Forum Post: Why We Should Settle for Nothing Less than Social Change

I think we can all agree that, regardless of everything, the fact that corporate lobbyists and corporate campaign contributions have commandeered our government for the corporations' own interests with disregard for virtually everything else, is the very core of all our repugnance. But the fact that this has been the condition for well longer than I've been alive means that this oligarchy at the top isn't just going to readily relinquish this control, especially when they hold such a great position over us.

I've read for calls that we focus on some goal that is more attainable and can more readily garner support, or even that we simply remain without naming specific goals. I've read where some people say that we should simply "move the goal posts back where they used to be", which is to say we need to reset regulations to the point before they started being wiped out over the past few decades. That is great and really required when all is said and done.

But say this movement garners lots of support and struggles to get that accomplished and succeeds. We all feel greatly accomplished and retire back to our homes. The end. Cue the national anthem. But the core of the problem still exists because we didn't address that the (really less than) 1% holds many, many, many times more sway over the government than the other 99%. There is no solution resulting from moving things back to how they were years ago, since they obviously didn't prevent the present from happening. The momentum of the movement will just be wasted, and in only a matter of time all our progress would be wiped away, as has already happened (and/or is trying to be done) to nearly all our collective efforts of the past century.

It may be grandiose to attempt to tackle significant social change. Having such direct and over-powered corporate influence removed from our government won't be easy and will likely require the backing of the peoples of the entire world, but settling for anything less would be a complete waste of this force that is building. Social change has happened before, and now we have the internet which can unite us on a global scale. The people are there and waiting. They know in their hearts what they want, but are no doubt still largely blinded to what is out there. The case needs to be made somehow to all to wake them up from slumber.

I admit, we weren't prepared for this movement to begin, but we must take advantage of its sudden global momentum. I feel we should assemble specified think tanks (I realize that is essentially what these forums are) to debate about what course of action must be sought, and (mainly) its logistics and how it should be organized, because this is no minor thing. I myself will continue thinking over it and educating myself, and I trust you will do the same, if you've read this far. May humanity succeed.