And now what?

[Crackerjack]

No. The solution to the corruption problem is to start by ceasing to be corrupt and then persuading others to do likewise.

If you think people holding the reins of power are just going to suddenly stop being corrupt because someone else isn't corrupt ... I don't think that's going to happen.

Power corrupts. Always has.

 

[lizzie]

No. The solution to the corruption problem is to start by ceasing to be corrupt and then persuading others to do likewise.

You're not going to be very successful at trying to stop corruption, when almost half the population is getting handouts.

 

[Avatar4321]

No. The solution to the corruption problem is to start by ceasing to be corrupt and then persuading others to do likewise.

If you think people holding the reins of power are just going to suddenly stop being corrupt because someone else isn't corrupt ... I don't think that's going to happen.

Power corrupts. Always has.

Power doesn't corrupt at all. People corrupt power.

Power just has a tendency to reveal the character people already have.

 

[Avatar4321]

No. The solution to the corruption problem is to start by ceasing to be corrupt and then persuading others to do likewise.

You're not going to be very successful at trying to stop corruption, when almost half the population is getting handouts.

You can if you convince them of the evils of taking handouts.

 

[lizzie]

No. The solution to the corruption problem is to start by ceasing to be corrupt and then persuading others to do likewise.

You're not going to be very successful at trying to stop corruption, when almost half the population is getting handouts.

You can if you convince them of the evils of taking handouts.

Haha- that'll never happen, lol.

 

[g5000]

How many people here have bothered to read the issues papers on the candidates' web sites? Do you honestly know exactly where each candidate stands on abortion, gun control, the Alternative Minimum Tax, trade relations with China, energy policy, tax reform, immigration reform, and health care reform?

"Repeal Obamacare" does not count! Bumper sticker sound bites don't count.

If you didn't raise your hand for these questions, YOU are the problem.

Shutting down TV ads isn't going to make people more responsible voters. If people are voting for candidates based on a TV ad, and you take away the TV ad, they will vote for candidates based on their good looks.

It is time not only to hold politicians responsible, it is time to hold the voters responsible. If you know all the intricate details of the lives of a bunch of losers in New Jersey or some Big Brother house, but don't know if Mitt Romney is for or against NAFTA, then you are part of the problem.

So whattya gonna do to fix that problem, ban reality TV?

 

[Avatar4321]

You're not going to be very successful at trying to stop corruption, when almost half the population is getting handouts.

You can if you convince them of the evils of taking handouts.

Haha- that'll never happen, lol.

Only if you never try.

 

[lizzie]

You can if you convince them of the evils of taking handouts.

Haha- that'll never happen, lol.

Only if you never try.

You can't undo 50 years of social decline via reasoning and kindness. In our current state, only a collapse will fix the problems we have, and at some point, this will be a reality. The tendency of most humans is to take the path of least resistance. This means that they will take whatever they can get, however they can get it. Our culture has been ingrained with this poison of the soul for far too long to just reason it out.

 

[Avatar4321]

You can't undo 50 years of social decline via reasoning and kindness. In our current state, only a collapse will fix the problems we have, and at some point, this will be a reality. The tendency of most humans is to take the path of least resistance. This means that they will take whatever they can get, however they can get it. Our culture has been ingrained with this poison of the soul for far too long to just reason it out.

You can undo anything given enough time.

 

[Steelplate]

The system isn't screwed up. The people are.

The system is screwed up. Our tax code is patently unfair, our budget is out of control with borrowing and spending, and our political system, with the Citizens United ruling, is more corrupt than Mexico, but we do a better job at the paperwork.

The ONLY two things we have going for us is a highly professional military and The Constitution.

The system needs some tweaks. And those would be easy to put into place if the people weren't corrupt.

But we need to fix the people or the Constitution doesn't matter and the military is something that will scare sane people.

That right there IS the problem... We have a system that encourages corruption... in fact, it's the only way to get elected. Making deals with powerful entities for their donation dollars to run their campaigns.

I really don't think that you're naive enough to think that all those billions of dollars being poured into those campaign coffers don't have strings attached to them, are you?

Be it big businesses, like energy, Insurance companies, Pharma, etc... or the Banking Industry, or Labor Unions.... they all call in their chips once the candidate is elected.

That's how our system got so fucked up, that's why deals like NAFTA and all the other "Free Trade" agreements got passed... including the latest by Obama.... that's why our JOBS have gone away.

 

[Crackerjack]

No. The solution to the corruption problem is to start by ceasing to be corrupt and then persuading others to do likewise.

