My dad, now a senior citizen, likes watching the military channel. Yet strangely, his political views are usually far more liberal. I think he likes the planes, having worked at Boeing for over 40 years.

A few nights ago a documentary depicted the bombing flights of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. One of pilots, now very near his own death, was asked if he felt any regret after having killed so many people. We’re talking hundreds of thousands of people this man killed. Did he have any regrets, or pangs of conscience? Not in the least, he replied, emphatically.

It is a case, yet again, of a person just “doing their job”. It’s difficult understanding how people can so easily turn off their own sense of right and wrong — how they can excuse themselves from any personal, moral responsibility for their actions, simply by saying, “I was just doing my job”.

Well, it doesn’t work like that; not morally, not ethically and not even psychologically. But I’m not writing an ethics primer.

For the past few weeks I’ve tried setting aside my concern for our country’s political status, hoping and even trusting somewhat, that those who desire power have learned some good and important lessons about the basic worth of their fellow human beings. I have trusted that, over the last several months, enough vivid detail has come to light that those who desire and hold power might, at last, understand and accept the awesome responsibility that accompanies such power. But this is not the case.

It is ironic that all the Presidential campaigns are speaking toward change while, at the same time, all indications demonstrate that the only change happening is change toward even further and more intensified totalitarianism. We have deception on a massive scale that I do not believe is planned and controlled by those who are deceiving. In many ways, the deception seems rather akin to advertising and marketing forces that play out in a postmodern society. In other words, they even fool themselves.

By this I mean, things do not need to be true. They need to be sold. The best salesmen believe what they are selling. And the best way to sell something is to convince people they are being satisfied. And the surest way to convince people they are satisfied is to provide the very definition for them of what is truly important.

There are gaping holes between the issues currently on the table for discussion amongst Presidential candidates and their supporters. Most of the truly fundamental and important issues are hidden by a glaring focus upon minor differences in perspectives between the two main parties. The truly important questions that will effect our lives in the most significant ways are completely mute.

Some examples, for our candidates’ consideration, off the top of my head:

1. The last administration has seen sweeping expansions in Presidential and Executive Branch powers. How will your Presidential administration address this? What, specifically, do you see within the Executive branch that needs changing?
2. You both support ongoing war, in one form or another. How do you propose to fund this, and what are the long-term effects of your funding choices?
3. Oil companies have gained enormous profits, even while oil supplies are up. Do you still believe oil companies should enjoy the unique and enormous tax breaks they receive?
4. How do you propose to get energy companies focusing on the development and deployment of intelligent, effective and clean energy alternatives to oil, before oil scarcity actually happens, when oil companies stand to make their highest profits yet?
5. What is your position on government secrecy and the classification of documents, including the claim of “Executive Privilege”?
6. What is your position regarding corporations that have their own military forces? Are such corporations subject to Posse Comitatus, in your opinion?
7. What is your position on American citizens being imprisoned without charge?
8. Do you feel it is legal when police or military personnel seize the tape recorders and video equipment of journalists documenting events?
9. Do you feel it is legal to seize or make copies of American citizen’s computers or papers? Even without probable cause?
10. Considering the enormous money contributed by corporations to both the branding and support of the political process, how do you propose to separate corporate interests from the interests of people? Can you explain the difference between corporate interest and an individual person’s interest?

Holy cripes, that took no time at all, and I’ve just stopped at 10 because I have a doctor’s appointment coming up, and have a little more to say. But clearly, we have some important issues that will never see the light. Our attention has been focused elsewhere. And apparently, it is that elsewhere that will truly satisfy us.

Even within their rhetoric, both candidates have floundered on their more substantial promises and commitments, even before reaching the White House. Both now pander and weasel to shine their marketability. That is not change — change in the way Americans expected. They have simply demonstrated that this election, between the two parties, is little more than business as usual.

And if you doubt this, look into police and intelligence actions that have and continue to occur, related to the party Presidential conventions. I imagine little was shown on any major media outlets, but you will find plenty of information online. Look, in particular, for things like, “preemptive raids”, even on journalists. The parties are determined to control their image in the finest detail, and both are willing to go to great lengths to do so. Particularly, the Republicans. This is change, and change that is by far, much worse.

The military perspective is interesting, too. For example, there is a group called Iraq Veterans Against the War, who led protests at both conventions. They wished to deliver a letter to the convention floors, in the words of Iraq Vetrans. At the Democratic Convention, when confronted by the throngs of police in riot gear, an Obama spokesman eventually came out to meet them, and they were later invited to deliver a reading of their letter to the floor. However, at the Republican convention, nobody from the McCain team would even speak with them.

It will be interesting watching the whole “McCain is a war hero” spiel play out during the upcoming months. He completely ignores what the vets have to say, while Obama invites them in to speak to everyone. And McCain voted against almost every veteran benefit that came to the floor in the Senate, while Obama voted to give troops more. McCain didn’t even want them to have better health benefits. Maybe McCain’s idea of supporting our troops means, that he believes they should be fighting.

Anyway, it’s broken. Our government no longer functions for us. Still, the only people who were running, who are making sense, are Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich. Our two main candidates have now drifted into the netherworld of images and sounds that exists far from reality. It was wonderful watching Dennis’ speech at the convention, even though the cameras revealed a stadium of mostly empty chairs. It was fiery. And right on. I suppose the Democrats just don’t want to hear about the tough issues. They’re too busy rubbing the grease and polish onto Obama.

Which basically leaves me, at least, with Ralph Nader. And that choice that says, if I vote for Ralph, then I’m making it all the easier for McCain to become President. It is a tough choice for me. I like Ralph. The man is extraordinarily smart and honest, perhaps to a flaw. I would love to see someone like him as President, but I question his efficacy, since he is not a member of either ruling party. And also, I know he will not win.

But is it “my job” to see that McCain doesn’t win, and the only way to achieve this is to vote for Obama? Can I put aside my own better judgment and ethics? Do I play their game? Or do I just vote for the candidate I believe would make the better President, despite contingent ramifications?

Thankfully I have some time. I will listen to their mostly vacuous and repetitious words, trying to find some glimmer of substance that might ease my choice. I am not optimistic. We need change. Yet I see none possible, right now. And as both talk about the all the wonderful things they will do for Americans, both continue eroding our liberties and freedoms. And both are liars, or, if I want to be generous, prone to re-evaluate their positions after the fact.

The greatest thing about Ralph is something that he’s said himself: more than anything, his campaign is about fighting to break the stranglehold of our two-party system. In some ways, I might even consider voting for him so that McCain can be elected, so that we can fall further into decline as a nation, and perhaps, find the fortitude within ourselves to break that stranglehold ourselves the next time around, when things are the darkest, and we have little choice but to demand change.

We’ve already slid a long ways down the slope. And I wonder too, if by that time, it not might be too late.