Why congress sucks (an interesting read)

[Angry Irishman]

Keeping it classy....love this forum and how unbiased it remains.

 

[Jhhnn]

I certainly don't offer more of the status quo. Politicians are bought and paid for, and government is the tool by which the rich and powerful pay to legitimize their desires. The very notion of a corporation is a legal construct supported by the government you wish to be our saviour. I don't have the answers, but that fact that you think you do disturbs me greatly. Why don't we talk about asset forfeiture laws, for instance, where cops act as highway robbers under color of law, and where the government can actually use a loophole to sue your property to evade the presumption of innocence. Or Kelo, which codified the abuse of eminent domain, making greed the sole justification for confiscation of private property. That's just the tip of the iceberg. For every abuse perpetrated by a corporation, there is an equally chilling one committed by a government and an ever more militarized police that is ever less accountable for its actions. I'll not be a willing accomplice to that.

You dodge the issue completely. The concentrated power of wealth is what it is, and is growing by leaps & bounds. Make no mistake- they intend to Rule. It's the truth. Deal with it. The only counter to that is, was, and always will be egalitarian democracy expressed as a govt of the people. You offer no alternative.

Such govts are obviously imperfect. OTOH, they're all we have.

Tell me- what offers greater resistance, greater protection for the people- a robust govt, or a weak one? A congress with lots of resources & research, or one that takes ideological orders from the leadership & the think tanks?

If govt power to serve the people doesn't scale up with the power of the financial elite, who will prevail?

Who do we want to prevail?

 

[crashtech]

What I seem to be dodging completely is your interpretation of reality, but in that, at least, we are alike. It's unfortunate that you are ignoring my attempts to engage you in a wider discussion; I want to accuse you of monomania, but perhaps you are just passionate about what you believe. For that I salute you, but I don't see any further discussion being good for either of us, do you?

 

[realibrad]

No doubt about it. The Democrat ACA profits the entrenched medical, pharma and insurance industry greatly. Dodd and other NE democrats keep the 15% hedgefund income tax loophole going on some of richest ppl in America. I could go on and on but both parties are bought and sold that's a fact established in Princeton Study I linked earlier. Big government makes this possible but not inevitable if we had legislation to mollify the influence.. Things like public financing - Can't lobby - Can't take these CEO of Halliburton jobs day you're uneleceted - would certainly help.

Look at a country like canada or france. They are able to keep reigns on big pharma or banks from totally corrupting the system despite extensive social welfare (big govt).

Comparing the US to any other country is a bit unfair. This is because the US is the Center of the western world for companies. The reason Canada or any smaller country does not have the same issues, is that you would get far less return on your corruption investment. There is a reason why the US has so many foreign bases lobbyist. There just isint the return you can get here, and so they never do.

 

[cubby1223]

Lol! It's almost as if you guys read the title of the article and then said, "I would like to personify that, so I'll post something that highlights my stupidity".

You never cease to make shit up out of thin air to "prove" your online greatness, as if that means anything to anyone besides yourself. I skimmed the article and the conclusion near the end was:

The problem, however, is that conservatives as a rule don’t see this lack of expertise as a problem. Quite the contrary: they’ve orchestrated the brain drain precisely as a way to advance the conservative agenda. Why, when your aim is less government, would you want to add to government’s intellectual capacity?

Do the world a favor and grow up.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Keeping it classy....love this forum and how unbiased it remains.

speak English......

 

[ivwshane]

Third post in and you add oh so much!

Skimmed through it. The declaration at the end is that congress sucks because the GOP is proud of their stupidity.

A good article for people who hate the Republican Party.

You never cease to make shit up out of thin air to "prove" your online greatness, as if that means anything to anyone besides yourself. I skimmed the article and the conclusion near the end was:



Do the world a favor and grow up.

Do yourself a favor and look in the mirror.

 

[werepossum]

Hmm... thanks for the kudos. I actually don't mean to garner support from rightists, nor alienate leftists. I am old enough to remember the ideals of the 60's counterculture as passed on by adults and culture, and how we children of the 70's had to integrate that with the horrendous treatment of returning Vietnam vets. The experience, along with still living under the nuclear threat, jaded us early. But clearly I remember the leftists of that time had little affinity for big government, as opposed to the authoritarian strain of left ideology that seems to rule the dominant school of thought today. I'd much rather hang out with a stoned, unwashed hippy than consider the path down which today's new brand of authoritarians are leading us. At least the hippies loved freedom.

Well said, and I agree. Liberalism has at its core a great valuation of freedom and liberty, and has been responsible for much and probably most of Western civilization's progress over the last few hundred years. Unfortunately that's been largely replaced among leftists with the "progressive" philosophy, which denies even the freedom to decide what to have for lunch. The left has largely gone from a force increasing human liberty to a force pushing big government Marxism, the antithesis of freedom.

Third post in and you add oh so much!

Do yourself a favor and look in the mirror.

Dude, you used to be capable of making a reasonable argument. Now you've become the worst type of foamy knee-jerk proggie, full of rage, empty of thought. What the hell happened? Did a conservative steal your wife, dog and job on the same day?

 

[ivwshane]

Well said, and I agree. Liberalism has at its core a great valuation of freedom and liberty, and has been responsible for much and probably most of Western civilization's progress over the last few hundred years. Unfortunately that's been largely replaced among leftists with the "progressive" philosophy, which denies even the freedom to decide what to have for lunch. The left has largely gone from a force increasing human liberty to a force pushing big government Marxism, the antithesis of freedom.


Dude, you used to be capable of making a reasonable argument. Now you've become the worst type of foamy knee-jerk proggie, full of rage, empty of thought. What the hell happened? Did a conservative steal your wife, dog and job on the same day?

Lol! You must have missed the part where I was responding to an idiot who didn't even bother reading the article.