Bear Hunting in Alaska

[slash2]

Isn't it nice to have a forum where people are civil!

I guess my real point is, and I kinda picked an odd place to to try to make it, is until we change the way politicians are allowed to except money, you and I, regardless of party affiliation, are just pawns in their game of influence peddling. The way I see it, politicians will say and do anything to get elected, but once elected they mainly only listen to the people who funneled huge amounts of money toward getting them elected. Nobody donates hundreds of thousands of dollars, even millions, to someone without expecting something in return. It's legal corruption, bribery in plain sight.

I think campaign contributions should be limited to private individuals only and not to exceed $10,000. No corporations, no committees, no groups, organizations or conglomerates of people at all, only individual contributions from citizens. Period.
I also think they should have to recuse themselves from any vote where they have any prior relationship, compensation, gift, or benefit from the parties or groups that are affected by the legislation. Like a Judge, they should be required to recuse themselves if there is a conflicts of interest, like receiving campaign contributions hours before a vote that effects the contributor.

So I guess I see the jokes, the name calling, the labels as ways that power brokers use to divide us into easily defined, marketable and manipulated groups. They exploit our different conservative, moderate and liberal views by defining them as either good or evil, and while good Americans of all political views are distracted by petty name calling, finger pointing and ideological differences the very wealthy dictate the direction of the country, not you and I.

In other words, they want us to fight amongst ourselves so we don't notice what's going on behind our backs.

[MOUNTIN DU]

I still luv the Pope... & Sarah too!

[Texas Sheepdawg]

Slash, you are way ahead of most folks who are still in denial
about this "Tactical Misdirection" you are speaking of. Not only are
the politicians in on it, the MAINSTREAM MEDIA is the #1 culprit,
aiding and abedding these politicians. And it goes MUCH deeper
than just media and politicians. The Federal Reserve Bank and those
who run it are a serious threat to the security and future of our
Great country. Obama is a puppet. And thank God people are starting
To see the strings that get tied to all American Presidents since 1913.

[slash2]

Thanks dawg.

I don't see it as a conspiracy but as a phenomenon, or a natural progression if left unchecked. Politicians may start out with high ideals and good intentions, but if they don't learn to play the game they don't last long or progress very far. And the game is getting re-elected, and you can't get re-elected if you can't raise enough campaign money to get re-elected. If a candidate looks like they will be favorably disposed to a contributors position then they'll get money from them. If they don't play the game they wither on the vine, if they learn the ropes and look out after the large contributors they move up the ranks. The only way to stay in office is to please the rich and powerful, but they still have to get re-elected so they have to put on a dog and pony show for us so we'll think they have our best interests at heart. But if they have our best interests at heart how come our taxes keep going up, and we have to work harder and harder to make ends meet, while the banks and large corporations reap huge profits?

So you're one of the rich and powerful and you want to stay that way, you've got control over the money and the politicians, now all you have to do is control the flow of information and you've got a lock on the country. How do you control the flow of information? By buying up all of the news and broadcasting services. Almost every source of news and information we use to learn about events that shape our lives is owned by a handful of people.

If we were doing our job and keeping an eye on things we would see what's going on and we'd probably get pretty upset with the folks at the top,and as a unified force we could end their shenanigans pretty fast. So it also benefits the rich and powerful to split us up into factions and then pit one faction against the other so no single group has enough power to up root the system.

So we have a divided country. Red states and blue states, the heartland and the liberal coasts, elitist and rednecks. While we're squabbling with our neighbors, eying other states with mistrust, calling each other good Americans and bad Americans, passing around e-mails and jokes that reinforce the stereotypes that divide us, the true threat to liberty and freedom goes unchecked right in plain sight.

Or I could be wrong

[Texas Sheepdawg]

And all of that explains why we don't get term limits.
"What!? Limit our own power and greed!?"
Once in office, only the truly genuine folks will have
Self imposed term limits. Examples? Ed Bryant, Fred Thompson.
You nailed it, Slash. I wished the rest of America would wake
Up from the spell that they are under.

[MOUNTIN DU]

I'd like to quote the greatest president to ever lead this country Teddy Roosevelt

"This country has nothing to fear from the crooked man who fails. We put him in jail. It is the crooked man who succeeds who is a threat to this country."
Memphis, TN, October 25, 1905

"The bulk of government is not legislation but administration." "Men can never escape being governed. Either they must govern themselves or they must submit to being governed by others."
Jamestown, VA, April 26, 1907

"A vote is like a rifle: its usefulness depends upon the character of the user."
An Autobiography, 1913

[slash2]

Term limits aren't the answer. You don't want inexperienced politicians overseeing trade agreements, arms negotiations or nuclear disarmament strategies any more than you want inexperienced doctors doing your bypass surgery. What you do want is knowing that your doctor has your best interests at heart and not the pharmaceutical company that's paying him huge amounts of money to promote their new, and very expensive, drug.

Let the politicians stay there as long as they are doing a good job and are working for the American citizens best interests, not the highest bidders pet project. The only way to do that is to remove special interest money and influence from the equation. Our politicians must be accountable to us, the voters, and no one else!

[BillytheKid]

Term limits aren't the answer. You don't want inexperienced politicians overseeing trade agreements, arms negotiations or nuclear disarmament strategies any more than you want inexperienced doctors doing your bypass surgery. What you do want is knowing that your doctor has your best interests at heart and not the pharmaceutical company that's paying him huge amounts of money to promote their new, and very expensive, drug.

Let the politicians stay there as long as they are doing a good job and are working for the American citizens best interests, not the highest bidders pet project. The only way to do that is to remove special interest money and influence from the equation. Our politicians must be accountable to us, the voters, and no one else!

I would politely disagree.

My Dr. can't take away my guns, nor increase my taxes. Term limits do not stop a good politician from climbing the political ladder, perhaps right up to President, but they do stop crony politics as usual.

Bill

[slash2]

No worries kid, I certainly don't have the inside scoop on any of this stuff, and I very well could be wrong in my assumptions, so any other perspectives are welcome. If I only listened to people with the same point of view as mine I wouldn't learn anything.

When you say crony politics, do you mean like the back room deals and stuff?

[BillytheKid]

When you say crony politics, do you mean like the back room deals and stuff?

Certainly that, and what also goes along with that, to wit, somehow constantly being re-elected even though everyone feels they have done a poor job. Somehow the challengers seem to always lose, and the re-elected incumbent somehow keeps getting richer at taxpayer expense.

Bill