PERHAPS VOTING IS STUPID, BETTER TO SIT BACK AND PLUNDER THE SYSTEM WHILE YOU ARE ALIVE?
I am discouraged. I can see the problem ahead of us, but I do not appear to have any method to solve it. Participating in the process of voting seems to be an exercise in futility as both parties appear to be equally corrupt. While I do favor one party over another, it appears that “my” party is letting me down – they are engaging in stupid behaviors which almost guarantee their loss to the opposition. Not that they have a real chance of reversing course, but – as per my hope – slowing the rate of America’s decline to a point where a real reformer can assume leadership.
Everyone in the modern mainstream media appears to credit former Obama Chief of Staff and now Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel with the idea concerning the exploitation of a crisis to further a political agenda …
"You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that it's an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before."
But the real truth is that politicians have always exploited natural or man-made crises to expand their power, increase their funding and to exert a little more control over the population. In many cases subverting the Constitution of the United States is not an issue.
Suspending the United States Constitution …
Witness the imprisonment of law-abiding Japanese-Americans (62% of those relocated) in internment camps during World War II. It was a democrat president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, that signed Executive Order 9066 to exclude Japanese and Japanese Americans from the entire Pacific Coast. A clear violation of the rights of certain Americans who could not even seek redress in the courts as the United States Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the exclusion order and the detention, arguing that it is permissible to curtail the civil rights of a racial group when there is a "pressing public necessity.
The truth is that both parties form a corrupt political class that performs as dictated by the special interests the rule our nation …
From recent events, one can see our political system expand and contract to accommodate both economic and social changes, with the result that the special interests are paid in full from the public treasury no matter who is elected or what might be the issue. The wealthy and the powerful will stay that way because they are the supreme special interests who control the politicians.
Voting for one party or another has all of the sincerity of supporting your home team. Both sides offering illusion of meaningless choice where both the choices and limits of debate are pre-established. One merely need consider the sequester to see how each side demonizes the other. With our hypocritical President, Barack Obama, shutting down White House Tours which cost approximately $3+ million dollar per year, never mentioning his $20+ million dollar vacations or that the White House Operational Budget is approximately $1.2 BILLION.
Criticism is futile …
Anyone standing outside of the traditional two-party system is marginalized or demonized to discredit their ideas and eliminate them from the debate with the pre-determined boundaries. In the past, labels such as socialist, communist and fascist were used to demonize … but with a real socialist in the White House welcoming his communist friends, these terms have seemed to have lost their power. It appears that there is no equivalent of the N-word to describe corrupt politicians. So, now its simply wing-nuts, rightwing-nuts and leftwing-nuts.
Why the media and American institutions play along with the corrupt politicians and their equally corrupt system …
It appears to be nothing more complex than a conspiracy of self-interest. Where the union-educators teach the party line as part of their bargain to avoid teaching students how to think for themselves. Thoughts which might illustrate that most political action was not only corrupt, but corrupt to the point of being counterintuitive and illogical. Consider global warming. The government provides Billions of dollars to institutions to research global warming with a significant investment in facilities and personnel. So it is likely that governmental institutions will fund those researchers who reinforce the party line – and demonize the equally qualified researchers who challenge it. Sort of like spending millions of dollars to save the California Condor from extinction without any clear reason – other than funding facilities and personnel – to keep these birds alive. In essence, creating an inbred race of flawed creatures that serve as little more than outdoor pets for key researchers. But, birds valuable to the government, which is using the subject of lead ingestion to place limitations of ammunition – a form of back door gun control.
How can you explain the political policy of destroying America from within …
Traditionally, Americans have been more defined by our similarities (love of freedoms, love of country, wish to assimilate) than our differences. A melting pot where the sum was definitely greater than its parts. So how do you explain political parties seeking to divide Americans into groups based on race, gender, sex, color, national origin, ethnicity, sexual preferences, and class? Convincing each of these groups that they have been victimized by other groups and ONLY by joining a particular party can your “special” problems be addressed. Pretty much why I believe that the Congressional Black Caucus, and all the other caucuses, are racist when they promote their cause over the welfare of “We the People.” Whatever happened to use our similarities to bind ourselves together to preserve our freedoms, our way of life and mutually beneficial goals.
