Citizen Change?

[combatrhino]

aight so this is always on my mind, and if you are also interested in ptx you probably ask yourself: "what can i do." the problem is those of us who arent loaded w/ cash or related to senators are limited.. so i was just wondering what ya'll think regulars can do to make changes in the system?

[fog]

I won't for a second claim that it's better than making a big "campaign contribution," but we (average citizens) do have a significant deal of power -- we decide who gets the power. Although the average politician might not care about you personally, if a sizeable group of people write to him/her, they're apt to comply on some level -- if they upset too many voters, they risk not getting reelected, and thus losing both their power and their money.

Organizing into large groups and raising funds could also help -- get a bunch of people with a certain political belief together, and you'll have both significant voting power and the ability to make the "campaign contribution" bribes you'll need.

[Sodfather]

I think all of that is bullshit. American citizens don't really have any power, in my opinion, because what can you do if both candidates are virtually the same (as they often are) and you dislike both of them? Nothing. Sure, you get to pick who gets the job, but you're choosing from, like, three people. :(

[fog]

I really have to agree. I know a ton of people (I was too young to vote at the time) who refused to vote for any of the candidates. I love making fun of Bush's complete ineptitute, but I'm really not sure if Gore would have done a lot better.

It's the threat of not getting re-elected (not the initial election itself) that grants us some power -- they might make an attempt to change themselves to get reelected.

But yeah, there aren't really a ton of great choices.

[G. Adams]

You could always stand in the elections yourself. Once your in there, you can start to make little changes. Like the Warren and Burger courts did.

Of course, the people can always revolt if they are moved to do so. But that won't happen anytime soon, most people are so apathetic they couldn't be bothered even voting never mind fighting.

[GreatWyrm of Babylon]

People always complain that they have no power and it is true as long as you do not get off your lazy butt and band together. The people that did are the current political parties, where do you think they came from, under a rock maybe?

[combatrhino]

see, it seems to me that the only way a person can make a chang eis trying to influence those in power, ie; writing letters to important people. you'd be surprised but governors, mayors, senators dont typically throw out mail, so chances are if you have something worth reading, they will read it. i just kinda started this topic cause there are so many posts here that are desiring change, but it just seems silly to go on about that stuff if your desire for change is not enough to actually attempt to make change.

[Scribbler1]

</span><blockquote><span class="smallfont">Quote:</span><hr size="1" />Originally Posted by (combatrhino,)
see, it seems to me that the only way a person can make a chang eis trying to influence those in power, ie; writing letters to important people. you'd be surprised but governors, mayors, senators dont typically throw out mail, so chances are if you have something worth reading, they will read it. i just kinda started this topic cause there are so many posts here that are desiring change, but it just seems silly to go on about that stuff if your desire for change is not enough to actually attempt to make change.<hr size="1" /></blockquote><span class='postcolor'>

I disagree with your first point. Writing letters is fine, I do it myself quite a lot. But while the abovementioned politicicians may not throw out letters, they rarely READ them either. Some actually do, I assume, but they are in the minority. The big guns have staff which reads the letters and the end result is usually a form letter as a response. If you don't believe that, ask yourself if members of Congress have enough time to read even a fraction of letters sent to them and still perform their jobs? (I know, performing their jobs is a totally different argument) Your city councilman may read all his mail but I believe you were referring to people with the power to actually change anything.
As I have mentioned on other posts the only change will come from the fear of them losing their jobs, and this is where independent parties and voters come in. But that's a tough job, as most independents are too overwhelmed by the sheer power the Republicrats have. We need more independent parties and some of the money the whores in DC have. At this stage that will not happen as the big boys are the only ones who can deliver for the special interests and no rich person or company gives millions of dollars to anyone who can't make the country dance to their tune.
And another thing. If this country has so many divergent views (much like this forum), how can anyone believe we will be fairly served by the two self-interested, power hungry and frighteningly similar parties which control us NOW?

[Geoff332]

What can you do?

1. Pick an Issue - you're not going to make sweeping changes, so find some things you can focus your time and energy on.
2. Understand the Issue - most real issues today are complex and have mutliple, often conflicting dimensions. Make sure you know what you are talking about: causes, effects, conseuqneces, complexities.
3. Decide exactly what you want to change - a programme of things that need to be changed. You have to be very specific (the whole SMART goals comes to mind here: specific, measurable, assignable, realistic and timed). Too often we see people who don't like the way the world is, but fail to say what they want changed and how they want it changed.
4. Identify Allies - for most really important issues, there are other people who are (or will be) interested. Find out who they are, talk to them. If you can work with them work with them. Part of this is looking for people with resources (money, time and skills) to support your issue.
5. Identify the Change Levers - who are the people who can actually make the decisions to achieve what you want to achieve? Can you effect them? If not, who can? Can you effect the people who can effect the people? Work out the chain between you and the solution. Then start pulling on it.
6. Get in the Media - get your issue heard, by the media. The more wide-spread, the more vocal and the more visible you are, the more likely people are to listen.
7. Be ready to negotiate - real solutions to real problems, particularly the kind of complex, human problems in our world, don't have absolute solutitons. Compromise and negotiation are necessary.

Basically, identify, understand, organise, vocalise and act. Don't believe the hollywood bullshit: most of the time the little guy doesn't win. But making a small change is better than making no change.

Remember, Martin Luther King started by trying to change one policy in one town.

[castille]

You can make a change.


But before you do....does everyone want your "changes"?


If you are a selfish, self-centred person, you will immediately say "Yes, of course everyone wants Communism/Nazism/Feudalism! Anyone who doesn't must be brainwashed by the Capitalist conspiracy!".


But do they?