This Country is in Desperate Need of a Draft

No doubt about it, we need a draft. Not a military draft although that wouldn't be a bad idea. Make everyone share in the misery.
No, I'm talking about a political draft. The system is shot, broken, down the tubes, kaput. Can anyone remember when politicians began campaigning for the job of president two years in advance? I can't and I'm 81 years old. But this time they began the day after the election last November.
And what about the congressmen and senators? They, too, began campaigning for reelection that same day. They don't spend much time worrying about the nation's needs. They don't care much about the will of the people. They don't even consider putting in a full week of work. They care about holding onto their plush positions.
The truth is that anyone who wants one of those big jobs in Washington is unfit for it. Well, at least 95 per cent of them are unfit. So that's where the draft comes in.
Here's how the world's biggest lottery would work. Every man and woman from the age of 18 through 80 would have to register. Then they'd start that little machine that blows the Ping-Pong balls in the air and the person with the lucky number would be president for four years. Then they'd do it again for vice president. No possibility of a second term. But you say we might come up with even worse people than we've got now? Impossible.
Then each state would choose its senators and congressmen the same way. They would serve four years and work a five day, forty hour week with no extra pay for overtime. They could not serve a second time.
There would be no lifetime appointments to the supreme court or any other federal court. The judges would also be chosen by lottery but only lawyers would be eligible. Four years, that's all they'd have on the bench.
If you think this is ridiculous you're wrong. Sure, we'd come up with a few screwballs and a few people out for a fast buck, but how would that be different than what we have today? But there might be chaos in Washington? Isn't there now?
What about secretary of state and all those other jobs? Same system. The result couldn't be worse.
There was a time when a jury was selected by having the bailiff go out on the street and grab the first twelve people that walked by the courthouse. It seemed to work as well as the way it's done now. So why not come up with something similar for politics? Yes, the time has come to scrap the present system and start over.
Oh, and one more thing. All lobbyists would be shot on sight.

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