FMC 3.0

I’ve decided that I’ve had it. While I realize that there is lots to be fed up with, this one doesn’t come lightly. I’ve decided that I’m tired of being embarrassed of being an American.

Before I let that sink in to far, I’m gonna set some ground rules for frame of reference. I am a registered Democrat. I do vote mixed party tickets. I have voted for Republicans, and in higher offices than most of you would expect.

But who I voted for doesn’t matter, because the action itself doesn’t matter. Abraham’s dream government of “For the people, of the people, and by the people” is long since dead. This great American experiment we call democracy is a complete joke. This government (I’m going to use that broadly, because every branch and level is at fault) doesn’t care about its people. It’s controlled by those that have the money - the big corporations. No matter who you vote for, or who gets elected, they will have to succumb to the will of those with money.

If this government truly cared for its people, there would be some significant changes:

• Universal Health care
• Zero Dependency on Oil
• Complete openness
• True Freedom of Religion and the Press

What do we have:

• Money Hungry HMOs that don’t care about your health
• Environmentally dangerous processes and standards that risk our health and security
• A government that needs a Patriot Act to spy on us
• A Judeo-Christian law system (emphasis on the Christian) that imposes its morals and belief system onto the whole populace

I’ve listen to my father rant and rave about the evil Republicans, and vilify the Right Wing for atrocities. I’ve heard my right wing friends (Yes, I have some) rail against Clintonistas and Godless Heathen Leftys. Guess what? You’re all wrong. You’re the reason this country is in trouble. Yes, I don’t trust politicians. I trust the people that put them there any less. 59 Million people plus voted to put Bush in office for a second term. The problem isn’t the government, it’s the people it supposedly serves.

We’ve let the government get too big for its britches. They control so much of our lives, and do so much of it out of view they just have to be sheepish when we find out they did something wrong or illegal. We let them dictate social norms and impose morality upon us. They like the power, and hold on to it by subjugating its people. We allow them to campaign by slandering their opponents, not by giving us an earnest debate on beliefs. Wanna know why candidates use negative ads and campaigning? Because it works. We determine winners by choosing who’s best at slinging mud. We’re not in it for government, or law, or because we think somebody can win, we’re in it for the entertainment value. And let’s face it, an open debate is boring without a punch or two.

The entire system is shot. The two party system has evolved into a system where a party defines a candidate, and not the candidates defining the party. Each party tries to look out for its own, and doesn’t care about the masses. Beyond that, the masses have gotten so varied and large that two parties can’t encompass everyone. As I said, I’m a registered Democrat. I disagree with them on a bunch of stuff. The idea that 270 million people can abide by the same rules and regulations is quite frankly preposterous. The rules and laws that exist here in Delaware wouldn’t fly in California. I certainly know that I don’t want their backwards system either. The federal government tries to make the same rules for Florida that is does for Alaska. Craziness.

Change has got to be on the way. But it’s no different that amputating a gangrenous limb, or deciding that a plan is shot and starting over. Heck, this country has done it before. Anyone heard of the Articles of Confederation? Exactly.

Before I get into what should happen, I’m gonna clearly state that I could be wrong. This just makes the most sense to me.

Let’s get to the basics. Even before we’re American, or Montanan, or ever Atlantan, you’re human. You’re of the Earth, not a country. First, take the US map. Erase all of the little lines dividing states. If we’re going to be Americans, lets be Americans. Who cares if you’re a Delawarean, New Yorker, or Arkansan. Second, disband the Senate, House, and all local governments. Fire the president (whoever it is) and and send the Supreme courts packing. Next, we let people group up by belief system. We let the Bible Thumpers have their section, the Aryans theirs, the Atheists theirs, and keep dividing it up. This is a big, big country, there’s lots of space. After that, you create a council of two representatives from each faction. Those representatives make up a ruling council. Their only job is to collect taxes, and make sure money is given out fairly to each faction, and resolve disputes between factions. Once divided, the council has no say in how the money is spent. The factions have complete control. If Jesusland (AKA Texas) wants to spend all their money on churches and communal prayer sessions, so be it. If the Aryans want to hold hate rallies and not have to deal with non-whites, then great. They can knock their socks off. What happens if you are a Thumper and are living in an area designated as a Wiccan area? Either deal, or move. Ok, I realize this is a nutty idea, and would probably fail, but I’m flying by the seat of my pants.

