Politicians have come to count on the fact that most Americans are stupid. The political game is played by people who have learned to use the masses as pawns. The concerns, beliefs and will of the people are mere sideline issues. The main objective of our elected officials right now is not to represent the will of the people. The main objective is to get elected and remain in office.
This is what most people believe. This is why most people stay out of the political process. They feel it is a waste of energy to vote, write elected officials, go to political meetings and activities or follow current events. It is a waste of time, some believe, because the politicians in power are corrupt. Many share the feelings suggested in the John Mayer song, “It’s not that we don’t care. We just know that the fight aint fair.”
Watching the so-called town hall meetings on health care reform, it appears that Americans are beginning to get into the fight. However, some say these participants are only offering hate-filled speech, coaxed by politicians and lobbyists.
Currently, the strategy for the political game is division, extreme division. Leaders are playing on the fears, emotions and ignorance of the American people. Leaders should be educating the electorate so that the people can make informed decisions. Instead, leaders are giving out partial and misleading information to scare people and incite them to the point of protest.
Journalism is known as the fourth branch of government. Journalists are supposed to watch politicians and hold them up to be accountable to the people. However, these days, it’s hard to tell who is a journalist and who is a political player. The result is the American people are becoming more and more divided. People are not referring to America as our country. Instead they are asking, “What are they doing to my country.” It is all about us and them.
Lincoln said shortly before the Civil War (paraphrasing a quote by Jesus) a house divided against itself can not stand. Instead of our leaders bringing us together, they are encouraging division for the sake of political gain in ideological battles. Sure, unity does not mean no differences of opinion. But it does mean we work together to settle differences for the best interests of the whole. Our leaders need to stand up and lead our country. Our citizens need to be educated not played. Why don’t true news organizations sponsor roundtable discussions where we can hear from all sides? Now the populace is being duped by infomercials. It looks like news. The talking heads look like journalists. Thus, the people are totally confused. If we the people gain the knowledge, we won’t be so susceptible to being provoked by extremists. We could then have meaningful discussions. Then the political players would have to factor in the will of people for real.
