Today is NOT October 28: it’s October 29. However, this story is “about” October 28, 2016.
On October 28, 2016, I analyzed the political problems alive and thriving in our government at that time. And I published the following synopsis on TruthNewsNetwork. It popped up in my “memories” yesterday, October 28. When it did, I was shocked to realize just how little has been accomplished.
No American can objectively (or truthfully) claim that our government is doing the job expected by those who were elected members of our government. Certainly, we can have differing opinions about anything and everything in our government — and we do. What’s wrong? Why can’t we get the U.S. government to click?
Finger-pointing does not give us answers. There certainly are plenty of “experts” on political matters who are certain who and what are the problems and who is responsible for them. Americans in 2021 in unison will echo that the “experts” don’t have a clue!
Here’s my difficulty: By this point in our political “modern” history, I expected a number of changes would have been implemented by those within the government to fix the problems within the government. For most of my 68 years, Americans in large felt that all that was necessary to implement the necessary changes to right the ship would have completed by now.
Take a look at this and see if you don’t share my chagrin at how little we have accomplished and, in fact, how far we have slipped toward “anti-democracy.”
October 28, 2016
“Let’s get beyond discussions about HRC and DJT and talk about (besides the obvious) what this election means to the nation. No matter the winner November 8, the absolute positive that has evidenced itself during this cycle is the absolute horror that lives everyday in the U.S. political system that resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and the U.S. Capitol along with offices up and down K Street in D.C. It is now indisputable that the truth does NOT reside in any of these locations and that the White House and the Capitol have been and are for sale…..period. This is not a Democrat, Independent, or G.O.P. problem – it is a U.S. Government problem. It has been proven now to be much more than a problem: it is a travesty that has been perpetrated for much longer than any wish to admit.
So what do we do about it? Well, so far we’ve done nothing but “feed the monster.” Each election cycle we listen to those on both sides of the aisle promise us they will do this, stop that, start the other, all of which will fix our problems: social, economic, policy, everything. We always elect those that tell us the most convincing story about what and how they will fulfill these promises. Then nothing happens. But what is worse is that all of the problems voters elect officials to address only get worse…and worse…and worse. In this note, let’s not discuss the problems. We all know them. Let’s talk about how to solve them – really solve them – and get onto building a nation.
It is absolute idiocy to repeat the same things expecting different results. Change is necessary to effect different results – REAL change with REALLY different results. So in the U.S. political system, what qualifies as real change? Simple: doing things differently. First, let’s outlaw lobbying….period. That means forbidding anyone from providing money, trips, dinners, vacations, perks, anything to any lawmakers or any other government officials who have any say so on any U.S. policy decisions. Elected and appointed U.S. government officials must make decisions based solely on merit and not on any quid pro quo obligations or agreements. Then let’s instigate term limits. Originally Senators were governor appointed and served in Congress as representatives of the states; Congressmen were elected to two year terms to represent their local communities in the “Peoples’ House,” and would return to their civilian lives after serving their communities in D.C. for two years. It was only later the political system kicked into high gear and generated the first of the D.C. self-perpetuating political class. And today’s debacle is what we inherited by allowing D.C. to run itself.
Almost universally Americans want lawmakers to live by and abide by each and every law they pass then implemented. Far too many of those laws mysteriously do not apply to Congress or other government officials. If they are good enough for voters they are good enough for government officials. If not, do not make them laws. Congress should have just the same healthcare opportunities that all Americans have; the same government retirement benefits and nothing more. Their work hours and job responsibilities should be the same as in equivalent civilian jobs with similar benefits. Congressional offices and their budgets and expense accounts should be closely watched and regulated and randomly audited.
Regarding the Supreme Court (and other federal judges): these should no longer be lifetime appointments. I understand the framers of the Constitution wanted to take politics out of consideration for these appointments, but it has been worked itself into being part of the political process and is negatively impacting our nation every day. Term limits should be enacted here.
Much of this will require a Constitutional Convention with serious debate for multiple amendments. Americans will unite behind this move. In fact multiple state legislatures have already voted to authorize such a convention. Will the federal government unite behind Americans and let this happen?
Additionally, there are several unnecessary bureaucracies that have been created in D.C. just to build and perpetuate power centralized to the Federal Government that originally belonged to the States. Remember, the Constitution plainly states that States control their own people in every way except with the authorities relegated to the Federal Government BY THE STATES. It has obviously switched (not legally but in perception and therefore actuality) to the Federal Government controlling who is responsible for what. No amendments are needed here; just a re-statement and admission by all in D.C. that they will all accept this going forward.
In short, the Federal Government must be relegated once again to simply serving the American people. Federal laws ALL need to be honored and enforced. And if there are those in office who do not like any laws, they need to use the lawmaking system from the Constitution and change or do away with any law they don’t like. If they do not have consensus to make those changes, they are not to be made. Laws are written and approved in the U.S. by the Legislature – a process that requires the consensus of the Peoples’ representatives. No one has any unilateral authority to write or change duly passed laws. And earmarks and executive orders MUST be done away with. Any thing that does not legislatively pass due process must never be enacted.
I am certain I have left some things out. But we all should on Election Day take these thoughts into the voting booth with us. We the People MUST take our government back. If we do not, the political elites that control Washington – Democrats, Republicans, Independents, big contributors, lobbyists – will continue to use it to exact power from the People and fill their pockets.
Honestly, there are NO Republicans, Democrats or Independents. They all are of the same ilk, the same face. They are only about controlling everything with self-interest at heart. Americans need to understand and accept responsibility for what we have in D.C. And Americans must take responsibility and change what we have in D.C.”
Summary
My friend Steve Smutherman pastors the largest church in New Mexico in Albuquerque. He’s a really good speaker. A few years ago, I heard him at a “Men of Iron” conference addressing a number of men from all types of backgrounds. What he said was profound. What was MOST profound was one statement he made: “Nothing Changes if nothing changes.”
How simple is that? How “true” is that?
Here we are today in a quagmire that was created by the very people who promised they’d get us out of the quagmire created by their predecessors and their predecessors.
We’re still in the mud. And why is that?
“Nothing changes if nothing changes.”
What will it take for Americans to accept that the reliance on the same group of tired old men and women who espouse the same old tired and worn failed policies has failed and will never lead us out of our political doldrums?
We received a temporary reprieve in 2016. The nation voted for, and elected, a change-maker who, for most of his four years in office, was able to restore some faith in the U.S. political system. How did Donald Trump do that? “Nothing changes if nothing changes.”
He changed things and the results were amazing!
So what happened? I refuse to opine or finger-point. I’ll just leave you pondering all this with this Verse from Proverbs 26:11:
“As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness.”
Nothing’s changed….for the better.
To Download Today’s (Friday, Oct. 29, 2021) “TNN Live!” Show, click on this link: 
