The War on Politics

A lot has been said about politics; some of it complimentary, but most of it accurate.

- Eric Idle


There is another bastion of ignorance that has imposed itself on mankind from as far back in history as anyone has cared to record. On the rare occasion when people run out of reasons for hating and killing each other based on religious differences, they make up political ones. Politics and religion are often mixed to the point of not being able to tell which is to blame for a particular bias or viewpoint. Both require the same kind of zeal, and both require a large number of unquestioning and ignorant followers. Someone once said 'it is much easier to follow than to think--which is why there are more followers than thinkers'.

There have been repeated attempts throughout history to create systems of government, which have had a variety of goals and agendas, as well as a variety of successes and failures. The origin of these systems usually comes from an individual or group of like minded individuals. In some cases the individual(s) are raised to the level of leader(s) by those around them, based on their decision making skills, or innate abilities. Others define themselves as leaders, using fear and propaganda, or social class to put themselves into positions of power. They all have one thing in common however--their success or failure all depends on their ability to assuage the concerns of those they are governing, or to manipulate and coerce them into becoming unquestioning followers.

All matter of kings, religious leaders, and politicians have vied for the positions of power in our societies. Some consider themselves to have a kind of 'noble birthright' that puts them into a position of authority. Others believe that they are divinely chosen by God, or some other deity to be leaders of men. Some elevate themselves to the level of God, and consider themselves to be unfallible, and even immortal. As often happens, absolute power corrupts these individuals, and their egotism and delusions are their own undoing. Once the masses have grown a backbone, and decide to remove such an individual, they are usually quick and decisive about the use of vigilante force. Some leaders are able to control enough of the population to allow them to assume the role of dictator, and continue to rule for a time, but there has yet to be a system on earth that is not undone sooner or later.

Over the course of the last few centuries, true monarchies have all but disappeared. Some countries still have 'kings' but they are simply figureheads, with little to no power. Patriarchal systems still remain in most countries, with generation after generation of men of certain families, groups of families, classes, or castes assuming the position of leader. There are very few societies that allow women into positions of power, as most systems of government have been made into exclusive 'male only' clubs. The resulting egomaniacal swaggering has been to blame for many wars, and untold death and destruction.

Most major world governments in existence today model themselves after one of two systems, socialism or capitalism. The basic socialist system is based on the idea that everyone within the society is equal, the government owns everything, and is responsible for distributing the wealth equally. This model has never actually existed past some very small communes, since every socialist or communist country has the same problem of a small group of individuals amassing the majority of the wealth and power, while the rest of the people are left with little or nothing. As long as this imbalance of power exists, then socialism is undermined. There are many theories for why socialism would not work, including the obvious fact that greed drives people to want more than those around them. The capitalist system, on the other hand, attempts to capitalize (pun intended) on peoples greed. Under the capitalist system, the real power lies in money, and those with money control everything. The United States of America began as an experiment in Democracy, after revolting against Britain, and declaring themselves free from the oppresion of the British monarchy. The founding fathers ideal, was that a government 'by the people, for the people' would give each individual a voice in shaping the system. Capitalism thrived under this new Democracy, and soon the majority of the money and power were again consolidated to a select few. Proponents of the capitalist system claim that anyone who works hard, and has initiative can become wealthy and powerful, however anyone can see that this is not always the result. The industrial revolution brought with it fantastic economic growth, making it possible for individuals to live much more comfortably, but also brought new problems with it.

John Steinbeck's novel "The Grapes of Wrath" outlines the adversity faced by sharecroppers, who owning no land of their own, were forced to leave their rural farmland when large industrial farms realized that they could till, seed, and harvest far more produce with much less cost through the use of new, more sophisticated equipment. They could pay one individual to run huge pieces of equipment, and farm massive tracts of land. The sharecroppers were forced off of their land, and were told that there were opportunities in the west--so they loaded up their families, and traveled west. They find that most of the opportunities have either already been taken by the overwhelming numbers of displaced workers, or what remains is backbreaking work paying pennies a week. In the modern system, immigrant labor fills the majority of this kind of work, leaving individuals who want a living wage to have to search for more lucrative prospects.

The US government now forces companies to pay a 'minimum wage', however this does not fix the problem. Corrupt corporations find ways to cut the amount that they pay their employees, docking them hours for work related illnesses, and of course forcing the individual to pay for health care. The minimum wage in the US is well below the poverty level, and in order to survive, someone would have to work multiple jobs in order to make ends meet. Even the individuals who find better pay, are inundated at an early age into a system that guarantees that they will be slaves to their jobs. Credit card companies, along with banks, and other lending institutions have made it possible for everyone to have the same bright shiny toys as those next door, but at an amazing cost. The average person in the US, has so much debt, billed at such as high rate of interest, that they will never pay it off in their lifetime, regardless of the amount of work that they perform.

Education is the key to success under such a system. However, even with an education, an individual can fail to reach the level of success that will allow them financial freedom. A intelligent and frugal person will choose a field with opportunities for employment, advancement, and eventual retirement. They will not fall into the pitfalls of racking up debt, just to 'keep up with the Joneses'. Even with these decisions, unforseen disaster can cause someone to be buried with medical bills, lose their home, and become financially insolvent. The government has a system to allow an individual to file 'bankruptcy' and have all of your debts absolved at the cost of destroying your credit for up to ten years. Unfortunately, under the current administration, they have made it much more difficult for an individual to file for bankruptcy, although corporations continue to have the capability to file, as many have just in the last few years.

Social programs have also taken a hit in the last few years, mostly due to an illegal war being run in the middle east, headed by greedy war profiteers and oil companies. The current president has run up over 1 trillion in foreign debt to try to pay for this fiasco, and billions of it have been wasted, and actually lost. I will discuss more about this war, and the current administration in my next post. The programs that the government has in place to help the less fortunate are imperfect to say the least. There are plenty of people on welfare who are fully capable of working, and the system is in need of major reform. Anyone capable of working should be put to work. There are plenty of things they could be doing from building shelters for the homeless, to feeding the hungry. Elderly and disabled individuals require assistance, as well as veterans (of which there are going to be a whole new generation with the number of injured and disabled soldiers returning from iraq).

Even now, at a very low point in Americas history, there is a glimmer of hope. Despite all of the corruption, greed, lies, and ignorance, there are people working to enact changes. It will require hard work, and determination, and while we may not be able to fix all of the problems in our society, we can uproot those who spread ignorance and fear. They will not go easily, and as they see their hold on power dissolving, they will become dangerous like injured and cornered animals. They must be dealt with quickly, and carefully, and their replacements must be held to a higher standard in order to keep from repeating the same mistakes again and again.

A truly Democratic government welcomes and respects those who question its authority, its motives, and its actions.

-Me

Next Time: Chimpeachment!