Lottery Legislators
Lottery Legislators (3/1/2010)
America’s democracy is corrupted by the influence of corporate money. To fix our broken democracy we should do away with electing members of Congress and senators. I propose we set up a draft lottery system for selecting our legislators.
Here’s how it would work. Adult American citizens willing to serve as members of Congress or senators would put their name into a lottery drawing. Winning representatives would serve only one three year term and Senators would serve only one six year term. State lotteries could be staggered to rotate new representatives and senators into congress regularly. Or, all representatives could be selected at the same time every three years and all senators at the same time every six years. Winners of the lottery would be paid a salary and a Washington D.C. housing fee. They would be required to attend a two month civics class to better prepare them for their legislative duties. Lottery legislators would also receive funds for operating offices with appropriate staff with only up to one half comprised of family or friends. No other income or funds could be received by lottery winning legislators or their family or friends from lobbyists during their one term service time or for the rest of their lives. Anyone trying to influence legislators by monetary valued gifts would be prosecuted for bribery. Any legislator taking any extra money or gifts would be prosecuted for theft and corruption.
This legislative lottery will be patterned party on a lottery system already operating in the judiciary branch of America’s democratic government where voting citizens are randomly chosen to serve a time of duty on a jury during trials. Just as juries are comprised of one’s peers, congress would be comprised of one’s peers. Again, only adult American citizen willing to serve as legislators for one term would enter the lottery.
I believe this legislative body chosen randomly by lottery would be much more representative of America than our current system of representatives. America’s judiciary system of jury duty lotteries have a history of a high percentage of deciding guilt and innocence accurately and fairly. It’s not a perfect system but it is a system Americans have a high level of confidence in.
Another example of an American lottery system occurred during the Viet Nam War when the United States utilized a lottery system for choosing men to be drafted into military service. This draft lottery was generally viewed as being a fair system for choosing draftees.
While it may seem undemocratic to choose our representatives and senators by lottery instead of elections, it may actually be more representative.
Currently about 65 percent of senators and forty percent of representatives were millionaires before becoming legislators. In recent years it cost an average of 5 million campaign dollars to run for senator and costing on the average of one million dollars to get elected a representative. How can this be representational government when less than one percent of Americans are millionaires?
After the recent Supreme Court ruling (Citizen United v. Federal Election Commission – 1/21/2010) equating the rights of corporations with the rights of individuals and equating the sending of money with the freedom of speech, we will see a dramatic increase in political campaign spending in a system already spending an ungodly amount of money to influence and buy politicians and elections. A lottery system with a one term limit would eliminate all funding for campaign corruption and congressional vote buying. I would still keep in place the election system for choosing the President and state governors but I would establish a public financing system to try to eliminate corporate corruption in this elections.
It is difficult to imagine America giving up its illusion of democratic elections of representatives and senators in exchange for a lottery system to randomly select our representatives. Our present system of elections can best be described as an auction, with our representatives being owned by the highest bidders. This system will only become more corrupt in the years ahead with the influence of unlimited corporate money.
The lottery system is an alternative to the auction system we now have. If you look at America’s recent election history and the way congress works, and look at the direction it’s headed, you would have to admit that a lottery system couldn’t do any worse than the system we have. A lottery system certainly would at least make a more entertaining reality show than the current congress we see on CSPAN and the nightly news. We just have to persuade our current legislators and senators to change the constitution to institute a lottery. America’s democracy would be the big winner!
Jesus The Helpless Baby
Jesus The Helpless Baby (December 25, 2009)
The Christian God sent Jesus from heaven to save the world from sin and to help humans live together in peace. God’s Savior of the world came to Earth as a helpless baby. Throughout Jesus’ childhood he needed care; diaper changes, nursing, shelter, food, protection, guidance, education and work skills. This required his parents and community to constantly give to Jesus.
In the beginning Jesus had nothing to give the world but hope and inspiration for the future. In the beginning Jesus was more of a burden and an obligation than a joy to the world. The hope and inspiration of Jesus translated to hard work for his parents and his community. They took on the responsibility to make this world a better place for Jesus.
The world Jesus was born into was then, like now, sometimes a cold, dark, miserable place to live. The only way any of us survive such a world is by receiving lots of help from family, friends, community and strangers. We all are born into this world as helpless babies. We all remain children of God as long as we live, requiring constant help from others. We all have an obligation, a responsibility to give of what we have to make this world a better place to live for all other children. We need to remember it is only by receiving that we have anything to give.
The Next Revolution?
