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While non-profit organizations and publications are prohibited from endorsing political programs and candidates, or from commenting on same, Goat and Candle is not thusly restricted, and the time has come to make note of the downright scary situation in the world today. Never being one to pull any punches, these comments may not agree with the readers' viewpoints, but as Pagans who must live in the present and work for the future, they must be considered in all seriousness.
Books have been published recently which point out the problems with the existing election procedures and governmental activities in Washington, DC. Two of these are The Buying of the President 2004 by Charles Lewis of The Center for Public Integrity, and The Price of Loyalty by Ron Suskind, based on information provided by former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill.
News programs, on a daily basis, are reporting the ongoing deaths in Iraq, and the decimation of the environment with the ignorant approval of the Bush administration. Alaska's Tongass National Forest has been opened to logging in recent weeks. Commentators on the Fox News Channel bash the idea of the Endangered Species Act, seeing where it denies jobs and wastes land, all to save insects, birds, plants or animals. Now there is even talk of creating a permanent base on the moon, and sending men to Mars - while homeless children in our cities starve and don't receive a decent education.
Don't these people see there will be no viable existence for humanity in the centuries to come, if this raping of the earth continues? Day after day, I become more frightened, wondering if my children and grandchildren will have wholesome air to breathe in 50 years. Without the preservation of the food chain, and of the environment in toto, there is no chance.
It's all about greed, competition and other foolishly "human" ideas. Instead of working together responsibly, it's a "dog eat dog" style of personal advancement. It's a free-for-all, with those who choose to violate ethical considerations and the laws of the land getting their hands slapped - maybe.
It has been proven elections are controlled by the wealthy, and big business. Finding an honest politician anywhere in this country - a la James Stewart's character in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" - would be a bona fide miracle, it seems. Everyone has their "special interests", as evidenced by all the added spending (called "pork") tacked on to the recent budget bill in Congress. All too often the constituents are ignored, their voices unheard.
Then again, this may be why so few people even bother to vote anymore. They see where the system does not work, they are discouraged by the actions of the public officials. As a journalist, I have interviewed those elected to office and, when asked, "What do you think?" the gears grinding inside their heads - calculating the most politically advantageous response on the issue at hand - are clearly audible.
The bottom line amounts to whether the common people of the earth, those who struggle to live peaceably with their neighbors and make ends meet, can do anything to solve this problem. In all honesty, it will be extremely difficult. The first thing, though, is to stay aware of the political antics taking place on every side. There are many - Pagans and others - who prefer to stay out of politics, to ignore what's happening. This can no longer be. As the Gods are respected and honored, while others destroy the beauty They have given us, and rob us of our rights, no one can sit back and let the government dictate policy based on political contributions.
Watch the television news. Better yet, read the newspaper. One thing the printed word provides is more detail than a two minute blurb on the living room screen. Attend political debates or rallies - not as a supporter, necessarily, but just to see how these potential officials behave and speak. If their words are just so much "spin", point it out to friends, family, and to the candidates themselves. Walking up to someone and telling them, "I know what you're really up to, and I won't vote for you," if done enough times, will shake them up a bit, and maybe make them rethink their approach.
We can only keep our eyes open. We can only keep trying. And try we must, because the idiocy of the officials places us all at risk of losing everything we hold most dear.
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