Thursday, October 20, 2016

Declaration of Independence

"When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. .."

While I am not a strict Constitutionalist or any other "-ist," the 2016 Election process, from the primaries, to the selection process in the Commission for Presidential Debates, to the smeared hateful portrayals of Americans running for office, it has become clear that our Form of Government has become destructive to the self-evident unalienable Rights which we hold dear.  The absence of term limits in Congress has created an institution more resembling an Aristocracy or Oligarchy than a Democracy.  A Supreme Court conducting judicial activism essentially holds veto power over that Congress.  Citizens United vs the FEC will soon be recognized as the tipping point where foreign entities and corporations, rather than the governed will be determining the outcome of U.S. elections.  It is no different than the U.S. deploying assets abroad to impact the stability of another sovereign nation.  Cyber attacks and Wikileaks are simply the most blatant examples of influence.

If not for a wild period in my youth where I may or may not have been known to make a misogynistic, racial, homophobic or other jokes, may or may not have been known to consume controlled substances, I would consider taking a more active role in Government.

The media driven, sound bite era we live reminds me that future elected officials will more likely be Manchurian candidates, than real people.  They will need to be programmed from birth similar to Japanese Emperors to rule their people without a shred of impropriety.  Candidate's parents, grandparents, siblings, spouse and children will have to be equally above reproach, lest the legitimacy of the kingdom come into question.  Either that or a candidate will have to be selected at random by the hand of God to govern.

While I would like to believe otherwise, the absence of a smooth transition of Government could lead to renewed secessionist fervor and tremendous instability in our United States.

But then again, maybe the sky isn't falling and everything will be hunky dory this time next year.

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