Alternate Universe

I met a man name Jacob in a bar one evening and we began talking. After a few Ciroc martinis, he told me that he was a visitor from an alternate universe. He said he was here observing our reality and found it to be fascinating. Now I thought that he was a little crazy, but he seemed nice enough, and it was his turn to buy a round so I did not worry about it.

After a few more martinis, he asked me if I would like to travel back to his universe and see how things worked in his reality. I had had just enough vodka to think that this was a good idea.

We left the bar and began to walk down the street. The next thing I saw was a bright flash of light and when I opened my eyes I felt a little dizzy. Now I had no idea whether the dizziness was an affect of being transported between realities or from one to many martinis. The streets looked the same and I could not tell any discernible difference, but Jacob assured me that we were indeed in a different reality. He suggested that we go to his place and he could give me the grand tour in the morning.

I woke up early in the morning feeling kind of foolish, but decided not to just sneak out of the house and try find my way home. I turned on his TV and started to watch an early morning news program. I did not recognize the broadcasters and I began to notice something different about the news. It seemed that they were reporting more than just bad news - not every story was about someone getting killed or robbed etc. They did not have reports about murders that happened in a Midwest state just because there was nothing bad to report locally. The news somehow seemed more upbeat and designed to inspire rather than scare the public.

About that time, Jacob appeared from his bedroom and offered to take me out to breakfast. He said that there was much to see in his reality and we should get started early. I was just looking forward to getting a cup of coffee.

We left his house and began to walk down the street. I must admit that everything seemed peaceful. I felt a serenity I have not felt since I visited London some years back and walked the street on a Easter Sunday very early in the morning.

I was taking in the beauty of his neighborhood when a big black sedan pulled up to a house just up the block. Two men got out and walked to the front door. They knocked and when the door opened they stormed into the house. The next thing I know a man was being dragged from his house still in his bathrobe and he was yelling and screaming.

"I don't want to go! Please leave me alone! Pick someone else!"

I watched in shock as they put the man in the car and drove away. I began to think about all of the movies I have seen where the Gestapo or Russians came and dragged some poor schlep off never to be heard from again. A little afraid, I asked Jacob, "What the hell was that?"

"That man was picked to be the next President of the United States," he said.

"Picked? You mean elected?" I asked.

"Well we don't elect officials, we have a lottery and if you name is picked, then you are the next President." He added, "Most people would never want to be President, so we found that this is the best method for choosing our public officials."

"I don't understand, why would you want someone to be President if they didn't want the job?" I asked.

He looked at me puzzled and asked, "Why would you allow someone to be your President who wants the job?"

Now this is a rather long story I have chosen to tell you to highlight what I believe is the fundamental problem with the American political system. I believe it takes a narcissistic, egomaniac to want to hold the office of President of the United States. I think this applies to most Senators and Congressmen as well. After all, they are just people who hope to be President some day. I think their need to win and become President severely out weighs their sense of responsibility to the common man. I am not saying that all public servants fit into this category, but by the time you get to the top of the political pile, you have had to make so many deals and taken money from so many special interest groups that you could never do the things that are right for the common man. Many of the things that would benefit the common man, would hurt big business and the special interest groups - these are the people who pay for elections and they do so to ensure that changes don't happen in this country that will hurt their bottom line.

This country has been in a steady decline for quite some time. Although I believe the adversarial system that we use has contributed to this decline, I do not think it is the main cause. The ability for our officials to be bought by Big $$$ is pushing this country toward a revolution. Over the last thirty years the middle class in America has declined. The rich keep getting richer and the poor get screwed. I am by no means poor, but I am tired of seeing politicians preach to me that they have my interests at heart and then raise my taxes, remove the programs I could use and let big business continue to operate as usual. The gap between the rich and the poor in this country keeps widening. There is no middle class anymore. There are the Haves and the Have Nots. I have news for all of you Haves - the Have Nots outnumber you and one day we will get tired of you screwing us. Remember the French Revolution? I think we should bring back the guillotine.