We'll Get What We Deserve in 2012: No matter who gets elected. (An Update)

Since I wrote this piece in 2008, much has happened. but here we are in 2012 and nothing in the political world has changed. Nor, apparently, have we, although I believe we are becoming exhaustively more frustrated with our system of government.

Granted, I offered a few ideas in this article (below), most of which admittedly became a rant, but I offered some input to create a type of catalytic event. Didn't happen. So now, because one of my long time and trusted friends has offered another set of possible solutions, I am publishing them here along with my endorsement as I see them as at least plausible!

"Isn't it odd that we all see exactly what we want to see? People commented in last night's debate about Biden laughing and smirking and interrupting, but said nothing in the previous debate about the constant smirking and interrupting of Romney. People also commented about "lies" on the part of Democrats, but said absolutely nothing about the ever changing position of the Republicans.

I think all this hype is ridiculous. Each party should create a written document stating exactly what their party platform is and how they intend to implement it. Each party's Presidential and Vice Presidential candidate should do the same. Things should be specific, not " I will create a billion jobs". These documents should be available to " we the people" in every newspaper, and on every electronic device. Lastly there should be one televised interview where the candidates each specifically answer the same set of questions. No constant ads, no robo calls, no huge sums of money spent. If we took all that money that is sunk into this election fiasco we could probably pay down the debt in a few years!The Candidates on record would then not be able to pander to every group they speak to and hide behind innuendo ." Gail B.

On the first Tuesday in November some of us will exercise the right to vote. On the first Wednesday of November the consequences of that collective decision will begin, even if we chose to do nothing at all.

Regardless of our political persuasions or affiliation there will be an outcome. It may or may not be to our liking, but make no mistake, there will be an outcome. Along with the result will come a price to be paid, and that payment will be exacted on every one of us. The question is what price will we pay and when will payment be required?

I concede the following opinion does not represent everyone in our nation but, I believe that it fits a significant demographic, if not the majority of the people in the working class.

Many of us will go to the polls with good intentions of exercising our rights but I wonder with what kind of ammunition we will arm ourselves; with what knowledge, study or preparation will we produce a well thought out decision? How informed will our choice be and how credible will the information be upon which we will base our decision? Will we have studied the voting records of each candidate? Will we understand the agendas, proposed platforms, issues and opinions presented by each party (all two of them)? Will we take the time to investigate what is said by the candidates, their respective PR representatives and or their spin doctors and compare it with what they actually did?

The process of selecting our elected officials is complex and growing more so each year. Enormous sums of money are spent to persuade us to choose a particular candidate or position. The rhetoric is growing painfully more ferocious, the impact of which causes, in my humble opinion, a distrust of the people by the people in the process. How could that loss of trust in our elected officials and the process possibly be good for our country?

Our candidates bicker about the education of our children. How about submitting a plan to educate all of America to insure we understand who and what we are voting for when we pull the levers or punch out the chads! Surely I am not alone in this perspective?

What about discussing and debating the truth instead of tormenting us with character assassinating commercial spot after character assassinating commercial spot, leaving our children to believe this is the only intelligent way to inform the public about critical issues facing all of us!

How about campaign reform? Any reform worthy of the price our ancestors paid and truly for the benefit of the people would be welcome by the majority, I’m sure. How about some real sacrifice? For example, suppose our leaders, in view of the current (or any subsequent) economic crisis offered the following: To decrease the government burden on the people by reducing their salaries by 10% or better yet trim them to the level of the average salary of their constituents and increase those salaries only in direct proportion to the increase in income or benefit provided by their service to the people they serve.

Wouldn’t that be an example for our CEO’s to follow?

Or try this one. How about getting all the lawyers in Washington together to promulgate legislation that actually puts money back into the pocketbooks of the people today and not just a promise of a payment on a sliding scale to be hidden somewhere ten years from now?

How about some real heroism and honor and honesty? I’m not suggesting that the current candidates are cowardly or dishonest, but even the most courageous and honest men playing in a corrupted game makes no real sense and again, in my humble opinion, only tempts the best of them. Come on – can we see some movement here?

Oh, and by the way, how many trees will we destroy to invade the minds of people who try, agonizingly, to avoid the barrage of diminishing, dirty and deceptive propaganda which, for most of us, ends up in the trash and a future landfill for posterity to unearth?

Frankly, I have come to the conclusion that the most positive influence I can have is to present a perspective in the hope of encouraging some or all of us to say - enough is enough!

We must change; we must recognize the impact of our choices, or lack thereof, on our present and on the future into which we are sending our children. We must begin to seek and face the truth head on, take back our government from the career politicos and together come to a unified position. We must change or we will allow ourselves to be destroyed by those who would choose for us for their own gain.

A first good step would be to remove all of the currently accepted labels we have for our particular political brand or position and base our decisions on the value of the benefit of all of our people collectively. Honestly, I’m not sure how we get there from here but we cannot stay where we are; we must decide, if nothing else, to move on! We must move on from the rhetoric of the company, the religion, the party or the politics. We must examine our own motives and not yield to the avarice and selfishness that pervades our government and our society. We must vote for a new type of ticket that finds it unacceptable to govern only to find favor for power. We must change our hearts and minds and return to a place where love actually abides in each of us for the benefit of all of us.

There was once a radio character on a country radio station a while back by the name of Earl Pitts and I think he said it best when he said, “Wake up America” or we’ll get exactly what we deserve!