We hear it all the time: that the President of the United States of America is "the most powerful man in the world" (at least you do if you watch Scandal...).
But if you ask me, these days, we Americans are beginning to undermine the importance of that position. And this is truly being shown through the fuss surrounding the 2016 Presidential Election.
Don't believe me? Let's review.
We have Donald Trump, well-known millionaire, businessman, and television personality, currently running for president.
We have Ben Carson, retired surgeon, also running as a presidential candidate as a Republican.
We even have heard Waka Flocka Flame, rapper, announce his intention to join the in the running for the 2016 presidential seat back in April.
Now let's take a look at their political backgrounds.
*crickets sounding*
That's right, folks; we have people with no background of serving on any level of government claiming that they are the most qualified to lead our nation.
I can't be the only one who sees the problem with this.
I think that it is generally understood that politics is really a "work your way up" kind of deal. And connections and money can really only get you so far in American politics; because at the end of the day, if you aren't getting done what the people want, our lovely democracy system gives the people the leverage to vote them out of office.
This being said, I think that it is nothing less than an insult to those candidates who have served their time and proven their dedication to serving this nation for these randoms to claim that they are best-suited to run the country. I don't care how much money you have, how charismatic people say you are, how many platinum records you have--politics isn't something that anyone can do. It's not something you just get up one day and say "Well, I have conquered fame and money--let's check 'politician' off the list today!". Everyone thinks that politics is easy...it's not. (There's a reason why the presidents age decades during their time in office.) I am just absolutely uncomfortable with people who have little-to-no experience serving the country as a politician trying to take on the large responsibility of being the President of the United States.
Furthermore, what really makes my blood boil, is the coincidental timing of such outrageous presidential biddings: right after our country has witnessed its first black president. I don't know about you, but to me, it seems as if for that reason, people are making a mockery out of the American presidency. It's like they're saying "hey; if a black man can be president, then anyone can". And that "anyone can" isn't the kind that means 'it doesn't matter about your social class or ethnic background'. No, that "anyone can" is the demeaning kind; the kind that implies that any uneducated busboy can waltz into the Oval Office and lead an entire nation. It's like people are forgetting that that "black man" is a Harvard Law School graduate, as well as served on the Senate on state and national levels, and is, in fact, a biracial man.
Besides my own personal issues with this, I feel that the spectacle that some of these candidates are creating actually puts our nation in a dangerous position on the global stage.
It's no question that America is a global superpower. So I want you to think about the other global superpowers--China, Russia, England; just to name a few--and consider for a moment, whether or not it would be appropriate for people to just rise out of the blue to challenge the nation's highest chair in their political structure. Would such a thing even fly in these other countries?
I get the idea that anyone can pose themselves as a candidate for the Presidental seat under our political structure, especially if they have the votes to back them up. But it seems like some of these candidates are more focused on getting everyone riled up and pushing their own personal agendas, than really getting things done to excel our nation.
And yeah, it's all fun and games for national media sources. The media is having a ball following Donald Trump around to hear what he'll say next. But take a moment to think: how does all of this make American look to the rest of the world? Does creating drama within political parties, as well as having prominent bipartisan issues, really make us look like the strong, united nation that we need to be in order to maintain our position of power and safety in the global theater?
(In a society where we preach that how others view you isn't important, I need to emphasize that politics works in the exact opposite manner: HOW OTHERS VIEW YOU IS VERY IMPORTANT. Because if Russia starts thinking, 'Hm, looks like the US's executive branch is gonna become a joke soon', that's something that you really want to worry about.)
To me, this is a pretty interesting phenomenon. I could be mistaken, but I believe this is the first time our country has ever seen such a thing (or, such "diversity in qualifications", as I have heard some refer to it as).
I'm very interested on hearing others' thoughts about this, so feel free to comment your opinions!
Thanks for reading.
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