The senators who did their bidding in one way or another did what they are paid to do. No not the meager sop the public pays them. The plutocracy that makes them all rich to one degree or another is what commands their loyalty. In corrupt governments "pay" comes in many forms. When you do what you are expected to do you will be rewarded.
Is it possible to step back and look at our system without becoming trapped by the systematic ploys that have held you? The system is a marvelous thing. It is not a conspiracy. It breeds Elizabeth Warren and Mitch McConnel and all the rest and there always is a "debate" going on so your views are "represented". For some reason you keep on losing. (For the nitpickers...of course I am included in "you")
Meanwhile the belief that if you raise more campaign money and work harder to GOTV and...and...and...You can change this. Of course you can. Did not Obama prove that the people will do more and more to get change? A few snags here and there but we have had change:
gridlock
Banks that steal and young people going to prison for drugs
A new slavery in privitized prisons
ineffective leadership (fillibuster reform for example)
climate change that just won't wait
people buying more guns rather than less
daily lists of killings with guns that should at least be regulated like automobiles and stuff at the drugstore
even more freedoms lost
Guantanamo
drones
the suppression of protest
Cutting Social Security
and more
and more
Writing about this seems to anger some people. Denial is a primary attribute of addiction. Read on below and we can see if there is a twelve step program.
A twelve step program for system addicts:
1. You have to admit that you are addicted. This is hard since you were taught from birth to believe in the system.
2. You have to recognize the way you are abusing things. A good example is believing you can change by doing more of the same like electing "good people".
3. You have to reach outside yourself and find others who will join in your struggle to break the habit.
4. You have to stop blaming others like the republicans. You and they work together to make all this happen.
5. Seeing people who oppose your views as malicious and stupid is not going to help you recover.
6. Do not confuse the natural workings of a complex system as ours as being caused directly by the actions of "those bad people".
7. Understand that nothing will change unless you change fundamentally. That means behavior. Good intentions are next to worthless.
8. The idea that you can do this as a part time activity is really rather silly isn't it? If you talk the talk you must walk the walk.
9. The world is now global so nationalism is a rather outmoded idea. This is happening as we sit here but rhetoric and will lag behind and action even more.
10. Real change is not comfortable. It is painful. The result is what makes the suffering worth while.
11. Every addict has many relapses. Keep your eyes on the prize.
12. The growing literature that supports this program is worth investing time and study.