Oh! He's in my favorite movie! Let's make him our President 😁

 

    Jonathan Swift, a satirical writer and commentator of the late 17th century, would have a lot to say if he was alive today. Maybe he would talk about the opposing republican and democratic parties who are separated by basically nothing. Maybe he would talk about modern day abortion laws and the inhumane acts that people commit upon their unborn babies. Maybe he would talk about how people in Congress gain their positions even if they are not fit for the job. Whichever he chooses to discuss, it would be through his famous satirical style where he criticizes the issue through sarcasm and humor.

Out of all the issues Swift may talk about, how people gain their positions in Congress seems the most probable. Due to his description of Liliputians, fantastical characters in his novel Gulliver’s Travels, gaining their rank in government by rope dancing, it is most evident that he already takes a critical stance on an issue similar to Congress elections. Swift, for his time period, aligned himself with a very conservative party, the Tories. This party would be most similar to the Republican party of today so his approach on the Congress issue would be from a right-minded perspective. 

Swift would likely portray his emotions and feelings through a piece of writing like a book or newspaper article. He would project this writing towards the general audience like the public as well as towards elected officials and officers in the government. This would allow him to speak to the people who could actually enact change about the issue but also gain a following and support with his ideas on the issue as well. 

Although Congress roles are not as important as the president, it is still alarming how so many of the people elected are really not fit for the role. The election process for governmental positions has slowly shifted towards more of a popularity contest and who knows the most people. This is something that exists in most all elections however. For example, student body officers at our school BL. The last two presidents were popular lacrosse players at our school with one of them being the captain of the team. It’s just human nature to want to vote for our friend or someone we know about rather than someone we don’t even if they are very well suited for the role. 

Overall, the popularity contest that Congress has become is alarming and the U.S government should take action upon preventing this from happening. Whether it is informing more people on the candidates or limiting votes to only people knowledgeable on the election, the U.S institution needs to make necessary changes to the process. It doesn't only apply to Congress but any governmental position. Furthermore, this issue is not even political, or isolated to one side of the political party. It is a problem that involves everyone and anyone who lives in the United States. I can’t say for certain whether or not something like Swift's satirical approach is what we need for this issue to get solved but why not give it a try 😉





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