183 soundbites mean nothing - editorialpinups

With every government shutdown threat we received a preponderance of ads saying this party is preventing this and that party is supporting that.  We leaned that the ACA was so effective that more subsidies needed to be passed and continued.  We learn that what many feel is an important law enforcement function could have funding held up.  We also have learned that federal workers who are considered to be essential are required to work but eventually get paid and that other federal workers not considered essential are not required to work but will still get paid.  

 

Midterm elections and primary season are getting into full swing.  It is this time of year when the media sources are being filled with ads touting the good works of “this” candidate and ads with “that”  candidate saying how bad “this” candidate is.

 

Social media, email, podcasts, and newsletters have improved access for this information.  It has given many more opportunities for candidates and their supporters and discenters to state their cases.  You do not have to be listening to the radio or watching TV when an ad is broadcast to gain the insight. You can access these other media types on demand, when you want to hear it or when social media feeds them.  But without additional research we are left with questionably substantiated, vague, and unprovable items. We are left with soundbites!

 

Soundbites are there to get attention and make people so enamored in distrust of other thoughts and opinions to he point many times of demonizing the other opinions.  This is what is considered information control.  Give just enough to stir emotions but most human curiosity does not like to pursue further or find out the whole story.  Those that do try to expand discussion are then soundbited in saying they are not being truthful again being overly brief.

 

A high number of politicians are spewing soundbites at record levels. The problem is they are not doing their job according to the various constitutions they are sworn to uphold.  Their jobs are to determine valid needs.  Develop solutions that do not infringe upon the rights of the populace. Define funding needs and mechanisms to pay for said solutions.  They have to realize that not all things can be fixed by government.  There are solutions that private industry and residents create.  There may be some oversight again to not infringe upon the rights of the populace.

 

One consensus that must be discussed in today’s legislative discourse is what are the things that our governments must handle.  This is the most important discussion to be had.  Without it, consensus on issues of funding, enforcement, etc, cannot happen.

 

Good solution makers are driven by discourse not soundbites.  Good solutions are determined by situation definition, research, planning, thought, and discussion.  Our elected officials need to return to this model.  The stories we had of the founders in their discussions, such as the Federalist Papers, town square gatherings, pub gatherings, all were well beyond the soundbite.

 

I will note that there are some elected bodies across the country that are beyond the soundbite.  We need to develop more!  Only then will our governance have a chance!!