The following post is by Ched MacQuigg.
Given the current parameters, including government unresponsive to the expressed interests of the people, there appears to be only one way to directly affect change; large groups of people in the street.
The mainstream media has the capacity to generate those large groups; but apparently chooses not to do so in opposition to the interests that control government.
The blogosphere has the capacity to generate those large groups, but heretofore has not. Neophyte that I am, it has just occurred to me, why. Like individual coral, each has the power to contribute to a substantial coral reef, but share no common vision for the form or function of the reef.
I came to the blogosphere in hope that I could rally pretty much everyone to my cause, help me generate the large crowds I needed, and the rest would be history.
As I naively implored bloggers to climb on my bandwagon, and then finding myself piloting an empty wagon; I was gently reminded by my mentor that each already has an agenda of their own. Duh.
As that reality soaked in, it occurred to me that all bloggers are up against the same obstacle as I. Apparently no one of them commands enough followers to actually make a difference. It simply requires too many individually powerless people to successfully oppose even one powerful person, much less the powerful status quo.
What ever our own personal agenda, we all have a common enemy; unresponsive government. If government were more responsive, then we could enable change with far fewer followers.
I believe that it is possible to make government more responsive by raising the standards under which government functions. For example, if the standard of governance included absolute transparency, maybe even deliberate and conscientious illumination, wouldn’t that make governance more responsive?
As I have previously argued, (http://ched-macquigg.blogspot.com) public servants are accountable only to the law; a standard inadequate to require responsive governance. If public servants were honestly accountable to a code of ethics, they would be accountable to a standard that requires (by definition) responsive governance.
If (every) blogger adopted an adjunct agenda, a higher standard for public service, and were successful, then fewer followers of their agenda are needed and the viability of that agenda increases exponentially.
At the risk of appearing manipulative, I must disclose that my personal agenda happens to be raising the standard of conduct for public servants, in particular elected public servants.
Again, as I have previously argued, public servants are disinclined to raise the standards against which their conduct is measured. I submit as proof; they have yet to raise the bar higher than accountability to the law, the lowest standard of acceptable conduct. In fact, they have yet to provide for themselves, honest accountability even to the law. Is there an example anywhere in government where there is honest accountability to a code of ethics? I am unaware of even one.
There is a chink in their armor; a local elected public school board (again, in the interests of honesty, my own agenda). There is an opportunity to hold them honestly accountable to a widely recognized, accepted and respected code of ethics. Their current position is categorically indefensible and is on the record. Their position prevails only because they are so powerful that they cannot be placed in a position where they have to defend it.
There is a singular opportunity to establish the possibility that public servants can find themselves accountable, even against their will, to a code of ethics. Once a precedent has been established, the possibility of sweeping change becomes real.
Finally, it doesn’t seem that many readers are compelled to comment on blog postings. This is my first attempt to articulate this plan and I really would appreciate critical input.
Grateful for your time and attention.
Ched MacQuigg
Technorati Tags: Bill Richardson, Blogs, Congress, corruption, Democrats, education, Elections, lobbying, New Mexico, Politics, reform, Republicans
Comments