Money is Not Root of All Evil, But the Root of Influence

There is debate between main street and wall street as to who is to blame for the current state of the country's financial state of disarray. As I write, the credit rating of thousands of people are dropping like flies and some banking institutions such as Goldman Sachs have credit ratings and profit lines that are rising like phoenixes from the ashes.

Some fingers are pointing to the banks for pushing for deregulation of the banking industry and asking to be bailed out for poor financial bets. Some fingers are pointing toward the government for agreeing to the deregulation and facilitating of using tax payer money to save banks that made risky financial moves. There is one party that (as per usual) is doing most of the finger pointing, but is just as complicit in the current state of our economy, the voter.

People will march for racial injustice, police brutality, gender bias and other visceral issues that get splashed across all manner of media. However, when it comes to issues of banking regulation, lending regulation and the influence of financial institutions on government direction, the reaction is at best elementary and short-sided.

There can be no denial that this country is driven by religion, protection of liberties, but most of all our nation is controlled by capitalism. Capitalism is defined as: An economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than the state. Put simply, the affairs of the economy do more to influence the success or failure of our nation than any other factor and not keeping a watchful eye on what's going with the regulation of the financial industry is a real mistake.

In the 80's the layout of how college loans and credit cards work was laid out in congress. There were some who wanted to allow bankruptcy protection against student loans like it is for most other forms of debt. Some of those same people spoke out against allowing credit rating on one account to be raised due to a delinquency on a completely different and unrelated account. However, congress was heavily influenced by credit card and lending companies, killing both of those provisions along with others that might have protected average citizens.

Now, credit cards and student loans are two of the more unregulated and powerful areas of credit and debt in the country and it will take significant action on the behalf of voters to change that. One of many sayings that I've heard from my childhood is "when you point a finger at someone, there are three more fingers pointing right back at you." Sure, Goldman Sachs is an easy target of voter unrest and disillusion, but if voters can take a shot at a harder target, voter complacency in holding representatives accountable for decisions made in relation to financial industries, we as a country might find our aim a bit more true.

A Few Simple Ways To Be Civically Engaged

Someone a few days ago asked the question, "How do you define this Civic Engagement idea?" A very good question. The American Political Science Association recently defined civic engagement as something which,

"includes any activity, individual or collective, devoted to influencing the collective life of the polity,"

I see it as the purposefully engagement in activity which intended for the betterment of a community. Some examples of such activity might be things like: running for political office, participating in a phone bank for a candidate or writing letters of complaint to your state representative/senator. These are fine examples of civic engagement, but it could even be something more basic. Here are a few simple ways to get civically engaged:

1. VOTE - Probably the easiest thing a person can do to be civically involved. Many people around the world either don't have the right or have had to overthrow their previous government to get the right to do something most in this country take for granted. Employers are required to give their employees time off during the day to vote in an election, a little known fact.

2. KNOW YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS - Most everyone knows the name of the President, but most people can name the characters on their favorite TV show before they can name their city councilman or mayor, state representative, etc. Unfortunately, what you don't know in this case can hurt you. Your local and state elected officials make decisions everyday that affect your life and if they don't hear from you, you can bet that they're hearing from someone else or some other group, but what you can't bet on is whether or not those groups or people being heard care about the same things you do. Don't leave your life in someone else's hands. You can find out who your representatives are by visiting your local town hall, city/county or by visiting a site on-line like Project Vote Smart.

3. GO TO A SCHOOL BOARD/CITY COUNCIL MEETING - While these meetings might not always be the most exciting events in the world, they are a great way to find out what issues are affecting your community and/or meet others in your town who might have similar passions as yourself. At the very least, if you go to a city council or school board meeting you might meet your representative in person and bend their ear about an issue you have. Meetings can be great way to have the kind of informal one-on-one meeting with elected officials that are hard to come by even with an appointment.

These are just a few simple ways to become civically engaged, but there are plenty of other ways to do so. The important thing is not HOW you become civically engaged, but that you DO become civically engaged. The first step is always the hardest, but make it a simple one and you'll be off and running (for office) in no time.

