't pretend it doesn't exist. That's what got us into this mess to begin with.
Thanks for reading. Tips and Recs are always appreciated.