Frustration with Current Political Environment

tom5170tom said:

For a while now I've become more and more frustrated with the current political environment where nothing substantive is being accomplished. Both parties are spending too much time wrangling and in-fighting so that little or nothing is being accomplished. Although a life-long democrat I think that both parties are guilty of grid-lock in Congress. I agree with senator Evan Bayh that Congress needs a "shock" in order to get their attention and to begin to remedy the situation.

In my opinion, the Senate is more broken that the House of Representatives. Most senators seem to spend as much time running for re-election as they do trying to accomplish any serious business. I think that not voting for the incumbent will not administer a severe enough shock to the current senators or either party to really get a serious effort to fix the problem. I genuinely think that the only way to have a long-term fix to this problem is a constitutional amendment which limits senators to one six year term, with no provision to be re-elected to the senate in the future after sitting out one term.

The other issue which I think needs to be resolved is the Supreme Court decision which permits virtually unlimited contributions to the election process by big business and lobbying groups. I think we need to take steps to see that it is not permitted. If legislation can't do it because of the first amendment - then we need a new amendment which restricts political contributions to the private American citizen only.

So - what are your thoughts concerning these two topics? Perhaps you don't agree that our government is broken. That's OK. Your opinion is as valid as mine,

What would be the unintended consequences of either or both of them? Can you think of better ways to remedy them? Lets hear your ideas. I think that the American electorate needs a spirited and thoughtful discussion of these ideas in order to get out government working again.

Click to expand...

:dance: Nothing but truth. I suggest a new constitution and reorganization of the country. America is beyond fixing, it's time to let it die and start over.

David said:

:dance: Nothing but truth. I suggest a new constitution and reorganization of the country. America is beyond fixing, it's time to let it die and start over.

Click to expand...

Not very optimistic David - I still have hope for this country because I think the people are finally starting to wake up and hopefully we will be able to salvage the Constitution and the country before it is too late.

myp said:

Not very optimistic David - I still have hope for this country because I think the people are finally starting to wake up and hopefully we will be able to salvage the Constitution and the country before it is too late.

Click to expand...

It IS too late. We have a debt that can't be payed off. Stop all spending today and it'd still take years to pay off. The lack of spending would have resulted in our collapse long before that happy day comes, too.

And the Constitution? Name the last president that was Constitutional. Our current and previous presidents have openly expressed a disdain for the Constitution, with our current president being a Constitutional Lawyer!

America is dead, it's not pessimism so much as realism.

David said:

It IS too late. We have a debt that can't be payed off. Stop all spending today and it'd still take years to pay off. The lack of spending would have resulted in our collapse long before that happy day comes, too.

And the Constitution? Name the last president that was Constitutional. Our current and previous presidents have openly expressed a disdain for the Constitution, with our current president being a Constitutional Lawyer!

America is dead, it's not pessimism so much as realism.

Click to expand...

Well you contradicted yourself in the first two sentences, but the debt can still be paid off as long as confidence in the USD as basically the reserve currency in the world lasts. After that is gone, then it would be very difficult.

As for Constitutional politicians- they are still there and the Campaign for Liberty is starting to churn out some bigger names, so I am really placing a lot of my hope with that organization, which I personally consider myself a part of as well. If we get the right people elected, this country can be turned around towards prosperity once more.

To limit the ability to contribute to political campaigns is to infringe on the right of free speech and interfere with the democratic process. (Indeed, it must be so if people speak and vote with their wallets!) The politicians, not surprisingly, oppose any restriction on their right to take other people?s money; and the public, quite understandably, resent being told what they can?t do with their money. The problem is that campaign finance reform represents yet another attempt to legislate morality, which is a hopeless prospect in this wicked world. Curiously, there is no such need to limit one?s contributions to church and charity. After all, if you can buy indulgence from the church, then why not influence in government? If everyone has to pay to play, what?s wrong in getting what you pay for? It seems a double standard. The concept, however imperfect, at least has commercial appeal, i.e., the greater your contribution or donation, the greater your voice in government or place in paradise. It?s a win-win situation.

Nemo said:

To limit the ability to contribute to political campaigns is to infringe on the right of free speech and interfere with the democratic process. (Indeed, it must be so if people speak and vote with their wallets!) The politicians, not surprisingly, oppose any restriction on their right to take other people?s money; and the public, quite understandably, resent being told what they can?t do with their money. The problem is that campaign finance reform represents yet another attempt to legislate morality, which is a hopeless prospect in this wicked world. Curiously, there is no such need to limit one?s contributions to church and charity. After all, if you can buy indulgence from the church, then why not influence in government? If everyone has to pay to play, what?s wrong in getting what you pay for? It seems a double standard. The concept, however imperfect, at least has commercial appeal, i.e., the greater your contribution or donation, the greater your voice in government or place in paradise. It?s a win-win situation.

