most Americans are uninformed and spoon fed by the media (which ever side they subscribe to.) Go on a true fact finding mission about your candidate, you will find yourself voting for no one. Why? because the minute you have a good person and you stick them in the corrupted cesspool that is our congress and house, with the fat cats lining the pockets of every and all special interest, in turn polluting any mind and spirit. America, you need to educate your self and get back to a day when we are an aware public...its a sad day, and our forefathers are turning over in their graves with disgust of the ignorance and complacency of the American people. We are allowing ourselves to be lazy and unaware. we use a pill to cure every thing, instead of taking part and being responsible, for everything down to our health. BUT NO we are a bunch of lazy, over privileged (*)(*)(*)(*) heads. I hope the biggest crook is voted in and we all pay, because that is the only way America will rally. SAD BUT TRUE. Our right to exist trumps the rights of Corporations Only Greens refuse to accept Corporate Donations VOTE GREEN PARTY...The only political Party which represents the best of what America once stood for. If either of these two major parties get elected, they will finish off the job they've already started of totally destroying this once great country of ours. They've more than had their opportunity to get this country moving forward, but each year each of these parties have failed miserably. The only hope that this country has to survive and thrive is a new non-corrupt party, which would be the Green Party. Our right to exist trumps the rights of Corporations Only Greens refuse to accept Corporate Donations VOTE GREEN PARTY...The only political Party which represents the best of what America once stood for.
I won't be joining you, being I see moral purity as a luxury which we can't afford at the moment. I'll be wallowing in the mud with the Democrats. They're far from perfect, but you go to war with the army you've got. I hope someday we can afford the luxury of voting Green, but it's not today.
There's not a lot of difference between the Green Party and the democrats. Stein believes in abortion rights, the 1% being evil, increasing paths to citizenship for illegals, gay-marriage, she believes that putting minorities in jail is a big business tactic, she's against the death penalty, wants marijuana legalized, supports sex education in school, wants free college education for everyone, opposes prayer in public schools...on and on. She's basically just your average bleeding heart liberal. Not much different than what Obama and the left in general stands for.
I agree to a certain extent, but as you stated, as soon as they gain any traction they will be corrupted as well. Their is one first step that needs to be taken to even consider taking our country back. A 28th amendment to the constitution banning all private funding from federally elected campaigns! Until this time we are just spinning out tires, and chasing our tails!
Haven't you ever heard of a communist corporatist? It means he believes in re-distribution, its just that its from middle America to corporations!
Twinkyfl1, You have some good ideas, and fantastic intentions. I truly wish that your Green Party had their $hit in one tight bundle, and a whole lot earlier than a month before the elections. As it is, your Party is going to be too little too late, and considered a minor lunatic fringe entity come election day. Love you anyway. Keep up the good fight, little lady. I am proud of you.
You are very correct. Our political landscape isn't shaped by the parties it shapes them to fit the system. Any third party that rose to power would quickly become just like the democrats or republicans and have to operate certain ways in order to accomplish anything. You would need to drastically alter our political system before you see any changes in the parties or politicians. If Jill Stein were to win she would have to make alliances, pander to her base, deal with a hostile Congress and negotiate, and would basically have to act as any other President does in order to accomplish even the smallest things. This way of doing business will never change until you change the rules of the game.
Honestly I think one of the main catalyst's of corruption is blackmail by lobbyist's. So as much as the reality of doing governing in a messy democracy is, I believe many fortune 500 compnaies, and groups like the ATC, and AIPAC have J. Edgar Hoover like files on every politician in this country. If you don't play ball, they will end your career. Think Anthony Wiener, even if they don't have dirt, they can hack your phone and create it. This is why after the 28th amendment, we need to force all lobbying onto the public record, and make it a felony if lobby contact is made off the public record! Screw terrorism, our economy, energy, and everything else. It is these two corrupting influences of money and lobbying in our political system that is the greatest threat this country has ever seen!
I have no issue with changing lobbying rules but I don't think it will matter much. Lobbyists generally don't just randomly pick candidates or politicians and "buy" them off. They see someone running for office who generally believes in their principles and makes contact to offer support so hopefully when legislation is decided on, they have enough people in office that agree with their view to get a favorable result. Their main goal is to get people they want elected or to keep them in office. If they were simply buying people and sticking them in their pocket you would see lobbying groups stacking elections with people that work for them, republicans and democrats, to ensure they get their guy in office no matter what. It would be pretty dangerous to straight up buy votes for both the organization and the politician and although I'm sure it does happen, its probably not on a scale big enough to make a difference. Now if you want to limit lobbying power to effect elections I think there is room for that.
Have you ever seen the lists of where politicians go after office? They are doing exactly what you are describing in reverse though. They buy the politicians with the jobs their families and themselves take after leaving office. I mean the lobby group's for these corporations are a whose, who of elected officials and staffers. I mean some of this stuff is so blatant it is ridiculous. http://www.opensecrets.org/revolving/top.php?display=Z
Have you ever seen the lists of where politicians go after office? They are doing exactly what you are describing in reverse though. They buy the politicians with the jobs their families and themselves take after leaving office. I mean the lobby group's for these corporations are a whose, who of elected officials and staffers. I mean some of this stuff is so blatant it is ridiculous. http://www.opensecrets.org/revolving/top.php?display=Z
Well you can't legislate that. There is no way you can pass a law saying that a politician cannot work at a certain job after they leave office therefore your 28 Amendment would be totally useless.
Except by forcing all lobbying onto the public record under threat of a felony, how would they ever approach these politicians to make their deal? We made mere contact with the politician while not on the record a felony.
You can't stop public contact with their representatives. That's unconstitutional. You know that if you send a letter to your Congressmen and ask for something that you are lobbying him? Here would be your conversation: "Hey you know, once your done serving in Congress why don't you drop off an application at our company if your interested in working for us."
If computers can data mine every piece of information on the web, they can certainly scan every written letter, and broadcast on webcam every physical meeting, so that any American that wishes can view what is going on behind the scenes.
Again, all I have suggested is that every contact with a public official be on the public record. Feel free to meet with anyone you want, you just have to document and report the meeting. Person to person contact is to be documented on webcam, calls are to be recorded, and letters and electronic communication logged, and uploaded onto public websites.
Your the first one on this forum to say something kind to me. That means an awful lot to me. Thank You. Am I alone in this? Am I alone? That sentiment you expressed above, is how I feel most days.
This would be a violation of the 5th amendments protection against self-incrimination. By not allowing someone to meet any person without having it documented for public view is an invasion of privacy and I believe the 9th amendment would be a secondary back up into the protection of others rights by recording them when they may have no intention of soliciting help from a Congressman. What if the Congressman is having dinner with some friends and they start talking about politics. Are you suggesting he now has to whip out his webcam because it may be relevant? What if the Congressman has meetings that are not official or if hes on a fact finding mission in no official capacity yet his discoveries may lead to how he votes? Does he need to be followed around with a camera because he might discover something that influences him? Your saying that he may unintentionally be charged with a felony because of something that swayed his decision making process even though that wasn't his intent? Suppose he travels to the Congo and meets with many foreign dignitaries that take him on tours of refugee camps. He is upset by seeing the poor decisions and decides to vote against sending anymore aid to that nation until conditions improve. Are you going to charge him with a felony because the foreign officials influenced him but did not get it on tape?
Holding public office is a privilege, just like being in the military is. When you join the military you give up your constitutional rights, the same should be true of those who hold public office. The stakes are too high for this not to be the case!
