The single most important goal of those in power is to preserve the situation that got them into their positions in the first place. This fact holds true in almost any situation involving power, and it especially holds true when regarding government.
Every single state or local authority that has ever existed has been committed to the very last in preserving the status quo, no matter the cost and without regard to whom it may hurt in the process. This holds true whether the head of the government is a pharaoh, emperor, king, prince, mayor, or president. What is apparent in every situation where the head of the state wished to keep their power in the face of opposition, is that the people that he is supposed to serve or protect are the ones that suffer the most.
I say here that the ever-present situation that I have just described is present here in this country. The government that we as a people supposedly elected has made clear that its overriding priority is to preserve the status quo that got them elected in the first place. They are not interested in making any sort of change that would harm their chances of preserving their position of power, even when change is something that we desperately need.
For example, it is clear that the American economy is caught in a downward spiral from which, if we continue using the present method of trickle-down economics, there is no escape.
Furthermore, it is also apparent that the tax cuts that our politicians continue to propose will not free ourselves from this economic quagmire. Every economic “solution” proposed by the Bush administration is yet another attempt at preserving their current status, and the vast majority of American people are the ones that lose out. Finally, the current war in Iraq, which in reality shows no sign of stopping anytime soon, is a direct result of the Bush administration policy to preserve the status quo, in terms of oil and the promotion of fear.
It seems to me that many of my peers have not truly realized how the preservation of the status quo effects us. Just a few of the many problems that Bush is creating today will most definitely be passed on to ourselves when we come to the point when we assume responsibility for the government. By the time we as a generation assume the bulk of the burden to support this country, all the problems I mentioned before and many more will be magnified tenfold.
It is therefore our responsibility to stop now those aging politicians in the White House and Congress. The generation that is about to leave power will most likely not live to see the havoc that they have wreaked upon America.
It is not they or even their children that will face this horrible future, but us and our children. By taking action now, we would be preventing this nightmare scenario from occurring in the first place.
From what I have gleaned from the unbiased media about the nation at large and my observation of college students here at UR and other campuses, my conclusion is that most are full of apathy and inactivity. Of course, there are those who do not know what is truly going on, but what disturbs me the most are those who are informed and yet do nothing anyway. By continuing in this trend of apathy and inactivity, we are dooming ourselves to a grim future.
However, if we do begin to act now, there may still be hope! The first step for everyone on this campus and every campus is to start listening to the news, preferably something other than Fox or CNN, and become informed about what has transpired in current events. Then we must all vote.
The upper classes and those in power right now do not fear the college and post-college generation simply because they sit on their rears on election day and do nothing. If more of us got out to the polls on the first Tuesday in November and showed that we care what happens to ourselves and our country, then those in power would have no choice but to sit up and take notice.
We as a generation must do everything in our power to prevent those in the status quo from passing their problems to us. We must not let what looks like an impossible situation from stopping what needs to be done, for in reality nothing is impossible if the cause is just and right.
Do not be dismayed by those naysayers who try to convince you otherwise, nor let yourselves be stopped by dishonorable cowards who rip down from public spaces anything they don’t understand. It is up to us to help ourselves, because it is clear that no one, especially those in the status quo, will rise to our defense.
Newmark can be reached at mnewmark@campustimes.org.
