Actual Democracy

           I'm considering running for Congress in 2018, though I've by no means made up my mind. But it gives me an opportunity to make some worthwhile points. Senator Sanders, who to speak in modest and serious truth owed no inconsiderable degree of his success in running for President to my work and support, recently emphasized that he's an Independent not a Democrat.  I'd describe myself as an independent Democrat in that I have new and simply unconventional ideas...  and I wouldn't want to be overly constrained by the status quo of the party, though it is dear to my heart.

           But here's the thing: to take a political party seriously, you have to take democracy itself seriously. I do, and after long reflection and experience, what I've learned is that we're living in a highly imperfect democracy: It's a democracy in creation, not truly a democracy at this point, not as much of a democracy as it's historically been...  and was intended to be by the founding fathers who set out a democratic blue-print of true genius.

            One of the primary reasons for this is secret government activity, i.e. the intelligence state, which black-lists political dissidents such as socialists and makes life very difficult for us.  This is my current condition; I am bereft of my legal and human rights, essentially a prisoner of the state...  though I am officially in good and free legal standing.  I do work and my work is used diversely but I'm not compensated: my payment is reprieve from illegal execution for no crime at all(in the eyes of the constitution.) 

           Certain government officials(often unelected) have decided that certain political viewpoints: such as a belief that the Crimea is a natural part of Russia, are not to be discussed democratically but to be handled in a savage and underhanded manner.  Any serious philosophical or historical examination of the question, such as President Jimmy Carter has conducted, bring one to a clear understanding that the Crimea is deeply and historically Russian...  but these conversations are currently almost exclusively conducted behind closed doors and the wrong answers are coming out of these doors, to every one's ultimate detriment.

              And many of these issues are the most important ones a society needs to deal with through government. What freedom of speech does our political culture really have if educated citizens can't gather in a coffee-house, digital or physical, and discuss foreign policy without brutal retaliation?

          The corporate press, often seeking nothing more than personal power and a feudalistic sphere of elitism...  exercise tight censorship, and oft use their power not to safeguard democracy but quite the contrary.

         Thus, as Snowden sacrifically illustrated, our democracy is greatly undermined and poisoned. We need to move toward actual Jacksonian democracy.

Addendum: I don't feel a need to be a conventional Republican or Democrat because having given long consideration to the issues and organizations, I have what I believe to be innovative solutions.  Regarding the paired subject of taxes and social services, I believe: "It costs what it costs."  But I believe that our government often goes about trying to relieve the suffering of what they consider lesser individuals in a misguided fashion, and that they waste lives and money while going about it.  There are innovative ways to help everyone come out better, but they often can't emerge, because we're such an imperfect democracy, and so many of our better citizens want no part of our conformist and cut-throat politics