This is an excerpt of an April, 2006, conversation at WhisperZone on our political system, rewritten for stand-alone reading here.

Many people are unhappy with the workings of our government. However, a large portion of those think that all we need to do is change the face of who is in power.

Perhaps they're right. But I see it a different way.

For simply handing over our responsibility for our affairs to another set of leaders without transforming the system won't restore us authority over our affairs, much less recover our freedoms eroded over time.

Our system is broken. But we can't depend on them to fix it. All they will do is stack the rules more in their favor.

Instead, we must assume the responsibility of our sovereignty. It is OUR responsibility to get this republic back on track. Is is OUR responsibility to restore a broken status quo of eroded rights and excessive federal authority exercised by those with less than higher intent.

A change in ruling party won't accomplish that.

Make no mistake. Bush & Co. have done wrong. A lot of wrong. Especially when it comes to abridging our freedoms.

But as Madison predicted, when governmental abuses have not surpassed the people's limit of tolerance (whatever it is), that limit would continually be pushed farther back until it finally results in a sudden abuse of power that goes way past the line.

Our government has crossed that line -- with the consent and effort of BOTH major parties. They just haven't exercised all their powers against us -- yet.

Turning our affairs over to an "opposing party" that also conspired in such abuses won't do anything to right the ship, especially when they are so willing to sell their souls to those who help them aggrandize power or pull their strings behind the scenes.

If we are to change our nation's course, we must correct the imbalance that allowed our leaders to take advantage of the trust we put in them.

That will require reversing 100 years or more of continual expansion of federal powers, and the implementation of many things not contemplated by the founding fathers -- an income tax, privatization of our money system, public "entitlement" projects that impoverish and buy off large numbers of our citizens, war powers granted to the executive at a time that he could destroy the world with the push of a button, courts that usurp the role of the legislature, making criminals of anyone who dares to speak out against the government (including the IRS), allowing the corporatization of business to such an extent that individuals don't count, selling off the nation's natural resources, waging war halfway around the world without a declaration of war or attack by that nation, and the wholesale ignoring of personal freedoms in the name of national security when there is no showing of relevance or materiality of such actions to the protection of the American people.

Oh, and did I forget disenfranchisement of millions of voters, or a voting system that allows fraud and deceit in the hands of those with such intent? Or political parties that serve first to preserve their own power and that of their constituent special interests than the interests of the American people?

But these are minor prices to pay for those who are so ready to vote Democrat. After all, to them the problem is Bush and Cheney, and the fact that they "stole" two elections, lied to the American people, and did what they damned well pleased.

All they want to do is give power back to the Democrats. They'll clean up the mess! After all, since they're against Bush, they HAVE to do a better job.

To them, there's no need to hold the Dem's feet to the fire and require them to create an honest and responsive government that doesn't buy off constituents with pork barrel projects and special programs that do more harm than good (at least for the bulk of the people).

Of course, who will tell the people when things keep going the same old way -- in favor of those who pull the strings behind the scenes?

This is the same theme Obama is trying to ride to the White House.

The question is whether he will reverse the abuses of the last 100 years, or leave them in place and build upon them?

As Ralph Nader has said, Obama must be very careful of painting Bush out as a war criminal (or worse). Because if he continues the same policies and powers, he will be just as guilty as those he now condemns.

We shall see, won't we?