Can we not see it?
Opinionated news befouls all citizens, twisting reality with “facts” that are not facts. The tortured logic is presented as gospel truth in emotional messages that destroy our confidence in each other and the institutions our fathers, their fathers and their fathers before them built to protect us from such abuse.
Studies have shown that opinionated news, both liberal and conservative, is saturated with inaccuracies and blatant falsehoods. That, coupled with the fact that 80% of the money we give to support candidates is no longer used to support them but to trash opponents, eats at the heart of The People’s ability to self-govern.
If there is no difference between fact and fiction there can be no democracy. But 2 + 2 DOES = 4 and we know it, so why behave like monkeys on a rope.
We are organized and managed through every dollar spent on messaging that moves us emotionally instead of intellectually.
We are learning to hate each other. How could we, in the birthplace of democracy and freedom, be so willingly led to the slaughter by such shameless political preaching when the remedy sits right before us, patiently waiting to hear us say “enough” and begin to fight back.
It does not have to be this way--and cannot be this way if our experiment in self-governance is to continue its success!
The tools are there for The People to regain control and take charge. It is right there in front of us all, reality is there for the taking by anyone with the will. Both the technology and the data exist to put reality back in play.
Every essential fact about candidates for the presidency, the congress, governorships and even state legislatures can be captured: every biographical detail, every public record, every vote, every issue position stated, every public statement, and even every independent review by every conceivable special interest is gathered and easily searchable by any citizen.
We only need the will to be the boss, use the technology currently available and make the facts easily available to any citizen, right wing or left.
We are the employers and our job is simply to do what was intended: ignore the self-serving nonsense and take charge just the way anyone would hiring for any lesser position than those applying to run our lives.
Richard Kimball
Vote Smart President