Things are getting worse in just about all points of measurement. So say the people to the pollsters. Few people think they are better off than their parents were and few think the future prospects are bright. The number of people who think Congress is doing a good job has never been lower, say the polls. If you ask people who they blame for whatever is wrong with America today, mostly it is the politicians.
The crooked, lying, cheating, bought-and-paid-for politicians. The politicians who live high on the hog and get wined and dined by special-interest lobbies. Thieves, mostly. Looking to get elected and reelected and saying what they think the voters want to hear. And most of them WILL get reelected: the voters are saps.
There are a few good politicians. Precious few. Many start with good intentions but get lost in the "system" of corruption and end up just like all the rest. The ones that stay true to their values find the road difficult and fraught with compromise.
Why are these uncaring, selfish, racketeers allowed to live the way they live, pass bills that benefit their benefactors, ignore the will of the people? Because the people keep voting them in, that's why. And after they vote the thieves and rascals into office, the people don't demand accountability.
Believe it or not, there are some Americans who have a clear vision of how they want to live and how they want their country to be, have informed themselves of the issues and what is going on. How many? I don't know - maybe 5%. The rest? Well, half of them are so lazy or uninspired by the available criminals to vote for that they just don't bother to vote at all. The other half, the ones responsible for continuing to vote these arrogant useless scalawags into office, vote for their own reasons. Analysis of what is best for the country seldom enters into their voting decisions.
They vote for a candidate because he or she has black skin. They vote because their candidate is hispanic. They vote because their guy is Jewish. Or they vote for the candidate who is NOT black, hispanic, jewish, or bald. Whatever. Many vote for the person or party they are told to vote for: union members vote Democrat. So do minority groups. Each party claims its automatic voters from various special-interest groups, from environmentalists to lumberjacks to Southern Baptists. I suppose. Some have educated themselves on the issues and know exactly what direction they want to see America go. Too many, however, as so dumb they couldn't tell you where the Statue of Liberty is located. They live for their next fix and they vote for the candidate who promises not to cut off their welfare check.
That brings us to a dilemma: should all Americans be allowed to vote? If so, should all votes be equal? What if continuing to do it that way insures that we continue down the same path of corruption we see today? If the answer is "yes," then we probably are doomed to continue to deteriorate and see our standard of living continue to fall. But if the answer is "no," then what? Who gets to vote? I mean, besides ME, of course.
They can't vote for anyone other than those who put themselves forward. If none of the candidates is honest/intelligent/selfless/upstanding, what can be done?
ReplyDeleteIf they weren't so stupid they would put forth better candidates and follow them around and watch them like a good employer should. Americans are not only stupid, those who are not stupid are lazy. But mostly it is the stupid who put in the pig politicians because they are promised something free, and they get it.
DeleteAnd what good person today would put himself forward? Not worth the abuse (and personal scrutiny) so, you are right. We are hopeless.
DeleteIf you could remove the need for a fortune to pay your way as a candidate, maybe things could improve.
DeleteProbably true. How would you do that? Make them go back to knocking on each door? We have 310 million people living here now. Only 3 of them can even read.
Delete:) :) I know you are right, A. But getting politicians to pass a law which limits their ability to stay in their jobs year after year is as hard as getting them to pass a law lowering their salaries, don't you think? Maybe representative government has outlived its usefulness. Maybe we should just vote electronically at home on each issue. Government by referendum. Then all we would have to do would be to educate our population on the issues. Ah, well. Never mind THAT. You are eating cake and ice cream, you say?
DeleteSo the three are you and who else?
DeleteI don't know how to make them knock on 310 million doors. Professional door knockers? They would have to be amateur to keep down the costs. You know your own system and people better than I do.
I said nothing about cake and ice cream. Let THEM eat cake. :)
DeleteWhen Soubriquet comes, there will be 3 and a half. I would count him as a whole if he didn't discard all he reads that he doesn't agree with.
DeleteI can't tell you the other three (I don't count myself yet.)
I do know our system. It's the same as yours. Except our queen is Nancy Reagan.
DeleteYour queen is still alive? Ours is younger, slightly.
DeleteI think you should count yourself in the three if you're expecting us to agree/disagree with your views.
ReplyDeleteMostly disagree.
DeleteI know how happy you are with your politicians, so it is hard for you to get outraged at a Marie Antoinette system such as ours. (Please give me credit for working in a cake reference.)
DeleteI understand that you disagree, but don't roil, please.
Your queen is a spry wood sprite compared to ours. Your queen jumps out of airplanes (I saw it with my own eyes) and ours just falls down a lot.
It was a helicopter. I know words like " helicopter" even if I don't know "brioche". Maybe she could jump out of a brioche next time.
DeleteChopper.
DeleteHow incredibly rude. This isn't Britishspeak you know.
DeleteIt is, of course, the Mind of Max. I should have known.
DeleteIt's actually 'brioche,' and not 'cake.'
ReplyDeleteNot that I would wish to be pedantic.
No way you know words like that. Someone has hijacked your password as well as your avatar. Broach. Pandemic. Indeed. A lot you know about Marie Antoinette and the Italian Revolution. Don't try to fake it.
DeleteMarie Antoinette is nowhere recorded as mentioning 'brioche.' So why mention her? Please stick to facts (Ha! Facts, you, Pah!)
DeleteAwwww c'mon, Max - really???
ReplyDeleteYou want to toss democracy out and put what in its place?
Instead of attempting to create a pass/fail system for who can and who cannot vote, why not use all that considerable intellect and energy to educate the populous and motivate them. You could charge big bucks for your 3 day seminars
Though I do like the idea of electronic voting on issues ...
Aren't professional knockers ladies who work the strip at night?
xxx
I want to toss representative democracy and replace it with pure democracy. (People decide without the middle man.)
DeleteMaybe there is only one uneducated voter. Me. :)
You uneducated......hmmmm
DeleteI thought about putting myself forward for office. I have a birth certificate, after all.
ReplyDeleteOnce I've done that, got elected, my new federal gubmint will require all states to build a big wall around their boundaries.
The 'Babel' acts of 2014 will require each state to adopt a state language unintelligible to those from neighbouring states.
It may not be much, but it's a start. No qualifications from any state body will be recognised across state borders, especially drivers permits.
Railroads will be required to change gauge at state borders. Air traffic will be required to halt at borders and await a coloured flare, giving permission to continue.
All political representatives will be paid on a scale which is controlled by a median of the wages of janitors, librarians, and teachers. Lawyers will be paid on that scale too, as will doctors.
All spelling rules instigated by that misguided and mendacious scoundrel, Samuel Webster will become invalid and illegal.
I will be elected 'President for life and beyond'.
The world will be a better place, New Mexico will be the first state to adopt universal metrication.
Remember, a pound is 454 grammes.
"Why are these uncaring, selfish, racketeers allowed to live the way they live, pass bills that benefit their benefactors, ignore the will of the people? Because the people keep voting them in, that's why. And after they vote the thieves and rascals into office, the people don't demand accountability."
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more and don't see it coming through without serious campaign reform. And, since too few are willing to stand up and demand it, we're hurting.
Heinlein was for having an IQ test as part of the voting process (and removing the age limitations). Of course, he equated the ability to do math with intelligence and recommended solving a quadratic equation. Which probably drops the number of voters down to 1 or 2.
Ah yes, the future is indeed bright. Speaking of the Statue of Liberty, I wonder how many hard-earned tax-payer dollars were spent on moving it to Las Vegas (Nevada--not New Mexico)?
ReplyDelete