Facebook Groups: Politics

I have been invited to join another political Facebook group. This one wanted me to donate my status for Barack Obama. I'm sure I could just as easily have been invited to donate my status to John McCain, or to Bob Barr, or Cynthia McKinney. I have been invited to several groups like this and I have joined none of them. While there is nothing wrong with these groups in and of themselves, they are an indication of a quite disturbing attitude among many people in the USA.
It seems like most people in this country believe that the solution to any problem is having the right president in office. People think the solution to global warming is to vote for the right candidate. They think the current economic problems are all the presidents fault and if we make the right choice in November everything will get better. They think the president can end poverty, fix health care, save social security, and lower taxes.
The truth is that the people of this country are the solution to the problems. If we want to save the economy we have to stop being so greedy and manage our finances better. If we want to end global warming we have to reduce the amount of energy we consume. If we want to end poverty we have to help people in our own communities and stop living lifestyles that contribute to systems that breed poverty. If we want to save social security we need to start saving for our retirement.
It is ridiculouse and dangerous for us to look to the government, and especially to look to only the president, to solve problems and get things done. The only reason we do it is because we don't want to make the sacrifices necessary to make a difference. We are too greedy and self-centered and we can't even admit it. So we look to someone else to do it. If we keep looking to the government to do everything for us, it will. It will get more and more powerful. The president will get more and more powerful because we will want them to be. And in the history of the world it is quite rare to find a place where having one very powerful person taking care of things in a large and powerful nation has led to any good.
This election has become too "historic." We give it far too much weight. Be more concerned with who your senators and representative are and be even more concerned about what you personally are doing to make the world a better place.