With the overwhelming unrest and brazen political moves we see happening around the world, perhaps some of you are wondering how we got here. How are we living in a world where audacity is at an all-time high and those “in power” who are supposed to be servants to and representatives of the citizens in their respective countries are blatantly selling them down the river and not even giving us the decency to a good ol’ “lone gunman” story.
Obvious to all other than the most disinterested observer is the fact that these “systems” in which we appear to place so much faith are NOT working on any level other than those upper levels that benefit only those upper levels. To continue the belief that “it will be different this time” is tantamount to doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results, and most of us are familiar with the rest of that old saying. Clearly, the evidence is there in massive quantities for those unafraid to see it in its full splendor. Now, having said all that, what may one do?
Firstly, it’s most important that we each come to grips that most (if not all) of what we’ve been “taught” about our “glorious system” is a lie at some level. But don’t feel too special about it because that level of deception is globally common both presently and historically. This leads to the next logical conclusion:
We are not exceptional. That’s not to say that the original concept (experiment) wasn’t exceptional, indeed it was! However, it took almost no time for the “undoers” to undo the original framework and begin the insidious process of inserting their same old system, pushing aside all those amazing and revolutionary ideas. As it was a gradual process, we’re well down the path since that beginning to the point where we cannot presently claim exceptionalism in any way, shape, or form. An objective review of our political history over the past, say, 150 years will support that conclusion in spades. Now, what?
This is where the real work begins. No, it’s not marching, carrying signs indicating our displeasure, which is totally ignored and ineffective, or pulling levers or punching cards in national elections that are fed into tabulating systems that are demonstrably corrupted, but rather it’s learning then acting clearly and definitively. Yes, I know, this seems like work, even hard work in some cases, and it’s not that “push-the-button-on-the-remote-control” immediate gratification; but here’s the news flash – There Are No Immediate and Painless Solutions! So, where does one start?
One begins this journey right in the place where one has the most influence and can realize the greatest results: locally! Become familiar with your neighborhood, your neighbors, their interests, and concerns. Become involved in town council/county supervisor meetings. Stay abreast of the legal filings in the local newspapers. In short, become educated in the “comings and goings” that, actually, have the most direct effects. While certainly not as seemingly grandiose as national politics, the reality is that this local venue is where one has the most influence.
In this local environment, one can see the realities of who endeavors to affect the day-to-day of the vast majority of the people, usually well out of view of the people. One can discover the quality (or lack thereof) of those who have paraded around during each election cycle and for whom the vote is cast by those who probably never even heard of them otherwise than through their habituation of office or simply just due to the fact that their name resides on that part of the ballot ascribed to one’s party of affiliation. Regardless of how much or little consideration one has independently given to that chosen affiliation. All this requires the re-adoption, of the paradigm of a bottom-up style of government. After all, this was the originally adopted form with only a few, very narrow exceptions delegated to a federal entity. Sadly, that narrowness was systematically widened through a pattern of usurpations by those with a more “monarchical mindset.”
Now, in conjunction with all this, it’s important to become expertly familiar with not only our founding documents, the framer’s mindsets, the historic influences on both, and the specific delegated and reserved aspects of our system. This includes at least access to the formative judicial decisions relevant to any issue. (Remember, I said there was work involved beyond creating signs and parading them around).
Finally, what one discovers following this general outline is that there are a great many things, both past and present, which affect us and are totally out-of-line at every level with those delegated powers and processes! Imagine that?? I prefer to call that the “usurpation,” but one can name it as one wishes.
This occurred in plain view, right under our noses. How? Basically, because we weren’t paying attention and/or didn’t have the tools to recognize it for what it was and/or really didn’t care (as sad as that may sound). In any event, the “usurpers,” recognizing that they could act essentially with impunity, merely continued compounding the felonies because no one stepped up to stop them.
Is it not now that people need to step up and stop them? If not now, then when? In any case, it will be our sons, daughters, grandsons, and granddaughters who will want to know both why we let this continue and why we didn’t step up to correct it. Remember, the starting point lies right under our feet.
