Sometimes I forget that I created a blog just so I would have someplace to vent. Today was one of those days and I vented on Facebook instead. My rant was this:
Rant of the day: the amount of money spent on political campaigns in this country is obscene. People in our country go without food, healthcare, housing, and clothes while giant companies and insanely rich people throw kajillions of dollars at their favorite candidate in exchange for more favors if that person wins. It really makes me sick. I think campaign reform should be simple: you can donate as much as you want to political campaigns, but you have to donate an equal amount to charitable organizations. Either one of two things would happen; campaign contributions would drop or charitable donations would increase. Either is a win in my book.
Conversation ensued. It made me realize that I got a Public Administration degree and have almost finished a Public Policy degree because I like policy and I enjoy the process. I'm so turned off by what our political machine has become though that I have no desire to run for office. I have little hope that I could win even if I did run, simply because I would be an Indepentdent. I don't align closely enough with either of the big parties to run as one of them. And I'm ok with that! That makes sad though because I see politics as something that should be noble and strived for because of what the candidate can do for the people, not for power acquisition. If I thought I could a) win and b) enact change from within, I would be all over it. I have no such delusions though.
It got me to thinking though. What would it take to actually reform not just campaign finances but politics in general? I don't have any great ideas, but I sure wish I did. Wouldn't it be great if we the people could actually control our own political destiny?
