During the last presidential election the commentators constantly referred to the need to create the perfect soundbite to impress the populace.
I have to ask my self why?
These sound bites are like movie trailers. Short on substance, long on flash and sometimes its the best part of the whole movie.
What's wrong with the political system? Do they really think we're that stupid? The pundants claim the average citizen is too busy to sort through the polemics of political thought on all the muzzy issues in front of us today. They claim we (Joe Average citizen) would rather get a thorough report on Angela Jolie's latest conquest as opposed to lucid political discourse on the values and solutions presented by proposed leaders.
Instead we're supposed to vote for the guy we believe will "git 'er done" whatever we believe "it" is.
Look at the results of the last election. We got a "git 'er done" leader, no doubt in my mind. What he intends to get done is not quite within spitting distance of what Joe Average wanted him to get done.
Let's consider that the "parties" need to open a dialogue with the people, and instead of proposing they listen. It's not a Democratic or Republican position whether we need health care, support for the retirees, jobs for the kids that have a future and goals, energy in quantities to support our standard of living or honest politicians who are up front and honest with the public. Let the parties tell us what values they espouse. Who is really important to them, and how they are really going to meet our needs.
Let there be open political debate on the goals our country needs to set for itself and the methods we use to achieve these goals.
Let the press (print and electronic media) keep the reporting to substance and eschew the posing and sound bites. Hell if the press ignored the posturing then the parties wouldn't bother.
People it's time to demand honesty in politics. For the good of our country and our freedom.
2 comments:
I agree with you. But it starts by teaching the politicians that there is a force to reckon with if they want to get reelected and thta's us. We need to focus debate on the issues and start creating a forum for generating new ideas as to how to solve problems facing us. And we need to do it befgore they put the ideas we generate into sound bytes that diminish the ideas. The issues facing America are complex and most folks don't take the time to even consider what they would do if given the opportunity. Most consider an idea but not the consequences of implementing the idea or the new problems that might be created. That is what happened in Iraq. We knew we could beat them in combat but didn't figure out what would happen after we took over their country.
Madman, you asked me this question, "So how do you start a revolution?" Here is my answer:
One person at a time! First with yourself, start to work on becoming more conscious and giving up the blame game and the" I'm right" or "they're wrong", game. Start examining problems with a new perspective, rather than what we are fed by the media. And most of all, start seeing how you are connected to every problem either by an action or a non-action. It has taken me my lifetime so far and I'm still learning and exploring to find my own way.
Thanks for a chance to answer your question. It was a great question grasshopper.
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