Rebooting “We the People”

“We the People” of the United States of America are in trouble.  Our democratic experiment is in peril, dominated by demagoguery and corruption.  The concerns of our Founding Fathers have come to fruition as ‘errant man’ has prevailed in the institutionalization of mercenary-grade rapacity.  Congress continues to get nothing done (albeit at great expense), and our Supreme Court has now put the final nail in the coffin of our liberal democracy by ruling that our Constitution really meant to read “We the Corporations”.  While liberty was once our common bond, anger has taken its place. Unless we find a way to reboot our democratic values we will soon enter the Pantheon of former superpowers.

While this may sound like a jeremiad, we have got to find a way out of this.  Our government still has power and money, but no longer has its people; who have and always will be its principal source of strength. If anyone could have succeeded in rebooting our democracy, President Obama arguably had the best shot, but a wide mandate evaporated in the quagmire of Washington DC.  Someday we may come to realize Obama was the canary in the coal mine; a sign that bright young leadership could no longer produce reform and renewal.  The system is ungovernable. It now exists as little more than a host for parasites.

Smart people with big money – Goldman Sachs – have made their risk assessment and are deeply discounting the capacity of the United States government.  While many rail against what they believe is a greedy behemoth, the reality is the folks at Goldman are simply doing a better job of pursuing their self-interest.  And, they have made their bet: they don’t believe the government can do anything to govern them.  They know what the rest of us are now realizing; our government – once a model for the free world – has a terminal case of constipation, which has immobilized its power. The partners at Goldman Sachs know they will always be able to out-smart and out-maneuver regulators in Washington.

            There is a way out, however, thanks in part to new technologies that offer us new ways to form new modes of collective action.  While our government may be entering a slow but certain period of entropy, we have the capacity to form new relationships and associations to solve seemingly intractable problems.  The solution starts by taking a page out of Goldman Sachs’ game plan and learn to ignore our government.  Turn our back and, to the extent possible, quit feeding/funding the monster it has become.  Each of us must pick an objective – education, healthcare, alternative fuels, security, communication, technology, whatever.  Set out to organize those with common interests – whether or not they too are Americans.  When a solution is found, pursue its execution with all the energy and resources available – with or without government support or approval.

            “We the People” can form more perfect Unions.  The time to get started is now.