Don't wait til it's too late

Maybe you have been reading about the gridlock in Congress, about how a single Republican senator is holding up all of Obama's nominations until he gets his pet projects funded. Or how in a effort to compromise, democrats have allowed Health care reform devolve into a pathetic joke, or how The entire republican Party is committed to obstructing all business unless they are running it- THEIR WAY.

Maybe you saw the rousing conversation President Obama had with GOP representatives recently. Did it make any difference? Chances are slim to none.

It doesn't matter that a Republican President and Congress nearly destroyed the country with their tax cuts to the rich, twenty years of deregulating everything (Clinton did this too), selling off public interests to corrupt and evil corporations under the lie "small government is best" or that that both parties gave the banks the entire country while sentencing the rest of us to be wage slaves in debt for the rest of our lives... people still vote Republican.

If you earn less than a half a million a year and you vote Republican you are voting against your interests. PERIOD. 

Republicans have proven again and again they only people they care about are (besides themselves) are corporations that will bankroll them, and the very wealthy who run those corporations that will help keep them in power. Almost everything else is a lie or some backhanded tactic that does little (like vouchers) while STILL providing a fat profit for some lucky company or rich person. (there are always exceptions, but too few)

Now, I've lost all faith in the Democrats ability to make hash of such obvious greed and incompetence, so this is not to say that they are the answer... both parties are corrupt and do many of the same stupid things that cost real people lost jobs and income, but the democrats will usually make compromises to GET THINGS DONE. The Republicans just say NO to everything, and get away with it.

The country is becoming ungovernable with this kind of gridlock. California is already on the brink. Mismanagement at the state level has bankrupted the state and turned one of the worlds largest economies into a case study in failure. 

What can we do? you ask. 
Make your voice heard. 
Write your representatives at every level. Demand an end to this abuse. Demand they start working with one another and remember whey they are in elected office in the first place!

Too general? press them on specific issues. Be sure to educate yourself first. Do research, get multiple opinions and check facts- get your own opinion on solid ground.

Democracy means participation. We must Participate! 

Mass engagement would send a signal to our representative that we care, that we are getting involved- that we won't put up with obstructionist grandstanding any longer.

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other resources

Alternet explores actions needed to end corporate dominance.

Votesmart- keep track of how your representatives are voting.