The Next Revolution? (Written January 3, 2008)
Another election year begins. The race to the presidency officially starts today with the Iowa Caucuses. The candidates have been gearing up for the race for the past year or more. Political junkies, like myself, are glued to the T.V. and media, following all the latest developments, moves, strategies, and statistics. A much larger majority of Americans are more interested in following the latest news in the race to the football Super Bowl. Only about 20% of voting age Americans will get involved in voting in the primary process. And only a little more than 50% will vote in the general election. Far fewer will vote in any of their local elections. Most people have more important things to do with their time than to spend an occasional hour to vote or an occasional hour to inform themselves on who to vote for. In a democracy like America’s, people have the freedom not to vote. Consequently, America’s democracy is controlled by the manipulations of a very small minority of special interests with lots of money. It is in their best interests that the majority of Americans remain non-voters, staying apathetic, alienated, and uninvolved in the political process of real democracy.
Or maybe it is that, most people who don’t vote (and probably a majority of those that do vote) find it difficult to choose between the lesser of two evils.
If most of the people who don’t vote suddenly became involved in the political process and voted, what kind of government would we have in America? Communism, or a more socialistic form of government? Perhaps a more libertarian approach. Maybe the people who don’t vote are really voting for having no government at all.
America’s founding forefathers were rich white land owners with many of them owning slaves. They created a modification of the English form of representative government. The House of Lord and the House of Commons were converted to the Senate and the House of Representatives. The King and Prime Minister position was changed to an elected president. The forefathers set up a series of checks and balances to keep any change moderate and to prevent a dictatorship. To be a participant in this form of representative democracy an individual had to be a white male land owner. Slaves and natives were considered savage animals. Women were considered the property of men. White non-land owners were considered unworthy of full participation in the process and their participation was greatly limited by the rich land owners.
Over the past 200 years of American history there has been several revolutionary movements to expand voter participation in the democratic representative government. This included extending the rights of non-land owners, the abolition of slavery, the women’s rights and suffrage movement, and the civil rights movement. Yet all the while there has remained in place sufficient checks and balances, and plenty of ways to manipulate the government, that the rich capitalistic “land owners” have always maintained ultimate control of America’s government and democracy.
America again needs to have another revolution to further democratize America’s democracy to include the nearly 50 percent of non-voting Americans. Besides the high number of disillusioned non-voting young, most of America’s non-voters are poor, lower income, working class slaves. There is the possibility of these non-voters to become active, informed citizens. All they need is hope, inspiration, and a reason to become involved. The next revolution will require a grass roots movement growing a new leader or a courageous leader who grows a grass roots movement.
In the end, the people who ultimately control the power of government, can try to stop the next revolution, as they have in the past, by ending the life of such a leader through assassination or crucifixion. All true revolutions, however, outlive any of their leaders.
I believe America is ready for its next unstoppable revolution in democracy. Will this be the year the non-voters elect themselves as representatives of American democracy and over throw the rich and powerful controllers of America’s government? Will this be the year the non-voters vote to start a new revolution?
Why Curvism Art?
Why Curvism Art? (Written 6/7/07)
I am in the middle of several art projects: making 25 small sacred shrines, making a movie about the Green River, and making a movie about the Black River. I want to throw myself into several new art projects: a series of elliptical paintings, printing off and framing 30 to 40 elliptical photographic self portraits (of my shadow, hand, foot), plus an idea for seven sculptures, and working on my next book.
Why? Why am I still involved with making art? My studio is packed full of art that I can’t sell because nobody wants to buy it. It seems difficult to even give it away. So why do I still want to make more Curvism art when no one cares about Curvism in spite of my continuing to send out letters, books and emails trying to generate interest for Curvism in the art world? Am I still chasing after fortune and fame? Why can’t I forget about art?
Without art my life would be boring and bland; unmemorable, and unlivable. If I had not thrown myself into art I probably would have thrown my life away into something destructively exciting-like being a wall street banker or stock trader, or a politician, or a military volunteer or perhaps a cocaine/meth addict. Art at least has the possibility at times of being connected to the spiritual. Maybe that is the answer to my question as to why I continue to create art. Art is the best way I know to see, feel, hear, taste and touch the spiritual. It is through art that the spiritual reveals itself through the physical.
Curvism in Cyberspace
Curvism in Cyberspace (Written 3/13/07)
The Curvism art show at Flanders Contemporary Art gallery is over. I sold one painting. Yesterday I packed all my unsold art into my van and drove slowly out of Minneapolis during rush hour and headed home. I’m glad I don’t live in the Cities. I don’t know how people do it day in and day out. Or why. Hundreds, and thousands and millions of cars all stuck in traffic. Who can dare to doubt the human cause of global warming? The cities.
