Doesn't that often seem like the case? As Chris Rock said once, "Americans worship money. And we all go to the same church. The Church of ATM." And it's true. Money makes the world go around. Those who don't have it, want it; those who can manage it, spend it; and those who have it, keep it. An interesting economic system we have here. Now, this should be a tight squeeze as I segue our worship of money to our government, so I'll make it blunt.
If I were to label our political paradigm like I'll label this post, it would look like this "Democracy. Incompetent. Aristocratic." Now, hopefully you'll see that my big sell for this post is the last one. Aristocratic. An Aristocracy is a form of government that is ruled by the wealthy class. Now, I know when you think of Aristocracy, you think of nobles and peasants and the middle ages, so don't withdraw and don't become nervous or confused. All it takes is logic. Excluding money gained through fundraising, Barack Obama spent $30 million on his campaign, John McCain spent $33 million, Mitt Romney, who you forgot was running, spent over $800,000, Ralph Nader, for whatever reason that he's still running, spent $300,000.
Now, for the land of opportunity, I don't see much opportunity in a middle class American running for President or even coming close. Note, for all intents and purposes, I know Obama was born into the middle class, and I give him kudos for raising himself to the level that he is today. So, instead, let's treat Obama as the wealthy politician he is, instead of his roots. Let's focus on McCain as the politician he is, and not his nepotismic rise to political power. And let's not focus on Nader, because... well that should be self-explanatory.
So, let's back away from the American Dream and from nepotism. Don't you find it disengenuous to have anyone with a trust fund to comprehend what a middle class or lower class is going through? And you think they do? Then why is the division in classes growing more every year. Politicians have pollsters crunch numbers to find out what us folk are all about. Do they do anything about it? I heard that Dick Cheney uses approval rating polls to wipe his ass.
I'm the average American. I don't know anything about political process. I skim CNN or Fox News and I hear that a bill that I don't understand because of the legal jargon is making its wayward journey through Congress and when it passes it'll do something that I won't hear about. I hear politicians say that they understand what the middle and lower class goes through. Do they pay mortgage? If John McCain's toilet clugs up, he'll pick his second favorite. And if that's being renovated, he'll just go to his third. Why not? He's got seven more if anything goes wrong.
Realistically speaking, I want something to be done about the election process. I want caps on fundraising and out of pocket spending. I want a middle class citizen, making $45,000 a year to be able to run for Congress without having to put his house on another mortgage or have to moonlight at a bar while passing bills during the day.
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This day and age, it's almost impossible to make it to a high office without having personally ascended the socio-economic ladder. Whether it's from the decent salary of lower office, or outside work, writings, speeches, etc, a person in office has a lot of opportunity to make a decent living.
ReplyDeleteThere is also the element of the network. To get into office takes more than talent. It takes a network of friends and supporters that can guide, advise, and promote you along the way. This same network that makes you known to voters makes you known to employers, to publishing companies, to places that hire people for speeches, etc.
Imagine, for example, Barack Obama having run for president without having his own small wealth to fall back on. It's pretty expensive to go from town to town for almost two years campaigning. I'm not talking about the stuff the campaign pays for but his own personal belongings and expenses. I couldn't afford it, even if I was still paid the same amount for not showing up to work. Someone making two or three times my level probably couldn't.
In a way, I'd rather have a highly qualified candidate with a small personal wealth, one built through credible means, than one without. I can't imagine Obama getting elected if he lacked the wherewithal and network that his life and experience have brought him. As long as it all has been obtained ethically and honorably, I don't find it problematic.