Local elections. We need to start voting in them, and electing people who will stand up for the people over the requests of Washington.

If we all payed attention and voted in state/city/town elections I don't think the country's problems would all be solved, but we'd all at least have a somewhat fair voice.

Thats my 2 cents, how about yours?

I think the main reason individual towns, cities, local governments etc. don't have any true sovereignty from federal government, is that constituents are intentionally distracted from actual issues and problems, and instead made to concentrate on petty affairs.

For example, where I'm living right now, mayoral candidates use labels and empty rhetoric ("a true patriot with the conservative values we cherish" shit like this) and never bother to discuss facts or numbers or historical precedents. And no one seems to expect any better than that, because they don't know any different.

So, they elect representatives who run on these meaningless platforms, and who otherwise conform to whatever the higher-ups tell them to conform to.

This is just where I live, though. There are many exceptions.

But I agree with your post. People just need to be less ignorant/gullible/divided.

I think our generation is going to do a better job in that aspect than past generations, simply because we have immediate access to unbridled information sources.
This fucking thing isn't letting me indent paragraphs, so I'm spacing.

Republic, I like the way you think, but I dont completely agree with you on the whole decrease in ignorance due to the internet thing. Check out something called net neutrality and you'll know why.

No one else has something to say about this?

I'm familiar with net neutrality issues.

Obviously, my belief that the internet will foster a more enlightened electorate is based on the assumption that people will be able to access the information they want freely and without hinderance.

And, unfortunately, I have very little confidence in the upcoming administration's ability to solve these issues practically.

I would also like to hear what others think about the original question, though.