Why I'd never run for any political office.

When I was younger, I used to think that at some point in time later on in life I'd run for political office as a way to give back to the communities I lived in and worked in. Also I felt that it was also the best way to change things in the associated political system by advocating, supporting, and pushing initiatives to ensure
said systems maintained and help their societies grow and thrive.

Now that later on in life is more or less today (or really once upon a time, many yesterdays ago) - I've come to realize how futile such an endeavor would be.

The reality I've learned is, one individual in any current political system cannot effect any sort of positive change to support their communities.

The establishment of corporations, lobbyists, affluent, as well as those who have access to large destructive weapons like the military or law enforcement have essentially found a way to work so well in tandem that they in-effect have become their own agent of change within said systems. And they've more or less taken over.

The co-opting, corrupting and controlling of such political systems by this non-sapient establishment renders them largely useless to the communities they were
originally meant to serve.

Such an establishment would (and has) use(d) any means necessary to maintain their control over such systems.

Why?

The usual reasons - money, power. That's all the institutions/entities know. They're not alive. They've no accountability to anyone or anything outside of their owners and/or stakeholders. Like any cancer, they'll continue along killing its host and itself because they're not rational or even sentient. They don't think.

Great. Here's my problem.

The dream I had behind my desire from younger days ('change things in the associated political system by advocating, supporting, and pushing initiatives to ensure said systems maintained and help their societies grow and thrive') - I still have it. It's important to me for a number of reasons.

Sure, I can spend my active days pursuing nothing by the same things - money, power, etc. And once achieved, live out the rest of my life enjoying the fruits of all that.

But what about those who'll be there after I'm gone? What about my kids, or other peoples' kids?