Government cannot solve all our problems. We know this, of course. Yet, in the last hundred years, we have been told time and time again that—if we vote for the right candidate—we are sure to enjoy more freedom, prosperity, and happiness.
These claims have created a crisis. A divergent reality is fabricated every election. Even as we witness the failure of government in education, social issues, economics—the list is as extensive as our mountains of laws—we are promised that these issues will disappear if we simply vote for the right candidate or the right party.
The result is a complicated network of lies that, to be sure, no one understands. This is an astounding fact. We have written so many laws, over-analyzed so many malfunctions, mired so many important issues in layer upon layer of politics that we have no idea what all of the problems are.
But it will happen again in 2008. The presidential election will bring a new group of politicians who will all claim that their plans will be the turning point for our failing system. And even though we know it won't happen, many of us will believe that the right person can repair the damage of more than a hundred years of over-legislation, over-taxation, and under-performance.
Do not listen to the rhetoric. Only wholesale changes to our government can effect the change we need. It will not take a revolution, but it will take revolutionary ideas. Think for yourself, and look beneath the surface of the soundbytes to find the real issues.
Will a new education plan fix public education? Are the standardized tests ruining children's opportunity to learn? Is a change in curriculum going to suddenly infuse American students with the same math and science talent of their Asian counterparts?
Deep down, we all know the answer to all of these questions is "NO." But we want to believe the change can happen with the right person leading our country. The truth is that the whole system needs to be changed. A revolution in philosophy is required--not new ideas, just better ones. And this same concept applies to all of our issues, not just education. Foreign policy, taxation, welfare, abortion, drugs, poverty--all of these subjects deserve a fresh look, and that's what this blog will offer.
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2 comments:
I'm a proponent of small government. I believe what this country needs at a political and social level for change is a trend toward Personal Responsibility and Accountability.
I like a lot of what your starting to say, and agree with most of it. But, do you have any thoughts on how to start to affect these changes?
As the blog continues, I will offer very tangible policy ideas to help spurn personal responsibility and accountability.
Unfortunately, however, unless there is a change in the political culture, reform is impossible. Therefore, I feel it is important that I continue to diagnose the problems so that when I begin posting some of my ideas for solutions people will see the connection.
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