Molecular Politics -- Part Three

1999-3-7 12:44:00

I haven't posted for a while because I have been finishing off this article. Hope you enjoy it.

In Part Two we talked about seven barriers that prevent our representatives from truly representing the people.

Basically, they are:

  1. Manipulated polls.
  2. Political action groups.
  3. Lobbyists.
  4. Trading votes.
  5. Ignorance.
  6. Pressure from party leaders.
  7. Prejudice.

For many years these problems have seemed insurmountable to critics of the system. These problems with government just seem to be something that we have to put up with. Not only can you not fight city hall, it seems that you cannot change it.

Actually the only way to fight city hall (or Washington) IS to change it. Most people just throw their hands up in the air and believe that change is impossible but change is not only possible it is inevitable. Sometimes change comes quickly and sometimes slowly, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse, but it does always come and nothing can stand in its way.

We are reaching a point of tension in the free governments of the world. Almost without exception governments which are supposed to be the servants of the people are becoming larger, more distant and more encroaching on the lives of the decent hard working people. Spending always seems to go up, which is always followed by taxes going up. As more and more people get hooked on government benefits, greed and laziness set in and these citizens, who think they deserve more than those not getting benefits, begin to demand more and more for themselves.

The drift toward more intrusive government in the lives of the common man can only go so far before change will come. The change will be one of two directions:

  1. Governments will become all powerful thus preventing people from complaining about them.
  2. The people themselves will institute change so power is given back to them, where it belongs.

This treatise and others I will write is to insure that the good change comes rather than the evil. We must change our belief system from thinking that we are caught in whirlpool of political energy that is sucking us into situations of less and less control. Instead we must think of solutions that bring us greater control, freedom and expression. One of the first steps is to institute a system whereby the people will be insured greater representation.

In the past when innovators have had new ideas, they started a new political party around it. In the United States this has been quite futile. The two most popular third parties in the United States are the Libertarian and Perot's Reform party. There are many others of little influence that do not have a prayer of electing a national candidate.

Let us briefly touch on these two. The Libertarians have as their major objective "liberty" as illustrated by their name. They basically believe that if we have two political choices we should pick the one that brings the greatest freedom.

I personally believe this is the highest objective of any of the parties and freedom and liberty are certainly principles that the average people heartily support. So why have they never succeeded in getting any significant numbers of candidates elected? Why do they usually get less than one percent of the vote in national elections?

The answer is simple. People today are attracted to the safety of the status quo and strong personalities more than ideas. This is why the good ideas of the Libertarians accomplish very little. If they do start to catch on, the major candidates will claim that they already have those bases covered so why vote for an unknown?

Perot's Reform party started with the idea of getting the people more directly involved and if he had played his cards right and strongly pursued direct representation of the people, this party could have been a major contender. But it turned out that this party was merely a vehicle to give exposure to Perot. When he did get people's input he basically acted like, "That's fine that you think so and so; now we'll do things my way." Consequently, this party has had little success except for the surprise win of Jesse Ventura. I do not believe that Ventura won, however, because of the beliefs of his party but because of his strong presence and his own personal ideas which he clearly presented. Voters were looking for a breath of fresh air and they found it in this man.

Even if we have the best ideas on God's green earth a third party is not the way to go. Without a ton of money or a strong national presence it would take years to even gain the momentum of the Libertarians or Perot's movement.

Instead, we will present here a solution which is unique in that it does not advocate the creation of any additional political party yet this organization will win elections with greater and greater regularity until all will join in with this system because it will bring true representation. Instead of organizing a new political party that will struggle on for decades we will create a committee that will work with existing parties. If we can influence candidates in the existing parties to truly represent the will of the people then the mission is accomplished.

Here is how that will happen:

First, we will create an organization called "The Committee for Representation." The name is not written in stone, but it should have the word "represent" in there someplace because that will be its core purpose - to bring representation to the people.

The purpose of this committee will be to commit the various politicians to directly represent the will of the voters. This effort will at first be a futile one with those already elected so concentration must be placed on those who are willing to run for office.

Here is what the committee will do. It will approach a candidate with this proposition, "Our organization will help you get elected if you are willing to make an ironclad commitment to vote the will of the people you represent, but then, after you are in office, if you break your pledge you will suffer humiliation of dishonor and all of our support will be withdrawn and we will assure that you will not become reelected." The point of power for the people is before the election because it is at this time that the candidate will do almost anything to obtain the office. Still this pledge is not to be taken lightly because it does require a large sacrifice from the ego of the politician. It demands that he recognize that the voice of the majority of concerned citizens is more important that than of his own little will. Therefore, one with an inflated ego will not even work with the Committee because the big ego runs for office thinking he knows better the good for the people than the people themselves. In rare exceptions, this may be true of sincere servants of humanity, but since we cannot depend on such people obtaining office we must look to the will of the people for safety.

