I believe that most of America's struggle to control its spending and illogical policies is rooted in the fact that congress and most other elected officials have been corrupted. The corruption comes about in the form of campaign contributions and the Quid Pro Quo's attendant to those contributions.
What this has meant is that elected representatives no longer represent the people who elect them. Special interest groups, corporations, foreign governments and the extremely wealthy call the tune to corrupted officials to the detriment of the voters. This corruption leads to overspending on programs that favour these groups often at the expense of essential social programs. It also leads to legislative changes that favour certain groups especially corporations. It has also influenced foreign policy to the extent that the US makes illogical choices and supports regimes that are anathema to the professed American philosophy of freedom, democracy and justice.
This systematic corruption is not a recent development but has been building for more than a century. The framers of the constitution could not have envisioned the complete dominance of the attention of congress by these special interests and the negative consequences.
The original intent of the constitution was to create a government responsible to the voters. Representative sent to congress were supposed to reflect the views and interests of their constituents. Lincoln, in the Gettysburg Adress, described the governement as "of the people, by the people and for the people". What we have instead is a government of, by and for; the wealthy, multinational corporations, oil companies, the gun lobby, Israel, Saudi Arabia, OPEC and all the military industrial complex.
My solution will not be popular amongst the corrupt, but I think the people should see its merit.
My solution is a 28th Amendment to the Constitution that would read something like this.
THE 28TH AMENDMENT
28.1) ONLY PERSONS WITH THE RIGHT TO VOTE IN AN ELECTION MAY PARTICIPATE IN THAT ELECTION.
28.2)NO CORPORATION, FOREIGN COUNTRY OR POLITICAL ACTION GROUP MAY PARTICIPATE IN AN ELECTION BY PROVIDING FUNDS OR CAMPAIGN MATERIAL TO THAT FUND. ONLY INDIVIDUAL CITIZENS WITH THE RIGHT TO VOTE MAY CONTRIBUTE TO A CANDIDATE FOR ANY ELECTION.
28.3)LOBBYISTS OR REPRESENTATIVES MAY NOT COME INTO CONTACT WITH ANY ELECTED OFFICIAL OUTSIDE OF RECORDED INFORMATION SESSIONS.
28.4)LOBBYISTS OR REPRESENTATIVES OF FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS MUST PROVIDE INFORMATION TO MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IN WRITING.
28.5)ONLY INDIVIDUAL CITIZENS ENTITLED TO VOTE MAY LOBBY ELECTED OFFICIALS OUTSIDE OF FORMAL HEARINGS OR INFORMATION SESSIONS.
What this has meant is that elected representatives no longer represent the people who elect them. Special interest groups, corporations, foreign governments and the extremely wealthy call the tune to corrupted officials to the detriment of the voters. This corruption leads to overspending on programs that favour these groups often at the expense of essential social programs. It also leads to legislative changes that favour certain groups especially corporations. It has also influenced foreign policy to the extent that the US makes illogical choices and supports regimes that are anathema to the professed American philosophy of freedom, democracy and justice.
This systematic corruption is not a recent development but has been building for more than a century. The framers of the constitution could not have envisioned the complete dominance of the attention of congress by these special interests and the negative consequences.
The original intent of the constitution was to create a government responsible to the voters. Representative sent to congress were supposed to reflect the views and interests of their constituents. Lincoln, in the Gettysburg Adress, described the governement as "of the people, by the people and for the people". What we have instead is a government of, by and for; the wealthy, multinational corporations, oil companies, the gun lobby, Israel, Saudi Arabia, OPEC and all the military industrial complex.
My solution will not be popular amongst the corrupt, but I think the people should see its merit.
My solution is a 28th Amendment to the Constitution that would read something like this.
THE 28TH AMENDMENT
28.1) ONLY PERSONS WITH THE RIGHT TO VOTE IN AN ELECTION MAY PARTICIPATE IN THAT ELECTION.
28.2)NO CORPORATION, FOREIGN COUNTRY OR POLITICAL ACTION GROUP MAY PARTICIPATE IN AN ELECTION BY PROVIDING FUNDS OR CAMPAIGN MATERIAL TO THAT FUND. ONLY INDIVIDUAL CITIZENS WITH THE RIGHT TO VOTE MAY CONTRIBUTE TO A CANDIDATE FOR ANY ELECTION.
28.3)LOBBYISTS OR REPRESENTATIVES MAY NOT COME INTO CONTACT WITH ANY ELECTED OFFICIAL OUTSIDE OF RECORDED INFORMATION SESSIONS.
28.4)LOBBYISTS OR REPRESENTATIVES OF FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS MUST PROVIDE INFORMATION TO MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IN WRITING.
28.5)ONLY INDIVIDUAL CITIZENS ENTITLED TO VOTE MAY LOBBY ELECTED OFFICIALS OUTSIDE OF FORMAL HEARINGS OR INFORMATION SESSIONS.