My friend Nathan Richie sent this video to me today. It sure is smart. And it seems so damn logical. I highly recommend that you spend the six minutes to watch it.

But sadly, I don’t believe that this idea is possible. And the reason is because I have lost faith in the hearts of Americans. And of regular people ever overcoming big money in any capacity. Why? Because big money has become our master. I believe that men who desire power (politicians) have been brought up in a system so corrupt that they will fight to the death to defend it. Big money and the lure of control is too powerful to ever change in this country–a country where we base our core ideals not on doing what is right for our fellow man, but on how much money we can grab while we’re alive. Big money is the essence of extremist capitalism, after all.

No, until we have a sweeping reform of the priorities inside of our own hearts, households, and communities in America–we will be stuck in this never-ending madness of two-steps forward and two-steps back every election cycle where the men who desire power cut each other’s throats in television ads to seize it, and afterwards we the people either cheer for our side winning, or bitch about why we lost. All the while the men in power sit back and laugh.

The hardest work we can ever do in life is within ourselves. That’s why I hold out very little hope for widespread change in America. It’s too hard. It’s also too simple. So instead we convince ourselves that when we elect someone, that they’ll make our lives better. And if not, then we will get someone else in there who will. That kind of thinking puts accountability on someone else instead of ourselves. It’s easy to point fingers. The hard work, the work that has real meaning, is inside of our hearts. Take this from someone who had to face his demons to change his life. No voting I’ve ever done has had nearly the impact of the work I have to do every day to stay sane in this world. The truth is, we the people are lost.

You want change? It starts within you. I just don’t think most people want it.

Complacency is comfortable and convenient. Real change is hard. And until that change occurs, we’ll just keep spiraling out of control. I have lost my faith in the system, and our ability to see straight.

 

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Jim Mitchem

Coming To
The Once and Future Entrepreneur

Jim Mitchem

Writer. Father to daughters. Husband. Ad man. Raised by wolves. @jmitchem on twitter. First novel, Minor King, out now.

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