Ejuts are a laughing stock of the world

[Skyrad 0]

airdvr

You are getting a good look at what we've been dealing with for years. Career pols on both sides of the aisle have been doing what's best for them for a long, long time, focusing solely on re-election and campaign donations. Those chickens have come home to roost.

And yet the people continually vote either Dem or GOP??? I don't get it, I also don't understand why people are so blindly loyal to such self serving rats (regardless of which party they're in).

When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca

[Skyrad 0]

masterrig

You got that right! The pols have been in office so long, they've forgotten 'why' they are there and have formed their own agendas, thinking only of themselves. They've sold-out the American people. We need to clean house of the 'old guard' and get some fresh faces in there.


Chuck

Well said Chuck!!!

When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca

[Skyrad 0]

Gravitymaster

What's unbelievable is people who think it's OK to keep borrowing and spending. When you are broke, it's might be wise to choose the most important bills to pay. However, nothing will get a person or a country out of debt as long as they keeps spending at an unsustainable rate.

http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/trouble-paying-bills-debts-tips-32215.html

I agree with you. However the interests of the people won't be served by defaulting on the debt, down that road lays hyperinflation and as Ron put it a SHTF situation.

When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca

[shropshire 0]

SkyDekker

***I would say, it starts at the White House and trickles-down, We have a president who seems more concerned with his legacy than the American people. The rest of the politicians are more concerned with their personal gain and well being and have hung the American people out to dry. They've all lost sight of the 'job'. Just watch the change in them at election time! It's time to clean house!!


Chuck

I say it starts with the people. It is the people who keep voting these politicians in.


Sort of true but it's not as simple as that.... when the choice is one dick-head over another - what options do you really have?

There is no such things as a True democracy, we vote for a 'basket' of policies and our vote end up going to the 'basket' that we MOST agree on.

In an idealised version of the world, we'd vote on an issue by issue basis.. but we can't and so we end up with, if not our favourite dick-head .. at least our least disliked dick-head.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[wmw999 2,116]

The problem is that lots of people think it's all those other representatives that are the problem -- they know their guy, and he's OK .

All the big campaign money comes in from people who hope that the candidate will wield power in favor of the donors; not illegally, just hoping that their mutual goals are aligned.

Little people don't make big donations. And new congresscritters don't have a lot of power as a rule -- that comes with seniority. So new potential congresscritters don't get as many larger donations from organizations seeking to suck on that power as do the incumbents.

Follow the money. And remember how it got there. Yeah, money is free speech and all that, but right now the voice seems to be disproportionately magnified with the application of money.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[shropshire 0]

yeap

So, one of the 'possible' solutions is to take the money away(-ish).

If campaign funding 'could' come from a common 'pot' and not from people buying political favours, then maybe the corruption in the system could at least be reduced.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[Skyrad 0]

Sounds like all the big campaign money needs to be capped so that donors are unable to buy influence. Also the parties should be limited on what they can spend on a campaign to make it a more even field, that way you might have more than a two party state.

When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca

[masterrig 1]

SkyDekker

***I would say, it starts at the White House and trickles-down, We have a president who seems more concerned with his legacy than the American people. The rest of the politicians are more concerned with their personal gain and well being and have hung the American people out to dry. They've all lost sight of the 'job'. Just watch the change in them at election time! It's time to clean house!!


Chuck

I say it starts with the people. It is the people who keep voting these politicians in.

There are simply too many people who are single issue voters, or who vote strictly by party.

The current polarization will continue and get much worse before it gets any better.

I agree! Too many voters not looking at the big picture, down the road. That seems to be quite common in this country... instant gratification. It's like putting blinders on a horse. The politicians know this quite well and work their campaigns along those lines.


Chuck

[wmw999 2,116]

Quote

I agree! Too many voters not looking at the big picture, down the road. That seems to be quite common in this country... instant gratification. It's like putting blinders on a horse.

The problem is that when those blinders allow the horse to go in the desired direction, it's called "focus."

Look at the stock market, with day traders (and even minute traders). Look at our schools, wanting instant results.

