Is anybody there? Does anybody care??

Why do I feel that line so easily applies to Washington these days? The world looks to Washington ... the people of America look to Washington ... and I see a man in the White House today who is fighting an uphill battle. Is anybody there? Does anybody care? I see Americans ... ALL Americans ... FREE forevermore! I see the world ... all the people in the world FREE forevermore!

Is anybody there? Does anybody care? Does anybody see what I see? ....

"Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays instead of serving you if he sacrifices it to your opinion." Edmund Burke, Speech to the Electors of Bristol, November 1774.  

To the right ... ever to the right ...

This is why Wall Street will always win ... this battle was lost so very long ago. Yes this clip isn't that historically accurate ... but to me it captures the spirit that has always pervaded the upper echelons of the American power elite. Right now as I watch this debate on a national level I think of this ... "Most men with nothing would rather protect the possibility of becoming rich than face the reality that they'll always be poor." That seems to be the basis for American politics these days. So many truck drivers, school teachers, laborers, lower middle class and lower class voters ... continue to throw their lot in with the Republicans, year after year. Why? Yes indeed religion is a large part of it. But listen to the Tea Party ... listen to the Glen Beck-ites and the Rush Limb-ites ... the vast majority of them just average joes ... they dance to the tune of the RNC whether they know it or not. Why? I can only think of that quote ... here we are in 2010 ... still dancing to the tune of the Eastern old money power elite ... nothing has changed ... and I doubt anything will.

Time for change ... a return to representation

First a few links: Link 1  and Link 2

I don't disagree with anything presented there (or discussed on that blog) ... however I feel that even beyond this it is time for America to strongly move towards a multi-party system. Having only two political parties makes it entirely to easy for corporate interest to manipulate the system. More importantly in such a complex world how can two parties adequately represent our interests? Everyone I know whether dyed in the wool republican or democrat ... feels that their party does not remotely represent their interest anymore. I agree that a large part of it is what Dr.Lessig is talking about, but I would be so bold as to say ... what if its more ... what if two parties just are no longer capable of giving reasonable representation to such a large and diverse populace in a world with extraordinarily complex problems. It is time for a system that is divorced from manipulation by corporate interest AND a system that is actually capable of representing we the people!!

I believe that breaking corporate dominance of our political process is the only way we the people will reclaim our government. I also firmly believe that two parties are simply incapable even in the best of times ... of doing a remotely adequate job of representing America. It is time to become a multi-party nation ...  we have been for a very long time ... however the corporate powers and entrenched political powers have resisted representing the citizens because they really don't want to. The corporations want exactly what they have and the politicians simply want to be re-elected ... what incentive would there be for either of those groups to self reform? our system will not break ... the sky will not fall. What will happen is government will do a better job of listening and representing ...