I've just been back to the change.org site's Ideas for Change in America site. The idea is that the top ten ideas (i.e. the ones receiving most votes) will be presented to the newly-inaugurated President Obama as a part of some kind of plan for action. For the last two weeks of the voting, starting January 5, the ideas will be categorized. You can find out more about how the plan is supposed to work on this FAQ page.

There are some terrific ideas, many of which (as an unashamed liberal) I agree with, but I am afraid it doesn't show America up an a very good light. Here's the top ten list, with the number of votes, as it stands at the time of writing.

1. Legalize the Medicinal and Recreational Use of Marijuana (4292)
2. Appoint Secretary of Peace in Department of Peace and Non-Violence (2559)
3. Pass Marriage Equality Rights for LGBT couples nationwide (2073)
4. Save Handmade Toys From the CPSIA (2022)
5. Accept and Sign " The Autism Reform Act of 2009" (1914)
6. Legalize Milk (1826)
7. Get FISA Right, repeal the PATRIOT Act, and restore our civil liberties (1624)
8. Pass the Puppy Uniform Protection Statute to Help Stop Puppy Mills (1569)
9. Pass the DREAM Act Now! (1531)
10. Repeal the Patriot Act (1452)

Many of these are indeed worthy causes, the top one in particular being a lifelong interest of mine, but I have to say that as a statement of national priorities from the grass roots this is not the most encouraging list. Two of them, while certainly addressing health and safety concerns, continue the long American tradition of injecting self-interest into political lobbying.

President Obama faces economic conditions unprecedented in the last fifty years at least and will preside over a country whose long-term foreign policy record, frankly, stinks. Yet none of the top ten suggestions concern America's foreign relations. Perhaps those voting are taking the phrase "Change in America" too literally? It's a pity to see the world's largest economy so apparently introspective while its government has its troops out there killing and being killed abroad at a fast pace.

The USA has the highest per capita rate of incarceration in the world - roughly one percent of the adult population is currently in prison. This is a shocking waste of human resources, and gives the USA a very flimsy platform from which to be lecturing other countries about human rights. Black males are almost seven times as likely to be banged up as white males, Hispanic males about three times as likely. This does not speak well of race relations, and here at least there is some relevance: non-violent drug offenders are frequently jailed, and such inmates are much more likely to be persons of color.

US education is failing in mathematics, and generally [1]. There is little evidence that President Bush's much-vaunted "No Child Left Behind" has done much to improve educational standards.

These are just three areas where the United States needs to look to its laurels. To give you some idea of how the web-voting public (clearly a self-selected group not typical of the American public as a whole) sees overall priorities, here is the list of topic areas with the number of proposals in each area.

• Agricultural Policy (134)
• Animal Rights (75)
• Civic Engagement (160)
• Criminal Justice (212)
• Domestic Poverty (115)
• Economy (891)
• Education (419)
• Energy (294)
• Environmental Conservation (186)
• Fair Trade (45)
• Foreign Relations (134)
• Gay Rights (86)
• Genocide (27)
• Global Health (67)
• Global Poverty (41)
• Global Warming (121)
• Government Reform (499)
• Health Care (467)
• Homelessness (47)
• Human Trafficking (8)
• Humanitarian Relief (40)
• Immigration (124)
• Iraq War (39)
• Peace in the Middle East (73)
• Race (31)
• Social Entrepreneurship (84)
• Technology Policy (100)
• Women's Rights (60)
• Other (617)

It seems a shame that the country that led the world in abolishing domestic slavery is now apparently unconcerned about foreign slavery and human trafficking, despite the fact that much of it supports the American standard of living.

I moved to the United States because I was fascinated by its potential for good. It looks like I ma going to have to become a citizen so I can start poking it where it needs to feel pain. The frustrating part is that Americans as a whole are an idealistic people. They just don't seem to understand some of the awful things that are being done in their name. Sure, we need to improve life for those who, like me, live and work in the USA. But it would be an abrogation of our tremendous collective economic and political power not to try to change the whole world. Not to re-cast it in some American mould, but with respect for the diversity of the many independent nations.

[1]: One has to wonder about UPI, whose "news" article contains no reference to any source and whose web server chooses to garnish "international organization" in reference to the OECD by highlighting the word "organization" and linking it to an advert for Microsoft Office. Oh well.