Let me start this off by saying that I am an independent and do not identify myself with any sort of political label. In fact, I absolutely despise politics, because, in my opinion, it is essentially a game of appeasement and favors. The next presidential election has barely begun, and I'm already over it. People get so gung ho for their chosen savior, despite the fact that in the end they are all just different sides of the same shape. These candidates are people with an ego the size of the national deficit thinking that they are the all-knowing, wise leader that is going to pull this country out of the turmoil engulfing it. Let me firstly say, I understand that we need a leader, we have to have a President, and that's how this whole thing works; but to be honest, I don't trust ANY of them. I mean, think about it, what sane person would willingly want to spend over a billion dollars of other people's money (don't even get me started on that part) in order to have the most stressful job on the planet? I'd like to say that it would be a completely selfless civil servant that strictly believes in helping others and the betterment of our country as a whole, but we all know that's crap. I'm not saying that these are bad people. I'm sure most of them have good(ish) intentions; but we do not live in the simple days of our Founding Fathers anymore where things were mostly black and white, and when the government's sole purpose was to protect its people and their rights. In fact, our government (and by default our Presidents) are doing the opposite by constantly putting our citizens in harm's way, sending them into far-off conflicts, and by slowly taking away the rights that made this country great in the first place.
This may be an unpopular opinion, but despite the fact that it's the egomaniacs running the country that are doing this to us, the real blame lies on the ignorance of the American people as a whole. We are so fickle in our thoughts and feelings towards how this country should be run. We go through eight years of one political party, and then decide they are ruining us and switch to the next. Not because the average person really gets the difference, but because the political pundits tell us so, and people go along with it like sheep. Other than George H.W. Bush being elected after Ronald Regan, there has not been two consecutive Presidents in the same party since Truman followed Roosevelt. Given the fact that Roosevelt and Regan are Gods in their respective parties, one could argue that being the main reason why the same party was elected once they stepped down. On a side note, I am not including Lyndon B. Johnson following John F. Kennedy, or Gerald Ford following Richard Nixon, because both of them ascended to the Presidency following a tragedy with their predecessor.
A perfect example of the fickleness of the American populace: listen to the things people are saying about Donald Trump right now. “He is something different," “He is that force for change Washington needs to get their head out of their ass,” “He can make America great again,” etc. Now rewind to 2007, and tell me that is not the same crap people were saying about Barack Obama. I was caught up in it then, being newly eighteen and able to vote. I was swept up in the excitement, change, hope, blah, blah, blah, and look where that got us. It doesn't matter if it is the nonsensical idea of raising minimum wage to fifteen dollars an hour or a ridiculous proposal to build a wall around Mexico - in the end they are all ego driven salesmen with a God complex and a three piece suit. It's time to wake up people!
The other issue here is the war you wage on each other with party lines. I am so sick and tired of reading my Facebook feed and seeing Democrats comparing all Republicans to overly religious, gun-toting, war-mongering fascists, and Republicans equating all Democrats to Godless, overly politically correct, hippie socialists. I get that people have their own opinions on how the country should be run, and I am all about debating that, but did y'all ever stop to think that you are so busy fighting and putting each other down that maybe the country as a whole is suffering for that? I mean, can't we all agree on the fact that two sides together are better than one? That maybe if you put your petty party lines aside, we could actually grow as a country and be as great as we once were? Partisan politics is killing us as a collective whole. Before stepping down from the Presidency, George Washington said in his final speech, “However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.” Not that I am a political expert by any means, but if you ask me, that was a fella with perspective.
I'm not saying don't vote, and I'm not saying that if you truly believe in what your candidate says that you are wrong; all a brother is saying is don't so blindly follow these people, then think that because they get elected everything is going to be fine. All in all, it's one man (or woman) way in over their head and not having as much control as they would probably like. I get that we live in a dark world and everybody wants a savior to help them sleep soundly at night, but save that for religion or whatever cult you follow. Don't put that on politicians.
I love America, I really do. I have an entire sleeve paying tribute to our great country; but seriously folks, we have got to get our sh*t together. The more we tear each other down, the more power we give them to rule us how they see fit. It can't be 'We The People' when it's you versus me. We can't form a more perfect union when we treat each other like the enemy. We can't stand united if we fall divided, and we can't be respected around the world if we don't respect each other.
Take a minute and think about that one yo.
