Oh No! Not Another Election!

Squander: To spend lavishly or profusely; to spend prodigally or wastefully; to use without economy or judgment; to dissipate; as, to squander an estate.

I cringe at the reality of another election! Is there anything more insidious than billions of dollars being spent on lies and sound bites?  Reality shows which are, in my mind, mostly stupid, stand head and shoulders above national elections.  And they are very difficult to get away from.  They permeate our minds, bodies, and souls.  We recognize the lies and the silly bickering for what they are and yet as almost all are born to breed fear and loathing about the other candidates, our culture, our weaknesses, our future ... and on and on.  By the time the election is finally decided, all we know is that someone won.  And, for sure it is not the American people. 

But, could it be? Could we have a different kind of election?  President Obama says he will spend a billion dollars on his campaign to win a second term.  And much of it will be raised by grass root efforts. So what if we changed the game.  What if we could talk one candidate to not squander his or her money on stupid TV adds, but rather to give it back into the community to improve the health and wellbeing of the American people and all that goes with them? 

Here are just a few of the ideas that need help and renewal: Our environment, our health systems, education, infrastructure, etc.  Sure dumping dollars into the ongoingness of these systems is pretty useless, but what if we could use the money to transform our way of thinking and allocating resources to one of these pressing problems?  What if campaign dollars could change the game and set a new pattern for engaging citizens in creating a more fit 21st Century mission?

This seems like a natural of Obama, but then he seems to be owned by other forces.  Is he strong enough, if he had the help of the Second Super Power (grass roots vision and know how) to turn this squandered resource into a healthy asset? Is there a real way to work together? I know he wants us to work with him ... but it is to raise money for ads and other stuff ... a real, tragic waste of our souls and talents. 

Media companies thrive during elections. It is to their gain to distort and game the system.  It is all they know how to do.  I know this idea will be dismissed and said to "be too difficult." How could we ever decide what to support when we are so fractured as a society?  Yes! It will be difficult ... but I know in my heart of hearts that as humans we have an innate desire to work together, to solve difficult problems, to live within complexity, and to co-design our way into a new world.  It is just that the existing systems hold us in place. 

How can we push this idea into reality?