We here a lot of blather about how the future of our democratic republic is on the line in next year's election. But here is my question.
When the overwhelming majority of both Houses of Congress care about nothing other than whether or not each vote helps their chances for reelection, hasn't this fight already been lost?
Yes. And therefore, this fight has been lost from the beginning of America's existence.
And no, which is why America has a functioning democracy. The system, at least at the start, had no illusions about only supremely selfless people getting into or staying in politics.
The best bet was, is, and always will be creating a system that minimizes how much self-interest drives decision making at a government level, then keeps updating itself as the self-interested ghouls find existing cracks in the system.
Any alternative is rooted in a cynicism readily exploited by the very ghouls who benefit most when the system is allowed to rot. There's no easy answer, but there is a simple one: vote in every election like it matters the most. Because it does. The cracks are always present, even if undetected, waiting to be exploited. So vote and vote and vote for those who want a functioning, updating, updateable system.
Metaphorically kick in the balls those who tell you the system sucks so let's burn it all down and coincidentally let's trust those exact people with the power to magically solve all your problems.
