Americans Are Not Getting the Information They Need to Vote Intelligently

So far this year the media has covered the following accomplishments of the new Congress

Reading the constitution aloud in session
Holding a symbolic vote in the House to completely repeal the health care bill
Discussing mixed party seating during the state of union address
Arguing about lifting the debt ceiling in March

News at this low level of complexity and usefulness is adequately handled by the sound byte practice used by the modern media. However it breaks down quickly when applied to the more complex issues. This is where it is important that the citizens have the information required to make the right decisions. Bad national decisions are almost always based upon faulty information.

For complex issues we need a much higher quality of information than we are receiving. This is exactly the way many special interests want it. Here are just a few examples of issues where the information supplied to the public needs a major upgrade.

Jobs for Americans
Reducing the trade deficit to zero
Specific fixes to the health care plan
Developing an investment plan for the future of America
A reasonable immigration policy
Real ethic standards in Congress

These subjects have been given the same media treatment that is applied to lighter information content news. We have statements from both the right and the left that are so ideologically slanted that the information is essentially useless. We really don’t know where progress stands. In fact, we aren’t sure many of these projects are even being seriously worked on This should not be a public relations contest. If we are to act wisely toward supporting important national policies and projects we need to generate more information with high truth content.

Wise decision making by the citizens is fundamental for the long term survival of a constitutional democracy. It is worth a large investment. The forces that have in the past obtained power from a democracy have achieved it by directing the citizens into poor decisions that lead to horrific results. As reflected in our Constitution the Founding Fathers were dedicated to preventing this from happening to the United States.

Good decision making is especially critical when joined with the rights to free speech and freedom of the press guaranteed by our First Amendment. These rights are critical tools for the pursuit of truth but can also be used to present sham information.

Considering the importance of good national decision making, why are our national issues so embedded with issues and controversies that pay such little attention to truth? Our casual acceptance of lies and misrepresentation is mind boggling. We are drowning in so many self serving lies and half truths that you would think the citizens would rebel. Speculation and damaging accusations are given with no concern for backup and logic. We waste billions of hours addressing and readdressing useless and false issues that unbiased facts and truth seeking should have resolved.

What can we do? .

The media must acknowledge that simply presenting two biased sides of an issue does not lead to truth. They just create two incompatible and probably erroneous conclusions There must be more media attention to the factual content the citizens need for decision making.

The citizens have to take responsibility for applying analytical thinking to the facts. Watch closely the reasoning of those special interests that will be happy to do this for you.

We must withdraw support for candidates who lie or resort to misrepresentations. Integrity should be a prime characteristic of our leaders. Don’t vote for anyone without it.

A factual media, analytical citizens, and leaders with integrity will take this democracy a long way.