People around the world are laughing at our government. It achieves nothing, spends money on worthless projects, and ignores the needs of its people. It has become 'Comedy Central,' but it lacks humor.
One hundred percent of Congress' time is spent on political posturing. The 112th, and now the 113th Congress, have not displayed any intention of working together to accomplish the needs of the American people. Extreme arrogance allows our government to believe it can fool the nation's people indefinitely. The 113th Congress is doing one thing, it's attempting to accomplish less than the 112th, which was less effective than any other Congress in our nation's history.
Leaders of nations all over the world are being removed from power. That is the right of the people who comprise the country, and have an obligation to overthrow a bad government. The voting public in several nations have discovered what we have in the United States. Candidates will say anything, and promise everything. When they are elected, we don't 'get what we paid for.'
So why do we vote? The vast majority of the time neither of the two major-party candidates are worth the effort it takes to go to the polls. Whether the person seeking your vote is a Democrat or Republican they tell you mostly lies, and won't work for you when they take office.
Before the internet existed and before social media became the norm, governments could lie to their people, and most would believe their falsehoods. That doesn't work anymore. The level of communication is beyond what any of us imagined thirty years ago. People are no longer forced to read only the 'state' newspaper. Everyone can find news from any service and from any country they choose, 24 hours a day.
In the United States it is easy to find out the truth about anything. The sources are there; it just takes a little time. Having every side of every issue available is why I am an independent. If you are a Republican or a Teabagger, you most likely watch FOX News exclusively. They truly are professional fearmongers and experts at telling their audience half-truths.
I have read enough to know that both sides of the aisle are virtually useless. Professional politicians have taken the seats in the House and Senate that once belonged to elected officials who actually cared about their constituents. The people have lost representation. The wealthy buy lobbyists and therefore votes in Congress. Our Democratic Republic form of government has failed. Capitalism rules the land of the free and the home of the brave.
I'm not absolutely sure if there is a solution. Some nations around the world have seen their military support the people of a bad governing body. That is probably an impossibility in our country. Our servicemen and women are basically brainwashed that serving in the military is serving their country. That is far from the truth. They serve the politicians who send them to wars they cannot win, and come home to a less secure life than when they left to fight the so-called 'nation's enemies.'
All the major media, including FOX News, are owned by extremely wealthy individuals. Why would the average working man support their lies and accusations? Have we become the world's most uneducated and least aware nation in the world? It would appear so.
James Turnage
Op-ed
