Will the Elections Make Any Difference?

In the next election, the republicans may oust the democrats. But will it really make any difference?

What we need is change. Over the last 200 years, the trend in American history has been toward bigger government with more involvement in our lives and a rollback in personal liberties. If we want to take our country back, we need some drastic changes to this trend. Does any republican candidate really have the power to make this change?

It’s important to be realistic. What we won’t have is a full-scale revolution, restoring the Constitution and our traditional American values. Change comes slowly in degrees. It’s a long, slow struggle and we shouldn’t expect it overnight.

The great news is that in recent years there has been a boom in grassroots political activity by everyday people. This new mobilization has been brought about by several factors. First, average Americans are getting fed up with their lack of participation in politics. After all, the United States is supposed to be a democracy, and we are democratically-minded people. Second, the internet has made this mobilization possible. People with common ideas can communicate and organize easily on the web. The Tea Party movement is a wonderful example of this grassroots mobilization.

But what we’ve got to remember is that power doesn’t easily relinquish power. Every rollback of basic American freedoms is a huge step backward. It’s much harder for us to make these changes than it is for a politician to sign a law into effect. This is why we need to be patient with the slow pace of change and not expect too much in the coming election.

In fact, “change” has become a buzzword for nearly every politician in the last decade. Their marketers tell them that Americans are hungry for it, and every politician regardless of their interests invokes this magic word around election time. It’s easy to preach change at election time, but much tougher to make it happen; especially when a politician’s pockets are so stuffed with special interest money!

Here’s a quote to think about. Economist Murray Rothbard said, “The state is nothing more nor less than a bandit gang writ large.” In the face of a “bandit gang,” we feel pretty powerless, don’t we? What can you do when your government is overrun by bandits who are only interested in helping their rich and powerful friends make a killing at taxpayers’ expense?

This quote hits the mark, but there’s no reason to give up hope. We’ve seen how, throughout history, great people have been elected into this bandit gang, and in spite of the vested interests, they’ve managed to make changes for the better. Even the mafia can be improved if a good man can manage to climb its ranks.

So, what’s the message? The message is: Get out and vote. Choose carefully the people who are capable and serious about representing our interests, the interests of everyday Americans, the “real” America and not the privileged elites or radicals. Organize and mobilize to make change at a grassroots level, and support candidates who share our views. Just don’t expect a full-scale revolution in the next election.