Power to Represent

( – promoted by buhdydharma )

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In his speech yesterday, Bernie Sanders spoke of (and I am paraphrasing here) he spoke of needing his fellow citizens to back him up so that he could represent us.

Representing your constituents is a power in and of itself.

We have certainly seen and felt the power of those who represent the rich and powerful in this country.  Their constituents pay a great deal of attention to their representatives.

Our guys?  Not so much.  And often for very good reason.  The dynamic, for one thing, is very different.  The rich constituents are used to succeeding, they truly do buy governmental power.

We may convince some reps of our POV, but we usually don’t have the means or sometimes even the skills, to transfer our power as citizens to our representatives in a way they can use to counter the power of the other constituency.

I am speaking literally here.  Power is not an abstract thought, it is a real force in this universe, and we all have it whether we abuse it, use it, hide it or throw it away, don’t matter.

Anyway, I give Bernie credit for knowing where his power comes from.  He knows it viscerally.  There are probably some others in Congress, and in state and local government now who know that the same way.

I am heartened that me and my fellow citizens are now aware, in whatever capacity we have, that this kind of power may take longer to amass, but once people are brought together, the represented supporting and informing the representative, and the representative allowing that power to come forth, to truly represent the former, there is no power that can withstand it.

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  1. … experimental writing.  I am dubbing this a “pronouncement” essay.

    Ought to be on a scroll stapled to a subway pillar.

    Happy Saturday.

  2. there will be a period where the 21st century equivalent of 18th century pamphleteering and 20th century agitprop are going to have to be a mainstay of our efforts.

  3. that in the original house of reps there were 65:

    1 for for every 33,000 in population-the size of a small town.  

    Today

    460:

    1 for every 650 thousand in population.

    And the Senate was 26 then, and 100 now.  A 4x increase in Senators, but a 35x increase in population.

    And of course the Presidency, the Supreme Court, etc …

    None of this is in the same league of  ‘representation’ as intended, and it’s part of the reason why it’s so easy to corrupt these guys–it’s a much more top heavy structure than intended.  

  4. Yes, of course, we DO have the force — but I think you realize what the problem is — there just ain’t enough of us!

    If I am thankful for anything, at all, I am thankful that Bernie Sanders had “his day in court,” for which we should ALL feel blessed!

    And, hopefully, many, many people NOW understand what the absolutely despicable tax cut bill represents to us all.  Bit by bit, ya’ know!  

  5. The reality of Dancing with the Stars

    http://www.oldthinkernews.com/

    Strategic Communications Laboratories! The business of propaganda, custom tailored to “your” specific peasants.

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