You guys are great . This must be one of the calmest and most rational political discussions anywhere on the Internet and yet it’s not on a political site, it’s on a forum about Cannabis and the Netherlands
Douglas Adams once said something along the lines of that the problem with finding good leaders is that the people that most want the job are the last people you should allow to do it. Maybe you need a president that does inhale.
I originally created the Off Topic section in hope of debates like this. Which reminds me, shouldn’t this be there?
this was an excellent thread and sorry I missed it the past few days.
I just wanted to add in here about Rumsfeld's resignation that if any of you know any soldiers ask them how they feel about it...........there has been some quite behind the scenes celebrating going on now that this arrogant unqualified bully and total ass is gone.
mazdog wrote:there are absolutely people 'pulling the strings' of most politicians. IMO opinion the whole system right now is corrupt and failing. How to fix it? i have no idea.....but it is clearly messed up and there is no two ways that the corporations and their lobbyist weild SIGNIFICANT power over the system overall.
Totally agree with you on this
I so totally wish they could do away with the entire lobbyist part of the system or at the very least make it completely illegal for anyone other than a private citizen to contribute money to any candidate or political party and then put a limit on it where it would be a small enough amount that it would never be enough money to buy anyone.
Alaskan Biker wrote:I so totally wish they could do away with the entire lobbyist part of the system or at the very least make it completely illegal for anyone other than a private citizen to contribute money to any candidate or political party and then put a limit on it where it would be a small enough amount that it would never be enough money to buy anyone.
They sorta did this. They limited personal contributions already to something between $500 and $2000 (I can't rightly remember which as I wouldn't give my money to one of those pricks if you threatened to blow off my testicles. However, neither you or I will see the end of lobbyists within our lifetime. Not short of revolution or some MAJOR scandal. I think everyone in America should just stop paying taxes and rent, and then see what happens. Can't lock up 300 million citizens for not paying taxes. Then when the government crashes, start over with the original aims of the American Founding fathers and some stiff prohibitions against the laws that perverted that view in the first place. Small federal government, larger state governments, and actual FREEDOM and PRIVACY for our citizens. Won't happen, but its a nice dream.
There are no easy answers. The world's elites have used their power and influence consistently and over a long period of time to make it so the rich get richer. The republicans are the party of the Corporations and they use any fool who will believe their lies. Their agenda is personal enrichment and that is all.
The Democrats are the ONLY choice in the US. A third party will never work due to overwhwlming barriers to entry specifically erected to keep them out.
The division is along class lines. The Democrats are the only party the people have a chance to take back. The first thing is to get corporate money (and union money too) out of politics by having federal financing of elections.
Corporatism, aka Fascism, is occuring in the guise of globalism. The elites of the world have united and they are gorging themselves on tax dollars funneled to their corporations from governments around the world...from us, from our taxes. How else can wages go down while the stock market, and with it rich people's portfolios, goes up over an extended period of time?
There is really nothing wrong with people making money. But when corporations take over the government that is too much. There are real functions for government. The government should provide education, healthcare and protection for all its' people not just ones who can afford it.
BTW conservativism vs liberalism is not about slow change vs fast change. That is dis-information trying to paint all liberals with one brush and is simplistic to the extreme. So much so that it is meaningless
What they are are lenses to look at life through. The way you see life will determine liberal and conservatve views. Neoconservatism is simply about making money any way you can. Ask Haliburton.
Doc wrote: A third party will never work due to overwhwlming barriers to entry specifically erected to keep them out.
So true. One of the biggest problems with our political system is the Electoral College. Unfortunately, the politcal parties will never change it because they know how easy it can be to manipulate it for their benefit.