Forum Post: Final Solution

How do we bring fairness into our political system so that government is no longer the shadow cast by business in America, which is the bases for many of our current and past problems. Here are my two proposals....

1) Electoral Reform: Meaning the reduction of the roll money plays in all electoral positions of the United States. This includes congressional, mayoral, gubernatorial, and presidential elections.

2) Term Limits: All ballot-box public office positions must have term limits. Just like the president all other elected officials must leave office after a certain time. Incumbent career politicians created a fossilized system that is resistant to necessary change. We don't need dinosaur senators with same old tired tactics running the show anymore.

What's the best way to introduce these changes?

These changes must be incorporated into the constitution through amendments. Times have changed and our constitution needs to keep pace with current realities. Such an amendment will enshrine these necessary changes into the law of the land and will make all parties abide by them equally.

But, we don't have necessary votes in congress for these reforms to come to fruition?

It is true that our elected officials will never vote to limit their reign in power. That would be political suicide and these guys in congress have such a good life in congress they won't legislate to limit the fun times. Furthermore interest groups with big money won't allow meaningful campaign reform, as this would undoubtedly hamper "business as usual" for them. This is exactly the reason the people must continue to demand reform by marching, petitioning, and civil disobedience. We should take some lessons form the civil rights movement here. During the civil rights the plight of black people in the south was not on the radar of congress. Civil rights had no significant congressional allies until the movement was slowly able to put pressure on elected officials to act, including the president. If mass demonstrations and protests become large enough then there is no doubt politicians will pay attention. Furthermore our actions should directly threaten the seats of elected officials unwilling to deliver such reforms. This will cause a tremendous divide between those ready for change and those in the reactionary camp. Here is the best part; such a popular movement would cause the big dogs in campaign finance to reveal themselves. We can separate the chaff from the wheat, so to speak. This gives our movement more momentum. The Civil Rights Movement took more or less 10 years to accomplish in the United States. It was a long and hard struggle, but the results have changed our nation for the better. It was also a struggle seemingly impossible from the start, yet hope finally overcame despair. It was unacceptable to many elected officials of the time, but they were eventually overcome. This proposal for electoral reform will cause the same uproar from those unwilling to move forward, nevertheless, I know most Americans will support it. It is what we need in this country to guard against the "legal corruption" that has allowed corporations and financial institutions to dominate our political system, which in turn has allowed them to run wild. I know OWS doesn't want to make any demands at this point,which for the time being is good, but please be aware, if in the future, demands are to be made by us, this one should be on top of the list.