We are one year away from the 2016 presidential election, yet we are already a full year into the campaign. The memes are pinging both sides of the political aisle, cleverly goofing on Trump’s ego or comb over, Bernie funding his social programs with pixie dust, or Hillary’s endless email server boondoggle.
Lost in the meme-ification of our thought processes, however, is deep thought and action. We are prone to McNuggeting our political acumen in 140 characters or less or through memes, which is why it comes as no surprise that most of us don’t get off our asses and call or email our so-called elected representatives and tell them to stop running for president long enough to walk through some legislation that will help boost our stagnant economy and improve our ability to make a living.
No, we’ll just laugh create or laugh at the memes that depict the ugliness of today’s American economic landscape and let someone else do the heavy lifting. Disney is laying off qualified employees to import cheap overseas labor? There’s a meme for that. Robots are replacing workers at Lowe’s? There’s another meme. Uber is calling its driver employees contractors? There are plenty of memes dedicated to that…and on and on…
While you’re meme-ing, here’s what you’re missing: For close to a year, a handful of “sitting” members of Congress or governors have been running for the highest position in the country, CEO of the North American Union (I’m upgrading the title, because I’m sure the TPP will pass before the election and that is what the presidency will ultimately become).
These tax payer-funded, elected representatives are taking a two year paid break from their day jobs to lobby billionaire sponsors to bankroll their almost certain failed run for president.
Outside of Marco Rubio, some may show up once in a while to vote for a bill that their corporate lobbyists wrote, and there’s a slight chance they may even read the legislation before they propose or vote on it.
They definitely show up to vote for some bills, like the Keystone Pipeline bill (nine or 10 times? I lost count), or legislation that supports expanding the surveillance state, military spending or other issues of importance to their transnational sponsors. No love for the average American worker though.
On occasion their corporate “handlers” help them out by instructing them NOT to read or reveal details of certain legislation, as was the case with Obamacare, or as is currently the case with the totally toxic, job- and economy-destroying TPP. Why are we paying these guys, again?
Not one of these candidates has taken a break from the campaign trail long enough to draft legislation that will help the working stiffed in this country now. Actually, when was the last time any member of Congress wrote a bill themselves? The seventies? Again, why are we paying these guys?
We’re told to wait until they’re elected president a year from now and then they will miraculously persuade Congressional members from both parties to support their vision for a better America…yeah, right. What’s the definition of insanity? Doing (or voting for) the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.
We elected these people to serve us now. I’m talking to you, Marco, Rand, Bernie, Ted and Chris. You say you’re worthy of the presidency? Show us. Don’t tell us what you’re going to do a year-and-a-half from now, while you spend your days looking for campaign money and kissing babies; write and propose legislation that can help the struggling American worker now…today.
I’m already “feeling the bern” and can’t wait for 2017, and neither should you. There’s a meme in there somewhere, right?