The Cup O' Joe Report: Wednesday, January 11, 2006 - Priorities

[Joeve]

This is a transcript of Joe Vecchio's daily "Cup O' Joe Report" podcast, availaible here

Of the numerous issues we're dealing with today, none are so important to this observer than the creation of an accurate and accountable election process. If we believe, as we say we do, in the idea of self-rule, that is, the idea that the citizens of a nation have a right to determine their own futures as opposed to, say, a king or a dictator, then we owe it to ourselves to create a system that accurately reflects the desires of the citizens. Unfortunately, too many of us would prefer to be as uninvolved as possible or worse, not to be involved at all.

Politics however, like nature, hates a vacuum. There will always be those who want to rule over other people for their own benefit; if we decide we don't want the power, they will be perfectly happy to take it. Saying you want no part of politics will eventually condemn you to being a second-class citizen or worse, a subject. You can find yourself losing a son or daughter in a war we have no business fighting, or die in a mine shaft because the government cares more about the mining company's profits than they do in the lives of their employees.

For those of us who are active in politics, we need to understand that however important other issues are, and they are, this issue must take priority. According to the Declaration of Independence, a government's power derives from those governed, but if instead our officials are chosen by a machine programmed by a corporation we will lose our voice altogether. Because elected officials answer to the will of citizens, kings and dictators do not listen to subjects and slaves.

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