Government?

Sometimes as I observe the clown show in Washington, I wonder how did we get here?

The answer is mostly apathy.

Too many Americans don't care or don't think they make a difference.

In fact, it almost seems like we have turned the system over to the most rabid among us.

If you do in fact believe strongly in something, say that abortion is akin to murder, you are simply more likely to get involved and support certain candidates.

Poll data shows that most Americans actually support reasonable approaches to a lot of the issues facing us while rabid minorities have odd agendas.

Of course apathy is only part of the problem, the other is misinformation.

The government is not interested in coming for your guns or making your children change their sexual orientation.

These are not real issues.

Similarly, football players who kneel during the national anthem don't cause any harm to anybody.

They have the right to express a view, like everybody else.

We have so much inflammatory rhetoric about things that are simply either not true, or inconsequential that we should laugh at these issues?

Having to press one to speak in English to a robot on the other end is not the end of American culture.

Its recognition that this is a diverse nation with many people legally here who are native Spanish speakers.

We are not about to adopt sharia law, its not even remotely possible.

However we have entertainers pretending to be news people who incite listeners for ratings.

We believe all sorts of things that are demonstrable false and because of that things that are demonstrably true get questioned.

Apathy and misinformation, not a formula for good government.

Form vs Substance

The fundamental question facing Americans is what do they want?

In our age with statistical sampling and other tools you would think it was pretty clear, but while the country generally holds fairly progressive views, those views aren't fully aligned with those who vote.

We also have the issue of apathy and ignorance.

The people who vote in this country are overall older, whiter and more conservative than the population as a whole.

Not necessarily smarter.

I hear a lot about the failings of the modern educational system, and sometimes it becomes quite evident when you see "Man on the Street" interviews.

I hesitate to assume these interviews are fully representative of the public as a whole, but when you see surveys where a majority of people hated Obamacare but liked the Affordable Care Act, it makes you wonder.

We have a society and population that has become attuned to the form more than the substance of issues.

Look at the issue surrounding the second amendment.

I have never heard a real proposal that would seize everybody's guns, but to many, thanks to the propaganda of the gun lobby, that's the issue they think exists.

Similarly, we see the Republicans brand themselves as supporters of the working class, when all evidence indicates they really represent the wealthy class.  Yet many working class Americans, concerned that the wealthy might pay slightly higher taxes fight socialism.

We also react without much sense to arguments about our weak defense when we clearly are able to obliterate any opponent and our need for conventional weapons is far outweighed by our need for counter terrorism.

How can we get rid of the apathy and ignorance?

Its not a shared goal,   Many talk about voter turnout while trying to make sure only their supporters actually turn out.

Mob rule has been a concern of the elite in this country since its founding and certain institutions, like the Electoral College were designed to prevent it.

Suppress voting, convince the ignorant to vote against their own interests, and make elections about money and personality instead of issues.

Its sort of working.