Forum Post: Addressing the Root Cause

What we need is to truly treat the root cause of the current symptoms of our society. We, the United States of America, are not a democratic nation but a representative democratic nation. We are suppose to elect certain individuals to represent our interest and run this country. But our system is deeply engraved and backed by the lobbyists, hired by self-interest group, whom select potential candidates that has the merits and traits to become elected. This in turn only brings out the well funded candidates into the visible spectrum in the public eye for election. Therefore, we the people of America are only left with mostly limited choices whom we want to represent us - the candidates backed by self-interest groups. Majority of people of America do not practice their voting rights and that further reinforces the existing system that we have. These self-interest groups are organized, financed, and they know what they want, and therefore their goals will be carried out by the elected officials more often than not. Look what the congress is currently accomplishing - nothing at all. These officials are so caught up on protecting the self-interest groups that they cannot come to terms with anything, look at how the budget talk progressed. If they weren't influenced by such groups and rather acted upon the best interest of all people, this budget talk should have been hammered out no problem.

The current system that we have for our government has 'somewhat' worked throughout the two centuries. We did not have the existing technology that we have today, specifically the information flow that we see today. We have witnessed drastic changes and the ever exponentially evolving technological revolution within the mediums and methods of how information is getting exchanged today. Now we have the social networking platform - a tool that allowed people to congregate and become organized regardless of physical distances. (i.e. General interactions between people, Arab Spring, OWS) So there is a way for the majority people of America to become organized and get out voice represented today. We no longer need the lobbyist system to be the main drive to represent our voice like it did before in the progression of our history in America. The influence of the self-interest group needs to become subdued over the majority of America in order to address issues better and actually carry out agendas better with those elected officials who actually represent US. As we are in the midst of social evolution, made possible through technology, our current existing political system needs to follow suit.

Suggestion: Allow lobbyist system to exist for representing local matters to get agendas accomplished; however, disallow for electing officials, meaning eliminate campaign contributions to candidates altogether. In place, integrate a centralized taxpayer-backed election process, via the existing information technology, to give equal chances and exposures for each candidate for their bid for the position to represent US. This system should be less costly in the long run (probably with high initial cost but less expensive down the road than the existing political campaigns). The social-networking-platform-like infrastructure should be used for the exposure and bid for each candidates and gathering votes from people as well - meaning evolve the existing voting system altogether. This will allow and encourage people to practice their voting rights more than ever.

Of course, this will be gravely prevented by any means necessary by the current system, justifying that the current one must stay in tact. But if the majority of the voice of US can push hard enough, it is not a far-fetched idea.

On the side note, this approach may not solve all issues on hand but it is definitely an address to the flaws of our current system that may become the stepping stone to make processes better and effective with less ‘conflict of interest’ than ever before for the well being of US.

Thanks for reading. Any feedback and thoughts would be appreciated.