Click to expand...

As a socialist, I fail to see how it's a win-win.

The Rep. Got us here, Now they Refuse to Get us Out

David said:

:dance: Nothing but truth. I suggest a new constitution and reorganization of the country. America is beyond fixing, it's time to let it die and start over.

Click to expand...

It has been totally overlooked that the Tax Cuts by the Republicans for the Richest people in the country has took Trillions out of our budget over the last 8 years. They have taken payoffs from the Insurance companies for years to keep things just like they are. They got us into the War , and they passed all the bills and regulations that made it possible for Wall Street Drive the world to the brink of total failure,, NOW they refuse to Help fix it??????? VOTE THEM ALL OUT

tom5170tom said:

So - what are your thoughts concerning these two topics?

Click to expand...

I don't know whether there is a solution, as the only one that I can see that will work is to fire all members of Congress and Senate, as well as the Judges in the Supreme Court and start completely from scratch. I completely agree with you that there are serious problems. The way the Health Reform Bill has taken over all of the political energy, in spite of the people saying "no" and let's move to the next item on the agenda is a good example of the system being severely sick.

“Given the existence as uttered forth in the public works of Puncher and Wattmann of a personal God quaquaquaqua with white beard quaquaquaqua outside time without extension who from the heights of divine apathia divine athambia divine aphasia loves us dearly with some exceptions for reasons unknown but time will tell and suffers like the divine Miranda with those who for reasons unknown but time will tell are plunged in torment plunged in fire whose fire flames if that continues and who can doubt it will fire the firmament that is to say blast heaven to hell so blue still and calm so calm with a calm which even though intermittent is better than nothing but not so fast and considering what is more that as a result of the labours left unfinished crowned by the Acacacacademy of Anthropopopometry of Essy-in-Possy of Testew and Cunard it is established beyond all doubt all other doubt than that which clings to the labours of men that as a result of the labours unfinished of Testew and Cunard it is established as hereinafter but not so fast for reasons unknown that as a result of the public works of Puncher and Wattmann it is established beyond all doubt that in view of the labours of Fartov and Belcher left unfinished for reasons unknown of Testew and Cunard left unfinished it is established what many deny that man in Possy of Testew and Cunard that man in Essy that man in short that man in brief in spite of the strides of alimentation and defecation is seen to waste and pine waste and pine and concurrently simultaneously what is more for reasons unknown in spite of the strides of physical culture the practice of sports such as tennis football running cycling swimming flying floating riding gliding conating camogie skating tennis of all kinds dying flying sports of all sorts autumn summer winter winter tennis of all kinds hockey of all sorts penicilline and succedanea in a word I resume and concurrently simultaneously for reasons unknown to shrink and dwindle in spite of the tennis I resume flying gliding golf over nine and eighteen holes tennis of all sorts in a word for reasons unknown in Feckham Peckham Fulham Clapham namely concurrently simultaneously what is more for reasons unknown but time will tell to shrink and dwindle I resume Fulham Clapham in a word the dead loss per head since the death of Bishop Berkeley being to the tune of one inch four ounce per head approximately by and large more or less to the nearest decimal good measure round figures stark naked in the stockinged feet in Connemara in a word for reasons unknown no matter what matter the facts are there and considering what is more much more grave that in the light of the labours lost of Steinweg and Peterman it appears what is more much more grave that in the light the light the light of the labours lost of Steinweg and Peterman that in the plains in the mountains by the seas by the rivers running water running fire the air is the same and than the earth namely the air and then the earth in the great cold the great dark the air and the earth abode of stones in the great cold alas alas in the year of their Lord six hundred and something the air the earth the sea the earth abode of stones in the great deeps the great cold on sea on land and in the air I resume for reasons unknown in spite of the tennis the facts are there but time will tell I resume alas alas on on in short in fine on on abode of stones who can doubt it I resume but not so fast I resume the skull to shrink and waste and concurrently simultaneously what is more for reasons unknown in spite of the tennis on on the beard the flames the tears the stones so blue so calm alas alas on on the skull the skull the skull the skull in Connemara in spite of the tennis the labours abandoned left unfinished graver still abode of stones in a word I resume alas alas abandoned unfinished the skull the skull in Connemara in spite of the tennis the skull alas the stones Cunard (mêlée, final vociferations) tennis… the stones… so calm… Cunard… unfinished…”