Today I unpacked my van and put all my art back into storage in my art studio. In 1992 I built my art studio above a double garage addition to my house. The art studio measured 24 feet by 26 feet. At this point in time my usable space measures about six feet by twelve feet, the rest is art storage from floor to ceiling. I’m running out of space in my studio in which to create new art in. If I can’t sell my old art why should I make any new art? Maybe I should quite making real art and start making real abstract, virtual art. With the money I will receive from the sale of my one sold painting ($900) I could buy a good digital camera and have my studio and storage in cyberspace.
I would start by making a movie of me moving all my art out of the studio, documenting each piece, and building a large tower sculpture in my back yard using all my art. Then I would set fire to it all. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust and good riddance. A tower of babel reduced to ruble in a bonfire of the vanities. Real art can burn in hell! The digital image of the art will live forever in cyberspace heaven.
SAVE THE WORLD
Written on March 14, 2008
Being the tree hugging environmentalist that I am, I decided several years ago to give some money to join an environmentalist organization. By joining their cause, they would plant a tree in my name to reduce global warming. They in turn gave my name and address to another environmental group, who then gave my name and address to three other environmental and human rights groups, who each then gave my name and address to several other worthy liberal causes. So now, almost every day in the mail I receive letters requesting money to help save the rain forest, the polar bear, the whales, the salmon, the hoot owls, the wolves, the national parks, the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve, the parentless children in Africa from AIDS, the children in 3rd world countries with cleft pallets, the average American citizen from being spied upon by the National Security Agency, the roadless wilderness areas from the lumber and oil barons, the sick without doctors, the homeless without homes, the politically persecuted without lawyers, the poor without health care, the cops without guns, and people from diseases without a cure. They all seem to be great causes in great need of being supported. Many send free address labels, greeting cards or note pads. Others offer backpacks or stuffed animal toys. Most express urgent requests to act quickly by signing and sending a petition to the local congressman or Senator.
All these causes make my liberal heart bleed. My monetary resources are very limited. I feel guilty I can’t give more to save the world in all the ways that it needs saving. I feel guilty that I’m annoyed by all these organizations trying to make me feel guilty enough to give them all my money.
Every week now for the past several years since joining my first environmental organization, I receive in my name, multiple mailings, of which the paper pulp is equivalent to several small trees. Most of the mailings I now tear up without opening and put into my paper recycling bin. I’m trying to do my part to save the environment and save the world.
Capitalistic Consumption
Written on June 25, 2007
We in America live in an economic culture based on consumption. Economic growth depends on continued consumption. The more we consume, the more we grow. The more we consume the more we and others have to produce to support our consumption. The more we consume, the more others want to consume also. The more we all consume, the more we all have to produce. The more we produce the more we can afford to consume. The more we produce and consume, the more we reproduce, needing to consume and produce more. The more we produce, the quicker we use the natural resources of the planet. The more we consume, the more byproducts we produce to pollute the planet.
Most of us Americans know very little of the history of any of the products we consume. Where did the product come from or where was it made? Who made it? What resources went into making it? Under what labor conditions? Under what environmental conditions? Who invested in the making of the product? Who profits the most from the selling of the product? How did it get into the store? What are the stories of the people who touched the product–the miner, the farmer, the chemist, the factory worker, the banker, the trucker, the warehouse worker, the store clerk? Most of us don’t care to know the histories of the products we buy or to know the stories of the stuff we consume and collect.
In America products just magically appear on the shelves of the malls and our big box stores. The packaging of the products give us little information and no stories about the products. Advertisements for a product gives us misinformation about a product to stimulate our emotional need for the product. Rarely do we get a chance to visit a farm or tour a factory here in the United States to see how a product is made. For the most part we Americans don’t care about how or where a product is made. Sometimes we have concerns about a product’s quality and durability. The bottom line for most of us Americans is how much does the product cost in dollars and cents at the very moment we are considering buying a particular product. Do I have enough money or enough credit card capability to buy the product now? Who cares about the product’s past when we want the product now. Once we buy it, it is ours to take home, to keep in our own storehouse with all our other belongings. And who really cares about the future of any of our products? We buy the product, we consume or use the product, it gets used up or breaks or becomes obsolete and gets disposed of. Where does the by-produce go? Will it be reused or recycled, burned or buried? Who knows, who cares?
Over the past century human consumption and production activity has radically changed the environment of the planet. These changes will now rapidly cause social and economic changes to the human condition as the environmental damage accelerates and becomes more evident. Human consumption and production patterns (particularly in America) need to rapidly and radically change in order to lessen human and planetary suffering and to salvage a survivable and livable future. When purchasing a product we as consumers need to shift our consciousness. We can no longer just think of our own immediate individual wants and needs. We need to consider the history and the future of the product in order to evaluate the true costs and benefits not only to ourselves but to the larger human community and to the planet. When we truly consider a product’s past and future in the context of planetary health and human harmony, we will find that much of what we consume we could do with less or do without.
