In 1966, U.S. Sen. J. William Fulbright, foreign relations chair, published a seminal book “The Arrogance of Power.”

In it, he reviewed our vast natural resources and the many other advantages that have granted us an enviable lifestyle and enabled our nation to evolve into a world leader. He warned that America was at a critical crossroads, that historically other great nations had faced similar predicaments only to become second-rate powers and that unless we profited by their mistakes we could face a kindred fate.

Among the reasons for a great power’s demise, none is perhaps more defining than its tendency to confuse its power with virtue and its responsibilities with some universal mission.

Such nations consider theirs the best of all worlds and deem they’re divinely commissioned to lead other nations “out of the wilderness” and into their “promised land.”

So engaged, such superpowers monetarily and otherwise overextend themselves, lose sight of their true calling and succumb to their own vanity. Thus our country now finds itself.

Despite Fulbright’s prescient warning, we’ve essentially continued to pursue policies that will inevitably take us down the road to perdition.

Another important factor that has greatly influenced our current situation is that we’re fast becoming a “corporate nation.” No longer are we “of the people, by the people and for the people.” Eisenhower warned of the overpowering influence of the “military-industrial complex.”

The root of this evil is our present method of financing elections and its corrupting influence over our legislative process. Our representatives are in a never-ending struggle for campaign funds; thereby, the nation’s business is up for bids.

Congressmen spend more time seeking such monies than on the nation’s business.

Whoever has the most gold has the most influence.

Public financing of elections seems the only solution. Those that object are primarily the most financially affected, namely, the corporate lobbyists and their special interests.

Through false advertising and phony front organizations, they seek to convince us it’s a bad idea –never mentioning how monstrously more their congressional deals cost the taxpayer.

Change is needed! When? Now!
Thomas Harrison
Thousand Oaks