Between the world development over which we have not power (the development of the rest of the world post WWII, and the advancement of technology making more and more of us redundant) and the outright abandonment and betrayal of the American middle class by the Masters, this is, indeed not the Republic it once was.
Should any of us expect that or even wish for it?
Times change. The Republic needs to change.
Term limits for Congress?
We're still pretty young as a republic and 'America' is still the best idea for a crossroads of the world market place. Where else on the planet do Protestants and Catholics work and play along side Shiites, Sunnis and Hindus in what can only be described as 'harmony' when compared to the homelands of each?
Just by surviving the first 2 waves of wealth consolidation in this republic as a democracy is reason for great hope in our economy of the future. Surviving as a democracy into the age of The Internet pretty much guarantees prosperity going forward.
Once we adopt some sort of term limits for congress, the upper middle class will take over from the ruling elite and they know both the value of profit in exchange for risk as well as the value of a working class market with a few coins in their pockets.
Keep buying stock in the companies you do business with.
We have always had the power to control our government and here are some examples:
The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only 3 months & 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The people demanded it. That was in 1971...before computers, before e-mail, before cell phones, etc..
Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took 1 year or less to become the law of the land...all because of public pressure.
The following statement is a possible solution to the people having more say with congress:
Congressional Reform Act of 2012
1. Term Limits.
12 years only, one of the possible options below..
A. Two Six-year Senate terms
B. Six Two-year House terms
C. One Six-year Senate term and three Two-Year House terms
2. No Tenure / No Pension.
A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office. (Pay is part of their retirement benefits package. They receive this until they pass.)
3. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.
All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people.
4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.
5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of C PI or 3%.
6. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.
7. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.
8. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/11.
The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen. Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.
Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.
As to the 17th Amendment, these are the states who didn't ratify it (notice anything unique?):
...I'd say we are close.
