I'm trying to understand something from the readers here... Are we all on the same page? Is there any doubt about the situation we face in this country? I'm starting to wonder, because I see so many engaging in all kinds of discussions (in earnest) about the president's speech, and about Rick Perry's comments about Social Security, and about the need for jobs, etc.
That's all good, of course. But do we all understand that the system is rigged? That what you see every day on TV, and the news, is distorted, fake, not real?
You know this, right? We have a Plutocracy. Very powerful families, most of whom come from old (inter-generational) money. They control the financial system through Wall Street, and they also control our one-party/two-factions political system.
And that the system is set up to keep the majority of the population living at subsistence level so we can be manipulated and our labor exploited. And that our K-12 public education system is a disaster (because is not properly funded) by design in order to keep people ignorant (about history, humanities, political science, art).
And that the political system only allows for very tiny marginal movement when it comes to macroeconomic, social, and governmental issues.
The core purpose of the system is to protect the power of the plutocratic class, to keep people controlled and ignorant (lack of education and media propaganda), and to exploit the labor of the populace for the benefit of the ruling class.
Does that mean that we don't get involved in politics, and vote, and campaign, and volunteers? Of course not. We do all that stuff since when it comes to the challenges of a sometimes brutal existence, even marginal improvements are worth fighting for.
But here's a little warning... If you fail to fully conceptualize and accept reality as it is, then you will be incredibly disappointed over and over again. It will create unnecessary anxiety and stress.
If you understand this reality, then a lot of what you see happening in government will make a lot more sense; you'll understand it better. But if you are an idealist and think that you will be able to effect significant change through the system the plutocrats themselves control, you will be sorely disappointed. The only changes that are allowed are very small and marginal, as long as they don't upset the overall system.
Any other improvement outside that rigged system would require a revolution... And that's not going to happen, of course.