Each faction will have to trade and barter with the others. Seculsionists won’t last long. If the Aryans want something the Black Jews for Jesus want (sorry, first example I thought of) they’ll have to trade. If they use force to take it, they will have to face the other factions, and will have severely limited commerce capabilities.

You see, no other country on earth has had this kind of population, or this kind of diversity, in the history of the world. Sure, it looks great on paper, but we’ve completely failed at the practical application. No other country has even tried to rule a populace this large or varied without the use of an iron fist. Sure, the soviets kept it together for a bit, but they too fell victim to greed. They tried openness, and it ripped them apart. Of course, the only difference between the Soviet Union of then and the America of today is the fact that the Soviets didn’t hide the fact they didn’t trust their people and spied on them. Welcome to the Fascist States of America. Apparently, we can’t handle it. We try to interfere with each other too much, and try to make others see as we do, not accept their beliefs as just different.

Oh, the notice part? It’s like this. I’m tired of it. I’m tired of feeling embarrassed by my country men. Presidents declaring war on false pretenses, or mocking the office by corrupting interns, or secretly taping all of their conversations. I’m tired of a government that spies more on its own people than its enemies. Of Americans who are close minded and just follow the fold. Of parties that are so power hungry they’ll sell out to the highest bidder to stay comfortable where they are. You may have noticed the countdown ticking away up on the right hand side. That’s how much longer I’m willing to be an American with the current system in place. No, I don’t expect my idea to actually become reality before my 30th birthday (that’s what its counting down to) but there better be some real progress. Americans who are no longer sheep. The abolishment of the two party system. The power of people to be returned to the people, not sitting with those that could pull off the fund raising to get elected. Granted, I don’t see this likely to happen either. Change comes slowly to large systems. Right now the left and the right just continue to polarize, and cooperation gets more and more scarce. Peace is bad for business, after all.

You might ask why I’d leave instead of trying to bring about change. Definitely a valid question. Truth is, deep down, I believe the battle has been lost. This place is going to get a whole lot worse before it gets any better. The polarization will continue, and the two sides will eventually get violent. We’re heading for the Second American Civil War. Those like me, who find themselves in the middle between the two sides will be facing “You’re either with us or against us” stances from both sides. It won’t be a fun place to be. It’s gonna be corporate warriors fighting for the honor of the Company vs. those that seek freedom from an oppressive government that is just a puppet for those with money. Both sides will call themselves patriots, and call the other sides rebels. Thomas Jefferson may have believed that a little rebellion every now and then is a good thing, but with rebellion there is bloodshed. Where am I gonna be? Across an ocean. Canada’s not far enough away, they’ll probably get drawn into the conflict. I’ll be on a foreign shore laughing at and crying for my former countrymen at the same time.

So here’s hoping things improve. That Americans don’t follow their government blindly, but participate in its activities. However, with voter turnout so low, and such inactivity when an election is in question (Who knows if it was stolen, but we let 9 people decide for the other 270 million of us.) Remember when the election was in question in the Ukraine? Nearly a million people descended onto Kiev and demanded a re-vote. Not a recount, a whole new election. Even the Iraqis, under threats of death from the insurgents, took to the polls to participate in their government. More than half of the Americans eligible to vote didn’t bother. It wasn’t important enough to them. We may have started this Democracy thing, but we don’t have shit on those that took it from us and made it better.

One way or another, change is coming. It may be for the worse, or for the better. Hopefully my compatriots will get some brains and actually think for themselves, instead of following the fold. They’ll walk outside their homes and bring down Republicans and Democrats alike, and want people to be voted on by their qualifications and beliefs other than whether they let an elephant or a donkey represent them. Then, maybe, just maybe, some of us will be proud to be Americans again.