I propose a new way to look at politics. It would be “rate-your-politician”. This would involve a web site and everyone gets to create an account there – there should be a way to verify accounts but I suppose this would work as an app on Facebook. Next everyone defines (a) an elected politician and (b) an issue, and next you get to rate the politician how he or she stands on this issue. In essence this would operate as a “name&shame” registry for inattentive (or sell-out!) politicians. It’s as simple as that!
Ratings could be “suspicious”, “total shill”, “woefully incompetent”, “oblivious”, “aware” “competent”, traitor”, “senile” or “conscientious”, all divided in categories such as Very good, Good, Bad or Very Bad.
Now look at the major issues world-wide such as banking, income disparity, militarism, wire-tapping, freedom, pork, campaign financing, taking money from lobbyists, and so forth. People right now are clueless on what politicians are doing by virtue of distance, overload in information and apathy. A mechanism such as this would allow specific concerned voters (hopefully as many people as possible) to express a critical opinion (or a compliment) on what politicians are doing. This should be truly terrifying for politicians, since THEY and their actions will be on open display. This will have very immediate effects on them being elected or becoming effectively unelectable.
Any ideas? Email me at khannea.suntzu@gmail.com.