If you think people holding the reins of power are just going to suddenly stop being corrupt because someone else isn't corrupt ... I don't think that's going to happen.

Power corrupts. Always has.

Power doesn't corrupt at all. People corrupt power.

Power just has a tendency to reveal the character people already have.

So let's give the government less power!

 

[AVG-JOE]

I'll grant you that the number one problem facing American Politics at this moment in history is corruption, but changes to the system, like ultra transparency in politics is the answer. The unfortunate track record for Congress is that if a corrupt politician is replaced by a fair minded man, you end up with two corrupt politicians, the elder now in the Senate.

We've had corruption and survived it. What we have never had to the current extent is pandering. The democrats serve the public employee unions, illegal aliens, centralized medicine and a host of other interests. The Republicans aren't much better.

The health and welfare of the nation aren't even an afterthought. The Tea Party was elected to clean up the mess, but was savaged in the press, undermined by the Republicans while under assault by the dims. The popular press is based on demagoguery and attacks anyone suggesting that irresponsible public programs be curtailed with headlines of "starving children" and "telling people to die." Yet it works, the public was so stupid that they turned on the reformers and demanded that we go back to unsustainable borrowing to keep the union goons and entitlement junkies happy. Corruption is a problem, but not the top problem. Pandering is the top problem.

You're absolutely right. It's the money in politics, not politics.

Whatcha gonna do?

I read a naive suggestion that political advertising be banned. So much for free speech, eh? If I have the resources to promote my ideology - even to the point of promoting and donating to specific candidates, the right to do so is guaranteed by my holding a US Passport. That's what makes the internet ROCK

The answer? Transparency, transparency, transparency.

Who cares what anyone says or spends on our politics if every dollar given to candidate or cause is accounted to a citizen with full voting rights and every political advertisement is signed by the same?





Well...... who else SHOULD be playing high-dollar secretive politics in our elections - The Chinese?

 

[lizzie]

Term limits would probably go a long way toward solving some of the political corruption, but then we would still have the corruption at the level of the masses.

 

[Avatar4321]

Term limits would probably go a long way toward solving some of the political corruption, but then we would still have the corruption at the level of the masses.

Not necessarily. If you don't have to worry about getting reelected, then why on earth would you care about being accountable to the people?

 

[Avatar4321]

If you think people holding the reins of power are just going to suddenly stop being corrupt because someone else isn't corrupt ... I don't think that's going to happen.

Power corrupts. Always has.

Power doesn't corrupt at all. People corrupt power.

Power just has a tendency to reveal the character people already have.

So let's give the government less power!

How about we not give them any more power and start taking it away instead?

 

[Steelplate]

Term limits would probably go a long way toward solving some of the political corruption, but then we would still have the corruption at the level of the masses.

I don't think Term limits would help that much. The corruption starts before they're elected. By the time they actually get elected, they've already sold their souls.

 

[Crackerjack]

Power doesn't corrupt at all. People corrupt power.

Power just has a tendency to reveal the character people already have.

So let's give the government less power!

How about we not give them any more power and start taking it away instead?

That too.

 

[lizzie]

Term limits would probably go a long way toward solving some of the political corruption, but then we would still have the corruption at the level of the masses.

Not necessarily. If you don't have to worry about getting reelected, then why on earth would you care about being accountable to the people?

The only accountability they have now is to maintain the status quo and keep the money flowing. Give them term limits to get some new blood (hopefully new ideas and some men with spine) in DC, and break the cycle of deal-making and vote-buying.

 

[lizzie]

Term limits would probably go a long way toward solving some of the political corruption, but then we would still have the corruption at the level of the masses.

I don't think Term limits would help that much. The corruption starts before they're elected. By the time they actually get elected, they've already sold their souls.

If they knew going in, that they were there short-term, and they had nothing to gain financially and long-term for retirement bennies, only people who had a burning desire to be public servants would seek out the job.

 

[AVG-JOE]

No. The solution to the corruption problem is to start by ceasing to be corrupt and then persuading others to do likewise.

How about just shining a light?

People will always be exactly what you see today. A mix ranging from the truly noble through various stages of corruptibility to the opposite, criminal extreme. It's the system of favoritism meted out via our complicated tax code. It's the blatant corruption of professional lobbying and secretive campaign financing.

Fair and simple tax code / Political transparency.

Fix the systems two biggest points of corruption in our politics and we may just start attracting a more noble crowed to the career.

Can't help but think that cutting off the corruption tits might weed out a few of the millionaires that have been creeping around D.C. since the 80's, too. What was your FIRST clue that we had an entrenchment of power problem in our politics?