What
This Is…
Issue #83- October 14,
2012
In this issue: Democracy
at Risk, Charter School
in Madison?,
Support Walmart Workers
A
Crisis For Our Democracy…
We live in a time period
when everything that happens seems to be a crisis, the most important…, or some
grave threat to our way of life. Of
course there are some recent events that are historical in their proportions,
but with the constant blaring of 24/7 TV and radio shows, combined with the
instant commentary on the internet, it is often difficult to see the real
significance of any event/policy/individual.
The competition to be the first to cover a story or to offer some
different analysis means that we are flooded with constant hype and rhetoric.
Having said that, it
appears that we are at a definite crisis point in our nation's electoral
process. America is a remarkable nation when
it comes to the election of new officials and the transferring of power. We have developed an elaborate system for
electing our leaders and (even though many of us don't bother to vote) for the
most part Americans have supported and trusted this process. Our democratic traditions have allowed us to
endure significant turmoil and heated debate, while avoiding widespread
bloodshed and civil unrest. A case may
be made that there are other, perhaps more sinister, forces that play a role in
this as well, but in the end we have developed a relatively peaceful way of
putting new leaders in power. This is
especially true when you look at other places around the world and the
conflicts that erupt as power is transferred or seized.
Like all human creations,
our electoral system has a checkered past and a few inherent flaws. We've excluded entire groups from
participating and witnessed significant corruption during our nation's
history. The system isn't perfect, but
at the same time is a process that we can work with and that allows for
citizens to voice their opinion in a positive and potentially meaningful way.
Like most aspects of our
nation's government and political structure, the electoral process has seen its
share of successes as well as challenges.
What makes our current situation such a crisis in our political
development?
Trust in the System- As I mentioned before, our electoral system has
never been free of corruption and/or scandal.
If we admit that power has a potentially corrupting influence, then it
is logical that at least some of those interested in achieving powerful
positions will be corrupt as well. We've
all read about the scandals that have happened in our history and comments
about things like "Chicago Politics" or "Political Bosses"
aren't met with surprise. We all
recognize that there are individuals and groups that will do just about
anything to gain, and hold on to power.
What makes the current
erosion of trust in our electoral system potentially disastrous is that it
isn't the candidates involved who are being questioned (that's an important
part of the process), it's the system itself and the results of our elections
that are under fire. Conservatives have
made it a point to question the validity of elections because of the
"rampant voter fraud" that they claim exists (but have little
evidence for). Their solution…voter ID
and other restrictions on voting rights.
Liberals and progressives
find flaws on the other end of the voting path, the counting of ballots. There are significant concerns about the
accuracy of the vote tallies as well as the ability to alter the voting totals
by "hacking" the machines.
These concerns have been visibly demonstrated in numerous elections
recently.
Whatever the issues about
our electoral system may be, the concern is that we are headed down a path
where the results of our elections are not viewed as legitimate. Without meaningful elections is it possible
for us to claim we have a democracy here in America? We need to restore the faith that people have
in the process or risk undermining the foundation of our political system.
Participation in the System- At the same time we are facing a crisis in
confidence in our electoral system, we also face the ongoing reality that many
Americans are simply not participating in the process. What is considered a good turnout on election
day is often less than half of the potential voters. This obviously results in skewed election
results that favor a mobilized base that consistently votes, while the majority
of the citizens of our nation simply accept the results as they occur. Even in "high turnout" elections we
don't get the participation that our democracy needs to be a true
representation of the general public.
The results of this voter
apathy are skewed results that represent a minority of the population. We also see our elected officials losing
their accountability to the people they are supposed to be representing. If most people don't vote, then those elected
only need to represent the interests of a small, well connected few. The long term effects of this are clear as
our leaders become more insulated from their constituents and more susceptible
to the influence of their donors and vocal supporters.
There are many reasons
that people don't participate in the current system, but as a nation we need to
change this pattern in order to regain control of a system that is currently
governed by special interests. Recent
efforts have been made to limit participation in the electoral process, but we
have also seen actions designed to encourage voters to become informed and
involved.
