Our Own Complacent Idiocy

Well I believe that I have officially been "told". That analytical Eckstein mind sifted through all the BS and picked out my hypocrisy. You are correct. I am not above the apathy that has engrossed America. There are many times when I could be more informed and/or active in political affairs. In fact perhaps I evidence this trait to a greater degree than many. Many people can claim that they were to busy with kids, work, or bills to go vote. I on the other hand have plenty of time and a lack of good excuses. While I may place a greater importance and interest in our federal government, local issues will likely effect me in more immediate and apparent ways. All this to say kudos cousin. I'm afraid I'll have to find a very convincing reason not to vote next time. After considering the comments of my dear cousin, who inspired this blog, I found myself drawn to the topic further. First let's investigate the value and validity of voting. Let's begin by assuming that your vote does have value and affects the course of political affairs. Validity in this example refers to the question of whether your vote is largely a personal choice or merely following a trend. The reason I ask this question of validity is because the idea behind our government is that the majority of voters will be capable of independent educated thought and the elected candidates will reflect this allowing for a diverse and adaptable body to rule. I acknowledge that this assumption will not be shared by some. If our votes are to be valid we must have the ability to analyze and filter the information we receive. When the majority of the public lacks this ability and will quite easily believe anything that is shown to them on a TV screen the validity of the system is broken. At this point one must make a judgment call. Can most Americans make the distinctions between truth and propaganda? At it's most basic level this question tests the very character of Americans. It is not merely a question of whether my vote is valid. It is a question of whether the majority of voters are valid. If this is not the case the entire system of voting is not valid. Invalidating your individual vote. To boil all this down to it's most simple format. Does the American government still represent Americans? I believe most Americans would respond with a patriotic "Yes!". My issue with this is that I do not believe they have stopped to consider the question. Tell me how one goes about determining the actual representative power of the government? Perhaps I haven't been getting out enough but I do not recall ever hearing about any type of research on this question. It is not discussed in the media. Perhaps in political academia things of this nature are reviewed. All this to say that there are many factors to consider before determining whether your vote on a specific issue for a specific occasion actually matters.
There was a second concept that caught my attention in the latter half of my cousins comment. "making a difference starts at a local level." I loved this statement. Making a difference does start in the lowest level of interactions. Not simply city governments and such but also the discussions and questions we delve into in our social circles. At this very moment by reading my blog (and hopefully contributing afterward) you and I can change our ideas about government, voting, and a many other issues. I hope someday reasonable people will begin talking about these thing more often. That people will begin to change and take an interest in reality outside their own contentment. This is the reality that lead to our independence from Britain and will lead us to independence from our own complacent idiocy. Perhaps the concerned voter of today would better serve by discussing these things with their coworkers and friends.
The reason why I emphasize the importance of social interactions in my previous paragraph is this. Local and state governments are losing power. I state this as a matter of opinion based on a small amount of research and observation. What happens when the federal government begins instituting a health care program, retirement program, gasoline credit program, house credit program, etc...? These policies and procedures are influenced to some degree by our local governments. However with time these programs become almost entirely controlled by federal regulation which our voting power has less effect on. Let's take for example federal income tax. Who get's the largest portion of the taxes on your paycheck? If your answer was the federal government you share the plight of most Americans. Social Security is another example. I pay into a well known mismanaged and unsustainable system that was implemented at the federal level. If this continues how long will city and state governments be necessary beyond acting as enforcers for federal legislation. If this trend continues the concerned population must begin interacting and organizing into a voice that can be heard by federal government in order to effect change. The point I am attempting to make is this. Local politics has it's place and importance based on our support or the lack thereof. If indeed change is a process brought about at a "local level" we must be aware of the changes in the power and scope of our local and federal governments. Thoughts anyone?