Ask the card-carrying socialists: Is Obama one of them?

[ricardisimo]

Originally Posted by GBMelBlount

Good point Ricardisimo.

Do you feel that the politicians are any less morally challenged, greedy or self serving than the corporate elite?

I think politicians are almost by definition the greasiest people on the planet. Moral culpability for fraud, graft, greed, and even outright theft should lie at the top, and if the suits are funding that sort of behavior, then they are "mostly" responsible on some level. Still, it's difficult in any way to shift the slightest blame away from our elected officials, who have taken oaths of public duty and fealty which the suits have not.

[ricardisimo]

Originally Posted by urgle burgle

so how would you suggest we change the system? people that are uber rich fund their own campaings with there money only? same problem. we allow everybody to run who has five bucks and a pack of smokes? that is still doable. people do that. but how are they going to afford to get their message out. and then you have the problem of sorting throught the thousands of candidates. tax funded elections only? then they will shill to the govt. go with a laze fair type of system where anarchy reigns? in your world that would acceptable. but then we would collapse in a few years. im all ears, give me/us a better system..then we can discuss that.

Irony of ironies, the more money that is spent on campaigns and elections, the lower the turnout tends to be. It makes sense, when you think about it. People smell through the BS when their candidates are marketed to them in exactly the same manner as their toothpaste, breakfast cereal and sports cars.

So, we have publicly-funded elections that cost 1% of what they cost now. Everyone is on the same field. No ads, no posters, no BS. Regularly scheduled debates, Q&As and meet-and-greets, and that's it. It's up to the people themselves to investigate what's out there, rather than being up to the boob tube to sell President Pepsi to us.

[urgle burgle]

Originally Posted by ricardisimo

Irony of ironies, the more money that is spent on campaigns and elections, the lower the turnout tends to be. It makes sense, when you think about it. People smell through the BS when their candidates are marketed to them in exactly the same manner as their toothpaste, breakfast cereal and sports cars.

So, we have publicly-funded elections that cost 1% of what they cost now. Everyone is on the same field. No ads, no posters, no BS. Regularly scheduled debates, Q&As and meet-and-greets, and that's it. It's up to the people themselves to investigate what's out there, rather than being up to the boob tube to sell President Pepsi to us.

so will the 1% be mandated, taken from the taxes already given? we have that box on tax returns and i doubt many use it. or, sorry, the dollar or so box, whatever. you say no ads, no posters, no BS. nice concept. not workable. you think we have a low turn out now? we will have less then. a lot of the country wont know any real specifics without a small tidbit here and there. most wont do the research, especially if there are a billion candidates. try dividing that 1% or so among all candidates without them being able to drum up money, that wont even cover the flights to different states, i doubt. i would like a better system, but i want one that is feasible.

[GBMelBlount]

Originally Posted by ricardisimo

I think politicians are almost by definition the greasiest people on the planet. Moral culpability for fraud, graft, greed, and even outright theft should lie at the top, and if the suits are funding that sort of behavior, then they are "mostly" responsible on some level. Still, it's difficult in any way to shift the slightest blame away from our elected officials, who have taken oaths of public duty and fealty which the suits have not.

Well said. I have to agree with the spirit of your post ricardisimo but I am not sure to the level where I would "mostly" blame the suits.

I think that liberals and conservatives agree on a lot of the problems, the difference is in what we generally believe is the best solution.

Blaming freedom and free markets for all of our problems and allowing the government to seize control as a panacea is simply putting the fox in charge of the hen house imo.