Now the politician may say, "Sure I'd be happy to vote the will of the people, but isn't that what a Congressman does anyway?" The answer is no. Most politicians only listen to the will of the people when it puts their reelection on the line.

The Committee has a better plan and here is how it works:

Any citizen who is willing to participate can apply to the Committee and become registered as a Co-Legislator. Then as a Co-Legislator you review various items coming up for vote and study them out and vote for them just as if you were a member of Congress yourself. The Committee then tabulates the vote and passes it along to the endorsed Congressperson. The elected Representative who is then sponsored by the committee is now committed to vote the will of the majority, no matter what his personal feelings on the matter are.

Can you see what this accomplishes? In one master stroke the seven obstacles to the will of the people are nullified.

  1. Polls

It doesn't matter what the polls say - the representative must vote according to the real will of the informed people casting an actual vote.

  1. Political action groups

It wouldn't matter how much money they give to his election because he is committed to vote the will of the people rather than the action committee.

  1. Lobbyists

The lobbyists could wine and dine the Representative all they want and would have little or no influence because the guy has to vote the will of the people.

  1. Trading votes

The Representative cannot trade votes because it no longer belongs to him, but to the people.

  1. Ignorance

Ignorance is eliminated because the Co-Legislators with enough interest to vote on a matter have usually checked into it and become informed on the subject.

  1. Pressure from party leaders

The party leaders can pressure the Representative all they want but he is committed to the will of the people above the party, so he must ignore them.

  1. Prejudice

He has already committed himself to lay aside his prejudices. If he cannot commit to do this, he will not be endorsed by the Committee.

Now just wait a moment, says the skeptic. This may sound good but it just will not work. There are too many flaws in human nature. When our guy gets to Washington and all this pressure is put upon him, he will ignore the votes of the people who elected him and vote the way he sees fit.

This will definitely be a problem to be dealt with but it is a problem that will be solved. We do not know all the solutions before all the problems arise, but we can present some of them.

First, the Committee will not endorse a candidate who has a history of lying or not keeping his promises. All other candidates of good report from all parties are welcome to apply for endorsement.

Then we get a definite signed commitment from our endorsed candidate to vote according to the expressed will of the people. If he breaks this pledge, even once, then the support of the Committee is withdrawn and the chances are that he will lose the next election. In addition to losing the next election, he will be disgraced the moment that he breaks his pledge because the Committee will publicize the fact that the Representative violated his word.

If you do not think that this concept has power just look what happened to George Bush in 1992. Shortly before the election he had one of the highest approval ratings in history - around 90%, but then his opponents hit him hard on his broken promise of "no new taxes." This resonated strongly with the American people and he lost the election.

It may seem that honor and personal integrity is a thing of the past, but in reality it never is. Whenever we reach a period in history where we seem to be at a low point and an individual or group comes forward and demonstrates true honor anew, the value of it is registered in the consciousness of many people and a new cycle is begun.

It is interesting that when the Founders of the United States signed the Declaration of Independence, one of the things they pledged and put at risk was their "sacred honor."

How long has it been since honor has been thought of as a sacred thing? Too long. At this point in time honor is at such a low point that we expect to be betrayed by those whom we are supposed to trust. Then when we are betrayed we throw our hands in the air and say, "same ol' same ol'." But the time is approaching when honor must be restored to its proper place as a "sacred" characteristic not to be compromised. The time is come that those who betray us are not accepted as just "being human," but for being a traitor to human dignity and achievement.

The Committee for Representation will use every possible legal and ethical means to restore honor as a sacred principle in the consciousness of the nation and world and put as much pressure as needed on the Representative to keep his pledge.

Question: So what if the guy does not keep his pledge. What can the Committee do?

Answer: If the Representative is totally dishonorable there is little we can do. The Committee can publicly announce his betrayal and call for his resignation. If public opinion is roused enough, some of the dishonorable ones will resign. If nothing else, the public disgrace will be enough to send a message to the other endorsed Representatives to not betray their word.

Question: You say the voting is done by Co-Legislators. How are they selected?

Answer: They select themselves. This position is open to all legal voters of all races color and creeds. All a person has to do is to prove he is a citizen and a potential voter in the district or State of the Representative or Senator with whom he is going to Co-Legislate.

Question: How will the Co-Legislator cast his vote?

Answer: After his identify is proven he will be given an e-mail address that is to be used exclusively for voting. Only one address will be given per voter and only one vote on an item can be cast per address. When he is properly set up to vote then he merely sends it through the Internet.

Question: How will the Co-Legislator get information about upcoming bills and items to vote on?

Answer: Fortunately in this technological age we have easy access to information through the Internet. The Committee with the help of the Representatives will gather all information on upcoming items that are coming up for vote and will post them on the Web. The voters can then download information on the items that interest him, study them and vote his viewpoint.

In addition to the cut and dry wording of the various pieces of legislation, the Committee will also post news articles, columns and comments made by people of prominence about the legislation.