You don't turn a battleship instantly. And with a lot of people, there's going to be a lot of disagreement as to the direction it should turn.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[masterrig 1]

wmw999

Quote

I agree! Too many voters not looking at the big picture, down the road. That seems to be quite common in this country... instant gratification. It's like putting blinders on a horse.

The problem is that when those blinders allow the horse to go in the desired direction, it's called "focus."

Look at the stock market, with day traders (and even minute traders). Look at our schools, wanting instant results.

You don't turn a battleship instantly. And with a lot of people, there's going to be a lot of disagreement as to the direction it should turn.

Wendy P.

Good point! Follow the money.


Chuck

[SkyDekker 1,121]

Quote

Sort of true but it's not as simple as that.... when the choice is one dick-head over another - what options do you really have?

You have to start wondering how you keep getting there. Maybe the system is just wrong?

I find often the starting position is: We are America and do everything the best. Our way is the best. Why can't we get half decent politicians?

Maybe the starting point is flawed and material changes are required.

I believe that the current US system is flawed and will continue to get worse until massive changes are unavoidable.

[shropshire 0]

indeed

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[rushmc 18]

Skyrad

***You are getting a good look at what we've been dealing with for years. Career pols on both sides of the aisle have been doing what's best for them for a long, long time, focusing solely on re-election and campaign donations. Those chickens have come home to roost.

And yet the people continually vote either Dem or GOP??? I don't get it, I also don't understand why people are so blindly loyal to such self serving rats (regardless of which party they're in).

while the blind loyalty is part of it, there is more. The parties have rigged (the best term I can think of right now) the system to help keep these two parties in power. The process of getting signatures and getting on ballots is not simple, and that by design allows the two parties to stay in power

Now, some of that complexity might be needed to keep the process from being overrun but, what these parties have done and its effect is overlooked much of the time

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[rushmc 18]

Skyrad

***What's unbelievable is people who think it's OK to keep borrowing and spending. When you are broke, it's might be wise to choose the most important bills to pay. However, nothing will get a person or a country out of debt as long as they keeps spending at an unsustainable rate.

http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/trouble-paying-bills-debts-tips-32215.html

I agree with you. However the interests of the people won't be served by defaulting on the debt, down that road lays hyperinflation and as Ron put it a SHTF situation.

There will be no default period!!!

Dont let the parties and the media sell you this crap

Will spending need to be altered? of course
Will tax dollars stop coming in? Ya think it will stop?

This is a manufactured crisis being sold just as the sequester was. And the sequester is not talked about any more. Why? Because the impact has been little if much of anything

Same will happen should the debt ceiling not be raised

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[masterrig 1]

rushmc

******You are getting a good look at what we've been dealing with for years. Career pols on both sides of the aisle have been doing what's best for them for a long, long time, focusing solely on re-election and campaign donations. Those chickens have come home to roost.

And yet the people continually vote either Dem or GOP??? I don't get it, I also don't understand why people are so blindly loyal to such self serving rats (regardless of which party they're in).

while the blind loyalty is part of it, there is more. The parties have rigged (the best term I can think of right now) the system to help keep these two parties in power. The process of getting signatures and getting on ballots is not simple, and that by design allows the two parties to stay in power

Now, some of that complexity might be needed to keep the process from being overrun but, what these parties have done and its effect is overlooked much of the time

You chose a good word for it... rigged! Just another way the politicians are certain of 'job security'.


Chuck

[rushmc 18]

masterrig

*********You are getting a good look at what we've been dealing with for years. Career pols on both sides of the aisle have been doing what's best for them for a long, long time, focusing solely on re-election and campaign donations. Those chickens have come home to roost.

And yet the people continually vote either Dem or GOP??? I don't get it, I also don't understand why people are so blindly loyal to such self serving rats (regardless of which party they're in).

while the blind loyalty is part of it, there is more. The parties have rigged (the best term I can think of right now) the system to help keep these two parties in power. The process of getting signatures and getting on ballots is not simple, and that by design allows the two parties to stay in power

Now, some of that complexity might be needed to keep the process from being overrun but, what these parties have done and its effect is overlooked much of the time

You chose a good word for it... rigged! Just another way the politicians are certain of 'job security'.


