Imagine, for a moment, a political system in which one party controls the entire area, where nominees are selected by the party committee, and where the "elections" are "free, fair, and honest" but the outcome is predetermined.

Sounds like the Soviet Union? China? Cuba? Perhaps. But I'm talking about most elections right here in the United States of America. Between legislature-controlled districting, "soft money," politicial patronage, the power of incumbency, and the cozy relationship with various special interests, this is the situation here.

Almost every district in the country is drawn so that one party has absolute control. The system is also set up so that the party committees get to decide, in almost all cases, who the party nominee is. Here in NYC, it is possible for an insurgent to be elected to City Council seats, especially now that term limits make for a lot of open seats. But in general, it is nearly impossible to buck the party and win. The recent example of the special election for the 30th Council seat showed that, as both Charles Ober and Tom Ognibene were soundly defeated by the party machine candidates.

That is part of the reason I harp on the party committees who consistently shove grass roots candidates, such as Jimmy Dahroug, Steve Harrison, and Charles Ober, aside in favor of "golden boys" who are either party committee insiders, potential large fundraisers, or relatives of elected officials.

The result is budgets that are overloaded with "member items" that are often no more than bribes to constituents and special interest groups, and bogged down with accounting tricks designed to hide the real debt with which we are saddling the next generation. The result is corruption running rampant -- it's a safe bet that Vito Fossella's moral terpitude is far from the worst acts of NYC House members, just on the odds. The result is a general feeling among the populace that it's just not worth getting involved, even to the extent of showing up at the voting booth, because the system is rigged (which it is!).

That is why I, and I suspect most of you, dear readers, got involved. I got involved to fight against the machine, against the corruption that one-party rule and rule by party committee brings. I got involved to change the way politics happens. I got involved because I feel a greater patriotism than all the phony politicians who are in it for their own personal power plays, and who rationalize their actions under the rubric "public servant."

So I will march today in the Sunnyside Flag Day parade, sponsored by the Sunnyside Kiwanis Club. I will truly feel the allegiance not just to the flag, which is just a symbol, but to the ideas and ideals that the flag represents -- and allegiance I see far too many people "pledge" at meetings with no understanding of what they are truly saying. I know that they have no understanding because I hear the way they say the words, reciting from rote memory with no underlying meaning.

It is shameful, and we should be ashamed when we see it happen. But we should also resolve, on this and all days, to effect the changes that will one day allow us to say that there really is "liberty and justice for all." And we should start by fighting against the very power structure that causes the shame -- the political parties that were despised from the start by true patriots such as George Washington and Alexander Hamilton. We should work constantly to bring the freedom for which the original patriots fought to all of us.

Happy Flag Day.

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