I'm a registered Independent. I used to be a Republican. I used to believe that people were inherently good, and that government was the last thing anyone needed in their lives. /1
We want to trust that corporations, people, government... they'll just do the right thing. We want to believe that there's an innate moral compass that guides all decisions, pushing everyone toward some ultimate common good. /2
Each party has their version of achieving this goal outwardly. Republicans want morality to come from society, the individual to make something of themselves, the communities to hold each other up, the companies to be the epicenter of progress. /3
Democrats want morality to come from government, the regulations and accountability to set the course for the individual, the communities, the corporations. /4
Neither of these approaches are inherently bad. They just don't work anymore. The decision makers aren't the government bodies. They're not the individuals. They're not even the corporations. They're the groups that have learned to game the system. /5
Groups that pool their money to inject ideologies into schools, corporate culture, and communities. Corporations having a fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders? That wasn't status quo until a group decided it was. /6
If we can't figure out how to get money out of democracy, we won't have one. It may already be too late. It's not just about shining light on corruption. It's about shining light on who's really pulling the strings. /7
We can point fingers and shame individual people in Congress, in the executive office, (and we should), but they're just playing the role they've been given. They're exploiting the system because they can, because money has more power than any individual voice. /8
We need money out of politics. We need more people willing to have independent thoughts in our government, our communities, in our corporations. People who are willing to steer toward the common good because it's the right thing to do, not because there's a payday at the end. /9
Let's attempt to put #CountryOverParty and start holding EVERYONE accountable. Government. Corporations. Communities. Individuals. We CAN do better. We CAN have a democracy that works for the PEOPLE, by the PEOPLE. #MoneyOutOfPolitics /fin
