We, the PEOPLE?

How in the world do we, the people, hold governments accountable? This is the question which has kept rising to the surface for me during the weeks here in Kenya, driving on roads in unbelievably terrible condition, seeing piles of trash and garbage everywhere, smelling the stench of diesel exhaust from countless vehicles, and then reading in the daily papers about the excesses of the various government boards and departments. Almost daily, some government minister or another is being accused of misuse of funds, of embezzlement, or other such abuse of public trust. And just today, Prime Minister Odinga fired one of his closest aides for improper behavior and abuse of other staff members. How can elected officials see the desperate needs of their people and continue to withhold or misuse monies desperately needed for the well-being of the very people who elected them to office?

Of course, who am I, an American, to point a finger, when for the past several weeks our Congress had been holding their own constituencies hostage as they debated what to do about the debt ceiling, while knowledgeable economists were saying that default was just not an option for the U.S. But party politics at its ugliest reigned supreme, as our elected officials- elected by us, mind you- closed their eyes and ears and minds to the polls which were saying that about 65% of Americans wanted the Bush tax cuts ended and programs like Medicare and Veterans' benefits and Disability benefits untouched in order that these segments of our population continue to receive the help they need.

Well, next year there will be major elections in both Kenya and the U.S...time for we, the people, to make our collective voice heard. If we are unhappy with the way the Parliament (Kenya) or the Congress (U.S.) are doing- or not doing- their jobs, the polling place is the very best forum for registering our disapproval. Where is it written that being a member of a legislative body is a lifetime job? What about term limits? What about limiting the power and influence of lobbying groups? What about holding those in power ACCOUNTABLE to those of us who have put them in office? When in the world will we, the people, in Kenya, in the U.S., adopt the slogan made famous in the film, "Network": "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it any more!" When are we, the people, going to act like "WE, THE PEOPLE"?