Another huge problem is
the lack of knowledge that many citizens have in how our government works and
what the candidates who are running stand for.
The electorate is divided between those who are firmly entrenched in
opposite camps. At the same time there
is a significant number of "independent", "undecided"
voters who are drifting between candidates and who are susceptible to
propaganda and the, often unreliable, information put out by candidates and the
media.
www.nbc.com
In
order to have a working system we need our citizens to realize that it is their
actions which have created the system we have.
A nation where people have the freedoms that we do will get the
government it deserves and we, as voters, need to be accountable for the
officials we elect. It may take some
extra time, but the results will be positive for all of us if each person
becomes truly and accurately informed and gets involved.
Money and its Corrupting Influence- We can't ignore the impact that big money has on
our political system. Citizens United
has changed the political landscape and made our system one that is ripe for
purchase by the highest bidder. This
doesn't change the fact that we still elect our leaders and representatives and
as citizens need to actively seek out accurate information and recognize what
our candidates stand for. Money is only
one of the reasons our system is declining and we need to stop using it as an
excuse. There are many candidates and
activists working to counter the influence that large donations have and we
should be working to support their efforts.
Confidence in our Candidates and Political Parties- With all the negative advertising, conflicting
information and mudslinging in politics today, it is no wonder that many
Americans are disgusted and fed up with politics. Almost all parties and candidates seem to
have changed their campaign strategies away from promoting themselves to
attacking their opponent. This means
that we potentially lose our ability to make a choice between ideas and instead
vote out of fear or hatred. Too many
voters see their choices as an opportunity to vote for the lesser of two
evils.
Media Coverage and Lack of Accurate Information- Our major media outlets often seem more like
gossip magazines and are more focused on small relatively petty issues or
surface data than they are on the underlying realities that shape candidates
platforms or policies. In depth,
investigative reporting based on facts doesn't seem to get the attention that
opinion driven, shallow stories garner.
Whatever the reason, our media outlets have limited their coverage to
sound bites and short pieces that repeat information that is given to them by
political parties, candidates or special interests. Anyone who is directly involved in an ongoing
story being covered by the news immediately recognizes the differences between
the reality experienced and the "reality" reported.
What Do We Do?- All of these problems add up to a significant problem in our
electoral system. The only real answer
is for the people of America
to decide that they are not going to be manipulated any more. People of all political beliefs must
recognize that it is only a small minority of citizens who are benefiting from
the current trends in the system. The
good of the many is not being served by the direction our nation is
heading. If we are going to get the
government we truly deserve we must be willing to fight for it.
Our fight starts by
finding accurate sources of information, challenging ourselves to listen to
other viewpoints and being an informed voter.
We need to be able to discuss politics with others who may not agree
with us. We must communicate our
concerns to our elected representatives in articulate and persuasive ways. We also must be willing to organize and exert
our collective influence when necessary.
The statement "United We Stand, Divided We Fall" has never
been more true.
New
Madison Charter School?…
I don't know enough about
the situation to make any real commentary about it, but the Madison Board of
Education is meeting on Monday 10/15 to discuss making changes in the
programming at Toki
Middle School. These changes could result in the school
becoming a charter school. This is a
development that is of obvious concern to all of us who fear the potential for
privatization of our public schools, and bears careful watching and monitoring.
Stand
With Walmart Workers…
No single company is more
representative of the current conflict between corporations, their employees
and the well being of our nation than Walmart.
Most of Walmart's employees don't make a living wage and they frequently
require public assistance to supplement their low wages. The company pulls in huge amounts of money,
and at the same time benefits from negotiated tax breaks. Companies that supply products to Walmart are
pressured to produce more at a lower cost, thus harming workers at other
companies. Walmart eliminates
competitors and drives local businesses out of the market. Yet, there are those who would hold up
Walmart as an example of the "American Free Market" and the success
it can bring (to a small number at the expense of many).
Walmart workers are
starting to organize and fight back. These
workers need our support.
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