Trends & Policy Issues
The Future Of This Country Is Our Children
Every law and policy should be established with that premise. Every effort should be to protect our children’s innocence, provide their security, ensure their future, and develop their character. All our children regardless of race, nationality, religion, disability, or social economic class. The current political efforts too often promote special interest groups that oppose or impede the laws that protect our children and family values. Groups that are not necessarily interested in maintaining the United States as intended by the founding fathers.
Wealthy Influence or Market Manipulation?
Entities more concerned with their own wealth give generously to political campaigns to influence the lawmakers to create laws that allow for manipulation of the markets and also to remove laws that protected the markets from manipulation, making it very difficult if not impossible for the average citizen to save for their future. The credit freeze and market collapse in 2008 was the result of the removal of protection laws 9 years earlier, laws that had been in place for decades. Elected officials received millions in campaign dollars to remove the laws. The wealthy investment banks made billions. And the average citizen lost years of accumulation time in their portfolios after the market collapse. Washington’s response has yet to be to restore the market protection laws and punish the greedy.
The United States Political Process Promotes Abuses
Special interest groups and wealthy elite buy the attention of our elected officials through creative and excessive campaign financing to obtain favorable results at the expense of the people. Furthermore, far too much money is spent on the elections. Every election seems to set a new record. This money takes influence away from the people and puts it in the hands of the wealthy. A dramatic limit to the amount of money spent on an election will greatly minimize the influence the wealthy elite and special interest groups will have on the election results. Moreover, strict lobby monitoring is needed, as well as a line-item veto or pork barrel elimination. Imposing term limits and repair of the gerrymandering to the traditional political boundaries should also be mandated.
The News Media Is the Propaganda Distributor of their corporate owners and the power-seeking Politicians
The news media has a responsibility to report objectively. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth, and many times what they report can be far from the truth as well. Facts are not always verified, and misinformation and bias are too often reported to promote a political or special interest position. Only a critical mind is able to perceive reality.
The Entitlement Attitude of the American People Is Being Promoted by Politicians Desiring Office
There should always be a safety net for Americans experiencing hard times and those who have mental and physical disabilities. Unfortunately, however, more American’s feel they are owed a certain standard of living or wealth based solely on their being an American and not by the work they do. It is a human frailty that is exploited by the politicians, wealthy elite, and special interest groups for political power and monetary gain. This exploitation, if continued unchecked, will drain the national treasure and leave the United States vulnerable to destruction from internal and external forces.