The Representative will also post his opinions about the matter and whether or not he thinks the vote should be 'yes' or 'no'. If he is doing his job properly his opinion will carry quite a bit of weight with the voters because he will often have insight that others may lack.

Nevertheless, voters are free to accept or reject his suggestion.

Question: Not everyone has a computer or is computer literate. How are these people supposed to vote?

Answer: If they do not have a computer they can go to the public library and set up an e-mail account and also gain Internet access.

On the other hand, if they have a complete block about using computers and wouldn't know what to do if they had one, they can then go to one of the offices of the Committee for Representation. There a volunteer will set them up with an e-mail account and do all the computer work for them. Hard copies of all legislation will be available for the non-computer people and copies will be made and distributed on request. Thus even the most computer-illiterate among us will have full access to all information and voting privileges.

We might note here that the rising generation is close to becoming 100% computer literate. In another generation only the mentally retarded will not be using them and, on second thought, maybe even they will join in.

Question: Many people are very incredulous of poll results and are down on the idea of voting by polls. Wouldn't this be a similar thing?

Answer: Not at all. As we previous discussed, polls can be manipulated and very deceptive but a direct vote from an informed people is a true representation of what they really desire.

The Co-Legislator does not receive some phone call while he is in the middle of dinner asking his opinion on something he could care less about. Instead he selects items that are of interest to him and votes because he is informed and concerned. This produces a much more intelligently cast vote than any poll and brings true representation.

Question: So what is the elected official supposed to do? Twiddle his thumbs?

Answer: We admit that he will not be as occupied with lobbyists, action committees and fundraisers as much as other legislators, but he should be busier than ever concerning the people's business. This new generation of legislator will not be in the position for the power but for service to his country. The motto will be: "What can I do for my country?"

As a true public servant he will be looked upon more as a manager and teacher by his voters rather than one who votes his own will.

As a manager, he gathers data and informs his voters. As a teacher, he explains the issues at hand so his Co-Legislators can make the most intelligent of decisions.

Question: What if the legislator has to vote yes on a bill that is totally contrary to either his conscience or good sense?

Answer: There will be times that the legislator will disagree with the vote of his Co-Legislators, but he will be tested for his open mindedness before he is endorsed by the Committee.

For instance, one of the hottest topics of the day is abortion. Feelings are very strong in both directions. If the Committee were in place today one of the questions to be asked a potential legislator would be something like this, "If an abortion bill came up for vote would you be willing to vote the will of the people above your own in the matter?"

If he cannot answer yes to this and other questions on controversial issues then the Committee could not endorse him.

Those in support of this new system will come to realize that they may not get their way all the time, but that the votes cast will overall be in a safe and sane direction that brings more opportunity to the common people and less intrusion of government into our lives.

I recently heard a commentator make a shrewd observation. He said that both the Democrats and Republicans support government intrusion into our lives. The Democrats want economical intrusion and the Republicans want moral intrusion. Through the Committee for Representation we can assume power to limit both forms of intrusion into the comfort zone of the average person, which is not now the case.

Question: I have to admit that this idea sounds pretty good. It seems like it should be an easy sell.

Answer: Nothing innovative, no matter how good it is, is easy to sell to the masses. In general, people are skeptical of new things. The first thing they look for is the sinister motive behind the initiator.

My answer to that problem is the Question: what could be sinister about the will of the people being represented more completely?

Nothing.

On the other hand, there will be enemies of this idea and it will be interesting to see them crawl to the surface. Many current politicians, who enjoy the full power of their office and delight in being catered to because of the full power of their vote, will certainly be negative on the concept. Lobbyists who will lose much of their power will fight it tooth and nail. Party leaders will be aghast because they will no longer be able to command voting blocks as they have in the past. Some will be up be upset that they can no longer trade votes.

In addition to this, many fringe groups on the edge will be upset that their ideas will have little chance of getting public attention because the common sense of the Co-Legislators will override extreme ideas that are dangerous to the nation.

On the other hand, a common sense fringe group has a good chance of going mainstream through the new system.

If an idea is truly good it will sooner or later be embraced by the majority.

Question: You seem to talk about national politicians, but how about State and local governments and the Presidency itself?

Answer: This process is most needed among national Representatives and Senators. It could also be used to a degree with a cooperating President. As it is instituted effectively on a national level then we can see more clearly about how it can be applied to lower level offices.

Question: Is this concept Constitutional?

Answer: Yes. It works within the framework of the established Constitution and national laws. That's the beauty of it. The Committee for Representation works within the framework of the establishment. It will be like a shot of strong medicine given to a sick body. Once this new system is securely in place party affiliation will fade into the background for it will not matter which party is elected, the key for government becomes unity not division.

  

-- End Of Part Three --

  

Go to:

Molecular Politics -- Part Two

Molecular Politics -- Part One

  

Recommended Reading:

The Molecular Relationship