The Age of Digital Democracy

Any number of things can become that hunger. Cigarettes are a coarse example. Another example would be cars, or power, money, or sex... All these things need to be fed with, in the end, huge amounts of personal resources.

Each one of these things is a choice we make to keep in our lives. We devote all of our time and effort reading and studying and working so that we can pour more and more money into our own interests, vices, and addictions.

In doing so we are treated, in America at least, to a healthy helping of freedom of choice. Freedom to buy or sell anything we want to. Purchase any thing that will make our little hearts content. The government as a vestige of the people stands clear of what they do so as not to incur their wrath.

The corporations and manufacturers of this and that thing sell us this and that thing X and then another corporation sells us this and that thing y which is really only this and that thing X with Romano cheese added or some such arbitrary advertising snag. All the while we all choose to have the freedom to purchase both of them if we work hard enough and make enough money to afford them.

Did it ever occur to anyone in our fast food culture that too much choice and too much freedom could actually be a bad thing?

If only 75% of all human beings were below the I.Q. level of say 100 that would mean that if you were smart enough to understand this essay 3 out of 4 of the people in the same room would not be. The real number I think I read was in the 80's. If that is so then does that mean that the world is currently living in fear of a huge mass of inferior and mentally challenged human beings acting together as one heavily armed police officer?

No, that means that intelligent people in government who are using us as pawns have led us to believe that our choice was to invade Iraq as a country.

They have conned us into believing that there is actually some voice of the people in Government while in actuality only those in the Independently Wealthy category have a real chance of making it in politics. The truth here is that no Joe Schmoe makes it. Old money is old money because it holds onto it well through the generations.

How do you hold onto money and continue to make it grow? Make friends with corporations who will pay for your campaign and then make laws while people aren't watching (which in this country is most of the time) that favor industry and the rich.

They've done well so far and the game seems to work for them. In the hot seat of the most heavily armed nation in the western hemisphere and disgustingly rich. These are too things that should never meet. What do they personally care about the problems of third world nations? Those people just haven't come around yet.

And every American seems fine with all of this. They know for certain that they are too stupid en mass to ever really run a government themselves, right? Or are they still holding on to the belief that they are actually in control because they 'voted'.

Ever see "Moon over Parador"? Old Dreyfuss flick where they're shooting a movie in a third world country. Anyway, two soldiers are talking. Looking up at a large double poster of the local dictator one says,” I think I'll vote blue!" referring to the blue half of the sign. The other replies "Vote blue, vote red, it's a free dictatorship."

Sorry, got off the topic there.

So what do you believe Mr. Reader? Do you (pointing finger) believe that YOU (pointing Finger) are too stupid to run a country? Why don't we try a little test all over America and see if the local government and national eventually will allow us to truly be a Democracy.

Remember on American Idol when America voted which teen on to the next round? They all used their cell phones to text message votes and I think several hundred thousand or at best possible millions called in. That being said why is participatory democracy on the personal level not available?

What if we all had a small device on hand with which we could vote on any issue being televised and have it directly correspond with legislation and national action. How do you think the vote in Iraq would have gone had we been able to ask every tax paying American?

How do you think George Bush would have liked it had he rattled sabers up the night before the war, and then, just as he was poised to order the first strike it went to a peoples vote and failed to win support?

How much more venerated would we have been in the worlds eyes. People would have unilaterally liked Americans again.

What if many nations could do this as well. Can you imagine a yes or no question debate between the Indian people and America?

Even one just for fun would be interesting.

What percentage of the Indian people would answer yes if asked "Is Hollywood better than Baliwood?" The answer to that would be a scream.

On a local level you could immediately vote for funding on pressing issues. There could be a local channel for pressing issues that could announce sampling calls and given a number of hours or days to lock in your vote, having researched the subject thoroughly, you answer with your conscience and voila'! It’s now official, the whole community voted to increase spending for schools this year.

The people are already trained to use cell phones and palm pilots and the devices are on the way which combines both of those. You could have security and voting software installed together that would protect your identity. A host of problems with identity theft would ensue but the bugs still are more than the kudos at this point, be patient.

The question is, are enough of us willing to take on that kind of responsibility? Or are we happy with our corporate masters and their government watchdogs? I think that the answer to that would be sobering.

I don't have the know-how to make this happen but I am sure that someone out there does. Isn't it worth it to once and for all ask the entire American continent and all territories to vote at once? To receive that vote in totality within a small amount of time, say minutes to hours. And to be able to act on it on a national scale having just all individually accepted the consequences or our actions.

I'm sure the Iraqis would be interested to know what the American people think about this war. If a majority had been queried and the war had been stopped I have a strong personal belief that even though the Iraqis and any other nation that shares their Arab, Muslim heritage would still not have liked us.

The world however would have stood up and taken notice at the gesture one of its neighbors made of forgiveness. For the Attacks on September 11th and for the other hosts of attacks daily. Had we chosen war as a people they would have begun to fear us.

How much easier would your conscience rest if you knew that no troops were being deployed in combat by the US right now? Anywhere, because you and 250 million souls said no.

How much cleaner would your hands feel?

On the other side of that coin, how would you feel if you simply couldn't let the horrible images burned into your brain go and had to fight the whole culture. The very essence of their culture is now flawed enough to you to make it hated. And with hate comes violence.

But in this case a necessary evil to ensure that those oil rich, poorly educated, religious zealots don't get their hands on things that could threaten my home and my loved ones. What if you honestly believed that offering our stern hand for guidance was the best way to reform all of these rogue nations?