"it's wishful thinking to believe that most ANYone running for office in our current system, regardless of how sincerely good their intentions are, won't ultimately cave to the much larger, lizard-people interests trying to sway him or her."

If as you say is true, war is at hand. Start shooting first, early and relentlessly. OR get involved and move the 'ball' as far as you can and then someone else pick it up and run with it, so on and so on until we arrive at the society that can live with itself peaceably, honestly and freely.