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When I was young, I thought about the future in terms of 10 to 20 years from now because our country made plans and goals for the future on that scale.

On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced the goal of sending an American safely to the moon before the end of the decade. On July 20, 1969, the first manned mission landed on the moon. On January 8, 1964, President Lyndon Johnson proposed the Great Society — a set of domestic programs with the goal of the elimination of poverty and racial injustice. The national poverty rate was then 19 percent; 10 years later, it dropped to 11 percent.

In 2015, President Obama and suggested tackling long-deferred issues of education and income inequality. He is not “eliminating” income inequality, but rather “suggesting” we tackle it? And “issues” with education? Where’s the goal?

For the last four years, the nation’s official poverty rate was 29 percent before social welfare benefits were distributed and dropped to 15 percent with benefits, according to the U.S Census Bureau’s 2015 report on income, poverty and health insurance benefits. On March 23, 2010 the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) was enacted to increase the quality and affordability of health insurance to cover approximately 45 million uninsured Americans. In March of last year, the CDC reported that the average number of uninsured September 2014 was approximately 34 million.

What about tomorrow? The status quo of politics today offer no goal or future for low to moderate wage earners, who have seen their political voices ignored, their wages depressed and their future view limited to paycheck to paycheck. A feeling of helplessness and hopelessness pervades the electorate because the business as usual of politics is no longer a solution but rather the problem. Rightfully, people are looking elsewhere for a solution and the promise of a better tomorrow for their children.

A feeling of helplessness and hopelessness pervades the electorate because the business as usual of politics is no longer a solution but rather the problem.

The choices for this presidential cycle offer business as usual or social and political change. The world is constantly changing, and for better or worse, our political thought and leadership has not kept up, so we are at a crossroads.

When did we lose our representative form of government? Our representatives only have regard for what is advantageous rather than for what is right or just; a sense of self-interest that pervades politics today. U.S. Sens. Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz were elected by and represent Hawaii Democrats. Recently Hawaii Democrats voted overwhelmingly for the presidential candidate Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton. Yet today, Schatz and Hirono are campaigning for his opponent. 

They are not representing or listening to the people they were elected to represent in Washington; they are in Iowa going against the will of the people. The political establishment and moneyed interests are supporting Clinton, so it is in the self interests of Hirono and Schatz to support her and benefit from her projected nomination. Ignoring the vote of their constituents does not cost them anything politically, so business as usual.

What about income inequality? Extreme corporate wealth and power in the hands of a few brought the global banking system to near collapse, but having paid their fines, the banking interests are doing better than ever. In fact their charitable and political contributions have risen to offset the rise in the taxable income they report, while trillions of dollars are kept off shore to avoid paying any taxes. The government offers them deals to repatriate the money at tax rates of 5 percent while you and I pay more than 30 percent.

When the government talks about rebuilding the crumbling infrastructure or eliminating homelessness, they either suggest benefits being cut or a tax increase on moderate to low income wage earners. Corporate wealth and power is not mentioned.

What does the future have in store for us? Everyone agrees the future of the country depends upon a highly educated younger generation to meet the demands of the modern work place. Yet, we see more young people avoiding the college debt trap and .

Vocational education is an education that prepares people to work in a trade, as a technician or in support roles in other professions. So tell your children to forget about being a doctor, lawyer, engineer, teacher, philosopher, etc.  You can strive to be their assistant. That doesn’t sound like we want our children’s future to be better than ours, but to maintain the status quo of today for tomorrow for someone else’s benefit.

I now think about the future in terms of one to two years.