
From ideas by Ari Armstrong
Bad as the US Congress and the House of Commons in London, Ottawa, and Canberra are, many State and provincial legislatures are just as bad. We can argue that some (California and Ontario come to mind) are even worse.
Many people, with the best of intentions, run for state and provincial legislative seats. And win and go to Denver, or Regina, or Pierre, eager to make a difference.
And fail. They get sucked into the system – the “good ole boy” network. The politics-as-usual. The idea of compromising to get things done, of “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.” But the major problem is the same reason that they run – idealistically and eager to “serve.” The belief that government is the best (if not only) way to solve problems.
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We are still here! And the world isn’t ending yet!
Our apologies for a week-long absence, but we are still here and still going strong.
As is the planet. The wars and rumors of war meter have spiked the last week or so, but the big missiles aren’t flying, and the warmongers haven’t sucked us into yet another war.
And due to other work, we here at TPOL have had a chance to see that things aren’t totally collapsing in our part of the world. And we’ve learned from a lot of people scattered around the States and even from the Great White North and other places. What? That they are not in places that are falling apart around them. Often because of them and people like them: responsible, exercising their liberties despite the constant restrictions and battles, and with hope that they are making a better future for themselves and others.
Let me explain.
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