Unhappy with your favourite football teams results? Why not play for the team yourself?
The reality is, if you want to work in positions capable of making change, it is an incredibly difficult and expensive uphill struggle to get there; any position of power is a position people are normally groomed for from a young age.
Anyone can play football, but playing at your local field isn’t going to change a champions league final, just like being elected as an independent would at most, prevent the majority from becoming a super majority.
So as much as the gentry may want us to think it’s an open game, most politicians come from a rather specific private schooled background. Sure you get a few that break the mold; and just because someone is private schooled, doesn’t mean they won’t be socially minded. I’m just pointing to the fact that it’s silly to insist any laymen can just be elected into office and make a difference; you need significant resources (especially in America where everything is commercialisation dialled up to the max) or you need to compromise and toe the line with one of the existing parties.
Just look at NYC mayoral candidates; The democrats are losing their mind and would rather the republicans take the position than their prime candidate; simply because he’s not someone from their very specific definition of an appropriate background for a candidate.
That’s not even at the federal level. That’s just a city mayor… Either you play their game, or you’re not allowed to kick the ball.
Slightly off topic, but If you have the time to travel; may I suggest looking into Interrail if you’re not already aware of it. An interrail pass would be the European equivalent to an american road trip imo.
One train ticket helped me cover places like Portugal, Spain, and Italy, all the way through to Switzerland and onto Hungary, Poland etc and back home all over the course of two weeks.
I was backpacking solo, so just looked up hostels in whatever city i ended up in on the day. But you could just as easily use it to plan a family itinerary. The actual ticket lasts a lot longer than a fortnight too; I’m just a slave to the machine and couldn’t get more time off.