Chuck

For some reason these bastards think they are owed a job

They have forgotten they need to earn it

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[masterrig 1]

rushmc

************You are getting a good look at what we've been dealing with for years. Career pols on both sides of the aisle have been doing what's best for them for a long, long time, focusing solely on re-election and campaign donations. Those chickens have come home to roost.

And yet the people continually vote either Dem or GOP??? I don't get it, I also don't understand why people are so blindly loyal to such self serving rats (regardless of which party they're in).

while the blind loyalty is part of it, there is more. The parties have rigged (the best term I can think of right now) the system to help keep these two parties in power. The process of getting signatures and getting on ballots is not simple, and that by design allows the two parties to stay in power

Now, some of that complexity might be needed to keep the process from being overrun but, what these parties have done and its effect is overlooked much of the time

You chose a good word for it... rigged! Just another way the politicians are certain of 'job security'.


Chuck

For some reason these bastards think they are owed a job

They have forgotten they need to earn it

Seems to me, this 'entitlement' thing has gotten way out of hand.

Two senators from here in Texas are making a big deal in the media how they are not going to accept their paycheck during the shut-down. Letters refusing their paychecks were shown on local news here. How's that for politickin'? I'm sure, through their 'connections', they won't be hurting.


Chuck

[yoink 321]

Skyrad

Sounds like all the big campaign money needs to be capped so that donors are unable to buy influence. Also the parties should be limited on what they can spend on a campaign to make it a more even field, that way you might have more than a two party state.

Make a switch to instant runoff voting and you'd start to see other parties developing.

But of course the function of a power block is to remain a power block, so why would they alter anything that might change the status quo...

[shropshire 0]

rushmc

******You are getting a good look at what we've been dealing with for years. Career pols on both sides of the aisle have been doing what's best for them for a long, long time, focusing solely on re-election and campaign donations. Those chickens have come home to roost.

And yet the people continually vote either Dem or GOP??? I don't get it, I also don't understand why people are so blindly loyal to such self serving rats (regardless of which party they're in).

while the blind loyalty is part of it, there is more. The parties have rigged (the best term I can think of right now) the system to help keep these two parties in power. The process of getting signatures and getting on ballots is not simple, and that by design allows the two parties to stay in power

Here's a good video of why we tend to have 2 party systems .....

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[hottamaly 1]

I like the alternative vote option

Skydiving gave me a reason to live
I'm not afraid of what I'll miss when I die...I'm afraid of what I'll miss as I live

[Gravitymaster 0]

Skyrad

Sounds like all the big campaign money needs to be capped so that donors are unable to buy influence. Also the parties should be limited on what they can spend on a campaign to make it a more even field, that way you might have more than a two party state.

We have been trying to solve that problem for over 150 years. The latest attempt was McCain Feingold.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campaign_finance_reform_in_the_United_States

[wmw999 2,116]

As long as we consider money to be the primary determinant of power (including whether there are limits to it), we're going to end up the same.

Money doesn't want to fix the issue. And just giving up and saying that we really are a plutocracy and we're OK with it as long as there's the potential for entry into the wealthy class is BS.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[Gravitymaster 0]

wmw999

As long as we consider money to be the primary determinant of power (including whether there are limits to it), we're going to end up the same.

Money doesn't want to fix the issue. And just giving up and saying that we really are a plutocracy and we're OK with it as long as there's the potential for entry into the wealthy class is BS.

Wendy P.

So what should it be?

[billvon 2,380]

>Make a switch to instant runoff voting and you'd start to see other parties developing.

Agreed. That would be a good first step. However, since it would sometimes favor democrats, republicans would block it with every bit of political capital they have. And since it would sometimes favor republicans, democrats would block it with every bit of political capital they have.

[masterrig 1]

billvon

>Make a switch to instant runoff voting and you'd start to see other parties developing.

Agreed. That would be a good first step. However, since it would sometimes favor democrats, republicans would block it with every bit of political capital they have. And since it would sometimes favor republicans, democrats would block it with every bit of political capital they have.

So much for 'free enterprise'!


Chuck