Yes, it is true that some groups have not fared as well as others under our political system, but closer inspection will reveal it is not the system that failed them, it was their parents. Single working mothers who continued to have children with multiple fathers and who required government assistance to survive. Fathers who had multiple children with multiple mothers who did not support the family unit or their children. Parents who did not stress the value of education or motivate their children towards excellence because they were too busy earning a living. Yet, calling out irresponsible people is impossible in this political climate lest they offend a major voting block. The system provides equality of opportunity rather than equality of outcome. But nothing good comes of a system which stresses collectivism over individualism – the individual’s responsibility to go as far as their native talent, education and circumstances can take them.
I am tired of the economic and social hysteria that appears to be driving the mainstream media …
Truth-be-told, the Treasury Department could issue money backed by the full faith and credit of the United States and avoid both currency inflation and the need to spend a significant portion of our gross revenues on debt owned to those who are simply loaning back our own money. There is no real economic crisis – at least one that is not manufactured by the government to convince taxpayers to give the government a larger portion of their hard-earned labor.
Truth-be-told, there is no fundamental problem with our healthcare system. The mistake was letting insurance companies act as a toll-gate between the payor and the payee, separating the patient from the doctor and incentivizing insurance companies to deny or delay care for their own benefits. An inherent conflict of interest that demands an expansion of the system and no incentive to actually cure waste, fraud and abuse. Why any American should pay $3,000 or more for a medical device that costs $1,000 is beyond me. Except that what an individual can purchase over the internet comes from their own pocket and the $3000 comes from the insurance company in the sky. Any real problems in the healthcare system are attributable to a political decision to expand the number of covered patients without a corresponding increase in doctors, facilities, nurses, diagnostic devices and drug availability. Lipitor made billions for its creator. In fact they paid generic producers to delay production past the patent expiration date. I remember the Lipitor co-pay was $130 and now the generic costs $5.
Truth-be-told, there is little or nothing we can do about global climate change. The planet is fine and has been fine for 4 BILLION years or so. Mankind, whose industrial revolution is no older than a few hundred years, now claims that they are partially responsible for the global climate. Madness. Delusion. Or something quite malevolent – manipulation by the political parties to, as I said previously, expand their power, increase their funding and to exert a little more control over the population
Bottom Line …
I have this great urge to stand up and yell BULLSHIT. We have seen all of this political nonsense before. And, because you change a name here, a definition there, does not mean it is not the same old corrupt bullshit. I think the greatest example of this political duplicity is that President Obama, a man with few ideas of his own, has simply relabeled the policies of George Bush (43) and doubled-down on their scale. Including the penchant for the Bush Administration’s cronyism, profligate spending and – above all – secrecy and lack of transparency.
It doesn’t really matter if Barack Obama is a communist, the fact that he is a party-line democrat should be indictment enough. Not that I have much love for the GOP at this point in time. I do not see any leaders on the horizon, only different flavors of politicians. This flavor is apparently tough-talking in the media although he appears to be little more than an old-style democrat. That flavor said to attract a particular minority voting block, although they traditionally vote for the opposition. And, that one over there would be an “historic choice.”
In the final analysis, “We the People” are last on their mind. It appears that we are somewhat marginalized by their special interest promoters and funders, their political party who cares not about their qualifications, but their ability to win, and those voting blocks to whom they have pledged allegiance. No, not the ethnic or racial ones – the international ones that support global commerce and multi-nationalism. Multi-national companies who are considered by many to be American, but whose domicile is offshore as is the bulk of their taxable profits.
Today, I am discouraged because I cannot seem to make a difference. I can speak to those who are like-minded, but those who disagree will not engage, not debate, or simply label me a wing-nut of some sort. That doesn’t mean I will quit trying. But, it does mean that I might start looking for other ways to contribute to society and benefit myself in the process. Reviving the American way.
-- steve
Reference Links …
“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words
“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw
“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”
“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS "The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius “A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell “Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar “Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS