I am puzzled by the fact that we tolerate such an insane political system. In other democracies political campaigns last only a few weeks, and in most of those countries the funds that candidates are allowed to spend to promote themselves or their causes are regulated.
Such control insures that opposing candidates or causes have equal funding, and so wealthy individuals or groups cannot readily buy election outcomes, and their elections are not very costly.
By contrast, our pre-election campaign periods last for many months, they are very expensive, and the outcomes can be bought by wealthy spenders.
Some economists predict that by the date of our election next November the various presidential, senate and house campaigns, and state and local elections will have spent billions of dollars.
Much of this money is expended on advertisements, particularly on TV and most of these ads are filled with distortions or outright lies.
Fortunately many of our citizens are oblivious to most of such ads, but the broadcasting corporations are delighted with this very profitable arrangement.
Squandering huge sums on prolonged campaigns is galling considering that millions of our children are living in poverty, and many are homeless and malnourished.
Children raised in such deprivation are condemned to lives comparable to those of people in underdeveloped countries. They will endure lifetimes of poverty, and shortened lifespans.
Other reports show that our military veterans are receiving severely inadequate support, even when they have serious physical and/or psychological problems.
It would be sensible if we could modify our political system to make it resemble those in other advanced democracies.
Of course, that would eliminate the insane notion that corporations and unions are people.
The huge sums of money that would otherwise be wasted could then be used for worthwhile causes, such as improving the lives of our deprived children and our needy veterans. However, because our political system is not likely to change in the near future, an alternative option should be considered.
I think that we should enact legislation requiring politicians, and the supporters and opponents of various propositions, to pay into such welfare programs.
For each dollar that they spend on their political efforts they should be required to pay $1 to welfare programs of our needy children, and another $1 to the well-being of our deserving veterans.
Charles S. Nicoll
Lucerne
