The end of an ideal which was created in the 1700’s began in the 20^th Century. A nation which was founded on the ideal of a Democratic Republic failed as predicted by our second President John Adams. In the early 1980’s our nation surrendered to a government whose only interest consisted of a group of men and women who placed their personal success above that of the nation’s people. Special interests were given more consideration by our government than the working class thanks to lobbyists who spent millions of dollars buying votes.

Seeking election to ‘serve the American people’ ceased to be the goal. Becoming a Congressman or a Senator became a profession; and a very lucrative one. The base salary of a legislator would not make a Congressman wealthy, but with the influence of lobbyists all but two of those who work in the Capitol for two terms are now millionaires. Polls prove that Congress fails to support the needs and wishes of the working class. One-percent of our nation’s people control legislation in Washington.

Politicians make their decisions based on winning their next election and the desires of those who pay lobbyists to intervene for them. This has eliminated the Democratic Republic created by our founding fathers. Elections mean nothing. After many of our Congressmen and Senators are elected, the promises and ideals professed during their campaigns are forgotten; they didn’t believe in most of them anyway. They now serve their masters and place their personal needs above the people who elected them.

A nation ruled by a few is called an oligarchy. Our nation is now ruled by 545 individuals. For most of the 330 million people who live in the United States, there is no representation. 435 Representatives, 100 Senators, nine members of the Supreme Court, and a president rule our nation. These are the men and women who control the millions of people they were intended to serve.

One issue stands alone which proves that our nation has been converted into an oligarchy; growing income inequality. Our nation has become a parody of the old song; “the rich get richer, and the poor are getting poorer.” Domestic issues have been entirely ignored by one party. The truth is that they seek the destruction of social programs which benefit the working class and those who live in poverty. Corporations are experiencing record profits while workers are seeing smaller paychecks. The wealthy are buying multiple mansions and private jets while the poverty level is growing.

This is not the end of the story. Thanks to a corrupt government we are moving away from being an oligarchy. No, we’re not moving back towards a Democracy, we’re moving towards a plutocracy; rule by the rich.

If you doubt this fact, here are a few examples of government support for the wealthy vs the majority. Including gun owners, Americans support reasonable changes in our nation’s gun laws. Comprehensive background checks for all gun purchases, eliminating assault rifles and high-output magazines are not extreme. But Congress is listening to the NRA lobby which represents the billion dollar gun industry; manufacturers and sellers. Polls prove that the majority of Americans favor same-sex marriage. Supported by the Christian religious right, one party is seeking a repeal of the Supreme Court’s decision to support the rights of all Americans. Corporations do not want to pay spousal benefits for one more group of American workers. Immigration reform is not an issue for most Americans; we favor sensible change. One party opposes any change, and some actually believe in deporting approximately eleven million people. This is in support of the wealthy corporation’s refusal to pay these immigrants fair wages and benefits. It’s a matter of money. If eleven million people became legal residents they would be paid at least minimum wage; they and their employers would contribute to social security, Medicare, and unemployment compensation. These workers would receive benefits equal to natural born citizens.

The last issue, immigration, has one other component. Hispanics tend to vote for Democrats.

You can take back your country, but few are willing to do difficult things. We must end loyalty to political parties and elect the most qualified and sincere candidates. After we eliminate the dead weight in Washington, those we elected must keep their promises and change two travesties which have ruined our political system. There must be term limits installed for Congress, and the Electoral College must be eliminated.

Be an Independent; be a free man.

Op-Ed

By James Turnage

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