…if you’re willing to take a risk, the ultimate risk, to draw attention to something that does have significance, it’s worth doing.
….
I’m demanding reform and declaring a voter’s rebellion in a manner consistent with Jefferson’s description of rights in the Declaration of Independence,” he wrote. “As a member of Congress, you have three options. 1. You may pretend corruption does not exist. 2. You may pretend to oppose corruption while you sabotage reform. 3. You may actively participate in real reform.
—Doug Hughes, the fellow who landed his gyrocopter on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol in order to deliver a message to each member of Congress
What are the chances that Congress will respond to Hughes’ message? So far there’s been a lot of fuss that he managed to penetrate restricted air space without being detected, but there’s little sign that anyone is listening to him. The Washington Post, in its article What Hillary Clinton and the gyrocopter guy have in common is skeptical that campaign finance reform is very likely:
Politicians need money to keep their jobs, and they also know they can get away with paying the issue lip service while not really doing anything about it, because it’s not actually a top concern for most voters.
And that’s the problem. Even though people agree all the money being pored into politics is a problem, when they’re polled it’s towards the bottom of their list of concerns. I’m afraid Hughes made a valiant but futile effort. What do you think?
April 17, 2015
We have here in Delhi a political party that evolved from an anti corruption platform led by some mavericks like Doug Hughes – Aam Aadmi Party. Their performance was stunning completely eliminating the oldest political party of the country and just yielding three seats out of seventy to the present ruling party at the center. Subsequent events have shown that such movements while succeeding as attention drawers will generate internal contradictions. Such movements may even lead to fizzling away like your Occupy Wall Street or the Arab Spring did, or become completely new entities that can bring about change with proper leadership. I am an old cynic and I believe that the so call electorate is for nothing and the de facto rulers of the world are the behind the scene plutocrats. Oddly enough the Koch brothers in your country do not even bother to be behind the scenes.
Years ago a group of Republicans wanted to reform Congress. Unfortunately they ended up getting corrupted too. Peggy Noonan described it as getting their “butts in the butter.” It was just too tempting.
If you can manage to keep your cool & understand the “other” side, you can sit back & be interested in the outcome, if any.
P.S. I hate the money being poured into politics.
i look upon doug hughes as a hero. it took guts. and i see that he wanted to make an impression. the outcome may be that he’s charged with …. whatever. they will find something. they can’t have him setting a precedent.
but what he said …
he was right on the mark. and they didn’t listen.
not even one listened i would venture to guess.
it’s so far broken i’m amazed anything of value gets done anymore. what a mess.
i’m a new cynic. but i’m making up for lost time!
I wish him luck. I hope the powers that be don’t overreact.
Definitely futile. Without a large campaign to back it these kinds of gestures don’t achieve anything.
I’m afraid I have to agree.
Definitely futile.
No one was listening.
I don’t think anyone gave the money being poured into politics a thought.
Instead, they were talking about all the millions that have been poured into protecting our country, The White House, the President and yet some guy in a bicycle with wings flies in under the radar.
Sad.
I think that’s why the stunt got so much attention. It’s just too funny. I hope they let him off easy.
Just came from Ramana’s blog — was attracted by the topic as it is a burning question inside of me .. was this futile or not .. I am still confused.. I feel in one way that to simply “accept” the situation and be in peace with one’s own self may in fact be selfish while not ruffling feathers; and at the same time attempting for change may lead to a futile effort that produces no results…I would like elaborate advice…. Thank you !
There are all sorts of ways of trying to push the world in the direction we would like it to go. At least in the U.S. there are any number of groups that one can donate to, write letters for, etc. One doesn’t have to do it alone, and depending on how much you care about an issue, your effort doesn’t have to be onerous. Do you have groups like that in India?
Thank you for your advice. I will have to give it more thought.. I don’t know about India, but I am sure there are similar groups…