Party On Ted !

    Someone,  I can't remember who, said one person can actually do very little but with a committee you can do anything. Yes, you can. The political parties prove that.
    Not just our political system but all parliamentary type systems devolve or evolve into partisan factions.  Adams  and Washington were wrong to caution against the inevitable.  There may be a myriad of individual parties in some countries but when it comes time to govern they become coalitions of left/right,  in power and  in opposition.  I don't think it's worthwhile to debate whether that circumstance is right or wrong.  It just is. When it comes time to do concrete things in the real world rejection of reality just isn't very useful.
    When you consider the United States is a 4 trillion dollar a year enterprise that can and does project power into any and every corner of the globe for good or ill that's about as real as it gets.  Leave your Utopian theories at home and get with the program or get out of the way.
    That's why the idea of a political independent just tickles me. Are you seriously telling me you want to be politically involved as long as you needn't bother to embrace anything that approaches political reality in your own nation? Puleeze!
    The only way a person who says they vote for the person not the party could vote in their own self interest would be totally by accident.  In the end, that's what it's all about when we vote.  We are making an effort to address our own and our fellow citizen's self-interest.  There's nothing wrong with that.
     Here's the way it works. The President appoints about 15,000 mid and upper level policy people outside of Civil Service. There is no concrete figure for the number of those appointees I can find.  The entire process takes upwards of two years.
    Gawd!  I'm boring myself.  Well, stick with me.  I light a cigar when I start one of these screeds and try to be done before it is.  I smoke cheap cigars.
    These people set the tone for the direction of spending priorities, policy, hiring and so forth.  It's a huge organization.  Something like 20% of the workforce and economy.  It's no wonder people discuss the power of government.  It does interest me that people try to paint it as some "other."  It's just you and me putting our money together to address our problems and do some good.  To think otherwise is just wrong.  Anyone involved in government who tries to tell you otherwise is lying or a fool.  Either one is dangerous.
    As time goes on and administrations change these appointees progress. Yesterday's Undersecretary is tomorrow's Secretary.  These people are drawn from the membership of the different parties. They advance thru the government as the parties move in and out of power.
    These competing management teams have different rates of success based on economic performance, management of the Treasury, effective use and maintenance of the military, preservation of the public wealth and lesser metrics.  You should pick the one with the best record, in fact, aside from rhetoric.

    It should be understood; none of this works without party discipline. It is a necessary and understandable feature of our model.
    Now you're thinking to yourself, what's that got to do with me?  I don't have the money to be involved. You really don't need money.  What you need is time and commitment.  Ninety percent of life is just "showing up".  How do you think a  "community organizer"  became President?  Or a peanut farmer from Georgia?  He showed up.
    Pick a party that best represents what you perceive to be your self-interests and get involved.  Join the committee.  If you find their message imperfect, lend your voice.  If you're committed and show a willingness to be involved they'll listen and respond.  People want to be led.