It's odd how in our country the politics are center-right while most Americans lean center-left when addressing issues most important in their lives.

Most Americans swing in the opposite direction of their elected officials in areas such as education, health care, environment, retirement security, childcare and living wages.

As evident in our last presidential election, populist themes were core sentiments with Al Gore championing progressive ideals and George W. Bush campaigning on a "compassionate conservatism" strategy.

But we now know, this talk was largely self-serving, because for the last few decades Democrats have become watered down conservatives and a formerly moderate Republican party has evolved into an aggressive group of Neo-Reaganites.

Voters have resigned to choosing what they perceive as the lesser of two evils in every election, from local to national offices.

This is wonderful, if you happen to be a major corporation or a wealthy individual, yet not if you're a working family or person.

Now, I don't want to get into the liberal versus conservative debate or Democrat or Republican rhetoric because that is counterproductive. Progressive politics is about ordinary people and the ability to change through good public policy, grassroots organizations and electoral politics. This has nothing to do with elitists posing as populists, but does have everything to do with average people.

The important concept to grasp about progression is, whatever political affiliation a person may have, we all care about the same basic issues. We are all fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, husbands and wives. We all have loved ones and we all are loved by someone. We all have vested interests in education, health care, safety and life quality.

Somewhere along the way our elected officials have lost track of these ideals.

To begin with, we need to start thinking about our domestic and foreign policies in planetary terms. Instead of acting for special interests, let's do what's right for both the United States and the rest of the world.

In the United States, we have set minimum standards for labor, public health, safety, and at one time, environmental regulations. These base values should be enacted into the global structure. Our country needs to be at the forefront of making the global economy function for working people.

Raising working standards overseas is vital to the world economy and also in creating strong markets for our own exports. This then places commercial interests and big business on the backburner while allowing our country to take a step closer to economic parity.

Another immensely important concern that has taken a drastic turn for the worse is world peace. Peace is practical and attainable, but the genuine principal should not be an impression of Pax Romana inflicted upon the world by military power and WMDs. We need to reevaluate our perception of war and refine our thinking, because to fight isn't necessary or inevitable.

As JFK once declared: "Our problems are manmade, therefore they can be solved by man · No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings."

Harmony is not merely a pipe dream, but merely a final destination of diplomatic rationality and mutual tolerance.

The primary focus of progressive domestic and world change is most importantly education. Education is applicable toward all issues, from economics to peace. The first purpose education serves is to provide competent adults who can lead society.

Because of this, I am a strong advocate of infusing American cultural education into the troubled spots of the world at an early age and vice versa. In the Middle East, we must work to eliminate hatred from Arab texts. We must engage in advancing historical enemies into parallel educational programs designed to eliminate incognizance and breeding rancor. Imagine Israeli and Palestinian children learning at an early age that they aren't much different after all.

Through education the world could contain and virtually eliminate radical elements and unnecessary hatred in the span of a few generations.

Now, I realize the children of the world aren't big hitters with corporate lobbyists, nor do they control oil industries, but they deserve an American commitment, nonetheless.

So let us start these progressive ideals at a grassroots level, as individuals, eventually raising them to the summit of American politics.

U.S. progression can then be the catalyst to making the world a better place.

Bill Wetzel is a creative writing and political science junior.