The Power of People

Thousands of miles and several time zones away there are people who are showing the U.S. the meaning of civic engagement. As the lone "superpower" our nation prides itself on being an example of progress and freedom the world over. However, this nation's greatest moments, World War II, The American Revolution, The Civil Rights Movement, The New Deal, Women's Suffrage, etc, have come in times of struggle and conflict.

When you're on top (though there are a number of ways in which nations are measured where the U.S. ranks near the bottom) it's hard to hold yourself accountable because you have equal force to keep you honest. The U.S. has had the good fortune to hold onto to its status as the most wealthy nation in the world since the fall of the Soviet Union in the last century.

In Iran, right now as I write, there are people who may not know very much about Democracy and it's origins in Greek and Roman history. Still, these people are enacting the very principles which exist at Democracy's core. They not only speak out for what they believe in, but they are openly defying a government and cleric state that seeks to silence dissenting opinion about the most recent Presidential Election, proclaiming that these people should be treated as "terrorists".

[On a note of irony: I'm pretty sure Iran officials resented being lumped up with "terrorists" and the "axis of evil" when President George W. Bush needed someone to blame for the activities of 9/11, but now that the word works for there purposes, the same people feel justified in using the same language.]

Here in the great U.S. of A, it takes impeachable acts, gross misconduct and years of war that continues to be costly and unjustifiable for people to get involved on a national level. In 2000, we had our own version of the kind of electoral mishandling that is currently being protested in Iran. Sure, there were a few protests and court hearing, but after the Supreme Court ruled on the affair, the more than 50% of the country that were up in arms simply packed up their complaints and retreated into a whole of bitterness and resentment.

THE RESULT: An administration that may prove in time to be the most manipulative, power hungry, unscrupulous and ambitiously incompetent in our nation's history.

The protests of the last 30 -45 days in Iran could be seen in some eyes as all smoke and no fire,. because the results of the election weren't re-examined or officially disputed. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is still President and his opponent Mir Hussein Moussavi remains on the outside looking in. However, there appears to be some light at the end of this tunnel as Moussavi is seeking a legal political structure to continue the fight for a more progressive voice in Iran.

Only time will tell whether or not the efforts of Moussavi and other progressives in Iran will bear fruit any time soon, but hopefully it will serve as proof to future generations that a person can still love his or her country and while voicing opposition to power. If only we could

The Birth of Civic Engagement

Today is the Fourth of July. The day where the United States as a country comes together to celebrate the declaration of its independence. All around the nation, people will be flooded with fireworks, barbecues, picnics, baseball games, parades and patriotic music ranging from John Philip Souza marches to Lee Greenwood's "Proud to be an American".

Sadly, what will be missing today is any real recognition of this date's true meaning. July 4th is not merely the birthdate of our nation, the Declaration of Independence is arguably the greatest example of civic engagement in our country's history. In the face of charges of treason and certain death upon capture, a few men came together and bravely decided to defy the rule of an unjust government. These men, though busy with providing for families, running businesses, managing farms, etc, not only found the time to be aware of the state of their ruling government, but they understood the responsibility of citizens to hold that government accountable.

Fast forward to the 2008 Presidential Election, voter turnout nationwide reached the upper 60s and most people lauded this as an example of a renewal in voter participation. Two-thirds of our country takes part in the election to choose the nation's face to the world and it's supposed to be cause for celebration.

Organizers of the latest re-imagining of the Boston Tea Party, a collection of rallies against "unfair" taxes, will be attempting to gather again, but this time at the Southfork Ranch (of the television show - "Dallas" fame) in Texas. Ironically, these "patriots" are revolting against taxes that they (unlike their 18th century predecessors) can actually afford to pay, but just would prefer not to.

Still, these people would call their act an example of patriotism and civic responsibility, just as electoral experts might call two-thirds of the country voting for their nation's leader, laudable civic engagement. As a society we have progressed in many ways, but one way that we have noticeably digressed would be in producing an active and engaged citizenry. For me, the Fourth of July serves as remembrance of our country's past, a reflection on its present and a rallying call to its future.

So on this day, let us all enjoy the weather, food, fireworks and fun, but let's also take a second and think about the sacrifices made by our nation's forefathers as well as this land's forefathers (Native Americans). Afterwards, asking ourselves how our civic sacrifices compare to theirs.

After all there can be no change without sacrifice.

Happy 4th of July!