If we can consume less, we can produce less and begin to convert our consumer culture to a sustainable society based on human rights and ecological balance. The path of the past, which prioritized economic growth, is leading us to a world that is collapsing. It’s future is a dead end. We need to change this future. The capitalistic corporate leaders however want us to continue to focus our fear on the collapse of the stock market, caused by a recession, caused by a slow down in growth, caused by less consumption and production. Our only hope for the way forward is to reject this model of economic consumption and growth. We now need to create an economy based on compassion for the environment and for all others.
SOMETHING HAS CHANGED
Written June 2007
Something has noticeably shifted in the consciousness of America. Enough average citizens have finally gained awareness of global warming to begin to change the climate in which politicians and corporations live. The shift occurred in late 2006. Enough critical masses had accumulated to shift the debate from denial of global warming to face the facts and implications of global warming. The corporations and their politicians could no longer continue to deceive, stall or fool all the average Americans all the time. What changed to cause the awakening?
Was it Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth movie? Another alarming U.N. report? Time lapse pictures of the melting ice caps? Was it the hurricanes of 2005, the droughts, the continued record high temperatures plus the record high gas prices and the record high oil corporation’s profits? Was it the voice of the overwhelming majority of real scientists testifying to the evidence of global warming that was finally heard over the noise made by the hired hacks of the corporations? Maybe it was President Bush’s admission that “America is addicted to oil.” Or maybe it was the Bush’s Iraqi oil war and over 3,000 American deaths (God only knows how many innocent Iraqis). Perhaps it was the letter written to President Bush by a group of evangelical preachers expressing their concern for the environment? Or maybe it was the rest of the world imploring us to wake up. Or maybe it was the long, steady efforts of a few visionary environmentalists who finally helped America see the light and feel the heat? Something happened. Suddenly it’s cool to be against global warming. Suddenly the corporations are turning green, discovering there’s a profit to be gained by advertising and appealing to people’s environmental awareness and guilt. Now more politicians are finding it in their best interest to appear to be green. Something has changed. Denial and deception are more difficult to do. Global warming is now an obvious fact to almost everyone except those resistive to changing.
Nature has rapidly and permanently been changed by humans and will never be the same again, will never again be natural.
The question now is how bad is the damage that we’ve done? It was bad 20 years ago when Bill McKibben wrote his book The End of Nature documenting global warming and predicting the consequences if dramatic and immediate global action was not taken to limit CO2 emissions. Environmental damage increased through the 1990s and the world community began to respond in 1997 with the Kyoto Agreement (treaty). The United States, which accounts for at least 22% of CO2 emissions, refused to sign it. Now after 10 more years of inaction, America is finally beginning to wake up. It’s too bad it’s too late. A study recently released by a team of international climate scientists suggests that a global increase of just 1 degree Celsius above the 2000 level would cause dangerous consequences. Previous studies and computer models indicated a higher temperature increase would be needed to trigger dangerous disasters.
In another report by the Global Carbon Project, indications are that world wide CO2 emission rates rose to 3 percent per year from 2000 to 2004 compared to an annual rate of 1.1 percent in the 1990s. Factors involved are increased industrialization in developing nations, particularly China, and increased reliance on coal burning in China and the United States. There is also evidence that natural absorbers of CO2, oceans and plants, are reaching their capacity to absorb additional amounts of CO2. The accelerated increase in CO2 emissions are higher than even the highest previous CO2 levels predicted by the United Nations Panel on Climate Change.
Not only is the world in a hole regarding CO2 emissions but we are rapidly moving deeper into that hole. The major structures for burning oil and coal are in place and unlikely to change in the next 20 years. More coal fired power plants are being built almost daily. Will my driving less, or using florescent light bulbs or hanging my laundry on the clothes line, or buying food grown locally, or my recycling make any significant difference in reducing global warming? No! Will 6 1/2 billion people in developed and developing economies replicating my efforts change the disastrous consequences of the hole we’re in? No! It will take a whole lot more than symbolic efforts to get us out of the hole we’re in. It will take real sacrifices and soon just to slow our downward digging. It’s too late to reverse the damage that’s been done and once average Americans realize the significant human sacrifices needed just to save a place on the planet themselves, they will return back to sleep. I’m sorry to say the sky has fallen.
So what can be done? I would suggest that the scientists and the faith-based community join their efforts together. The scientists should pray to God for some divinely inspired technological miracle to save us from a global warming hell. The faith based believers should hope for some type of evolutionary adaptation or mutation in order for humans to be fit to survive the global climate changes. It’s going to take something extraordinary to change the future we face.
