Friday, October 30, 2009

DRAIN THE SWAMP?

Let's drain the swamp. Aren't we all appalled by the corruption in congress? It isn't restricted to one party, the whole institution is ridicuously out of control. When will America wake up and say "Enough is enough?" We elect these people and they let us down, time after time. I want to believe the government is populated by well-meaning people who want to do what's best for the American people. My brain tells me otherwise.

When someone tells me that they want to "fundamentally change America" I get really nervous. I think, fundamentally, America is OK. We need a tweek here and there, but at its roots, America is a great country. These people who are in congress are without a doubt, for the most part, the worst of this country. The everyday people, the workers who make the clock that is America tick, are what makes us great. Not these self-aggrandizing, narcissists, who populate congress.

Our founding fathers never contemplated professional politicians. That invites corrupt politicians who have lost touch with the people who have elected them to run for office, year after year, after year. What the hell has happened to our country? We used to listen to each other, now we talk past each other. When did we think that was a good way to govern?

I don't understand people who are so wrapped up in the ideology that they can't see the other side. That's not to say that I don't argue my side vehemently. I just want a dialogue that is robust but respectful. What's wrong with that? That's the beauty of blogs. They are not restricted by ideology they are open season. And that's good.

I don't hold anything with any politician or with any political party. In my estimation they both stink and they both don't really care about the people they are supposed to serve. I would love to have a third party candidate come along who would listen to the people and really, really remember that the power lies with "WE THE PEOPLE." In today's politics, that is certainly a novel concept.

What do you think?

11 comments:

Carl Wicklander said...

One of my favorite columnists, Pat Buchanan, once said, "The two major parties are two wings of the same bird of prey." I think that's right. One party spends the peoples' money like crazy and another party spends it at a microscopically slower pace.

I'm all in favor of a third party, or a few third parties. It's just that the deck is stacked against them. Ron Paul said that he spent most of his campaign as Libertarian Party candidate in 1988trying to jump through all the legal loopholes just to get onto state ballots.

I voted third party last year knowing full well that it wasn't going to make a difference and that it was simply a protest vote. We hear that voting for a third party is like throwing your vote away, but my take is that if both major parties are virtually the same, voting for one of them and expecting change is indeed throwing your vote away.

Bloviating Zeppelin said...

The parties in many ways are remarkably similar. President Bush spent money at a prodigious and profligate rate and refused to even remotely deal with our border issues. I still am a registered (R) but that may change in the future to a clear (I).

Too bad I can't mark down a (C).

BZ

Law and Order Teacher said...

CW,
Thanks for the visit. I agree with your statement regarding third party voting. With both parties being a difference without a distinction your vote is pretty much wasted anyway. Our system always relegates a third party candidate to a catch-up position, however, a third party candidate certainly has a chance in congressional or local election. I guess you can build from the bottom up.

BZ,
I agree that there isn't a inch of difference the two parties. I don't really know the difference in my party designation. I vote in primaries and I haven't seen a lot of Dems that merit my vote and precious few Repubs anymore. Thanks for the visit.

Joe "Truth 101" Kelly said...

acrl is busting his rear end for Rand Paul and I hope he makes it becuse I like Carl.

But he's right about the stranglehold the two paty system has on government.


Election judges are picked by party leaders. Voter lists and huge money are controlled by the parties. The get out the vote infrastructure, crucial to winning elections is run by the two parties.


As hard as Ron Paul worked and as popular as he seemed to get, he ended up with 5 to 7% of the popular vote I think. You gotta get out the vote. The two parties can do that. The rest of them just aren't able to despite their message.

This is deep subject I could go on and on about but I don't want to hijack your comment section LaOT.

TAO said...

At one time I was all for 'draining the swamp' because I just naturally assumed that something happens to people when they are in Washington too long...

Now, after looking around this country in light of the financial meltdown and all the fraud and corruption in defense precurement and medicare/medicad I can only say that the corruption, or the focus on personal benefit regardless of the moral consequences seems to be a little more widespread than just Washington...

It seems as if 'the end justifies the means' seems to be our over riding morality nowadays.

Now when someone does something that at one time was considered commonplace we want to read about them in the news, we want to celebrate them, and they make the circuit of various television shows because they are such an oddity.

So desparate for heros because we are so heroless...

Anonymous said...

Note to Truth, Shaw, Tao, And All You Other Ultra Lib's Out There!
This Is Plain and Simple- Try Your Best, Yes, Your Very, Very Best to Give Me An Argument Showing That Your Messiah in Chief and His Whole Administration That Is Currently in the White House Has Done Anything, At All That Has Done Any Good At All Without Mentioning Bush. Otherwise, Shut Up. Think About It:



YES, GET OUT THERE AND VOTE THESE SCOUNDRELS OUT.

PRH said...

The GOP has become the enemy we don't know, the Democrats{Marxist/Socialists} are the enemy we know....both are dangerous.

Law and Order Teacher said...

Truth,
I don't mind you hijacking my comment section. I respect your intellect if not your ideology. Your position is always well thought out and I appreciate your passion. Your point is well taken.

Third parties are something that the other two want nothing to do with. They do everything in their power to shut them out. The only third party that got any traction historically was the populists of the 1890s who morphed into the progressives. Other than that, shutout. Too bad.

TAO,
Thanks for the visit. You along with Truth are two on the left that I can really respect and disagree with at the same time. Although, I don't know if you are really all that left. We'll see if you defy labeling.

I don't completely agree that we are essentially without heroes, we just admire the wrong people. My dad was a veteran, who fought for his country, raised a family, made sure his kids toed the line, I know, he pounded me when I needed it, and when he died my mom was taken care of because of his work and effort to take care of her.

He stayed married to her, 56 years, until death did them part. Of course, according to my mom they aren't apart at all. There are millions of everyday people like him. Those are heroes. Sports people and actors and the rest of these shallow beings are just so much background noise.

WW,
Thanks for the visit. It is always on the incumbent to prove his case and inspire the American people to follow. Bush lost that battle, although the media was complicit. Obama is losing the battle, although the same media is complicit in propping him up and covering for him. We'll see where that all ends up.

Pat,
"The GOP has become the enemy we don't know." Well said. I have lost any faith in all politicians. Until someone comes along to fill the conservative void I'll withhold my support. Thanks for the visit. How's the diet going?

The Vegas Art Guy said...

It's time we teachers raise the next generation of cynics when it comes to politics. My students have all memorized the joke about lying politicians.

How do you know when a politician is lying?

His lips are moving!

PRH said...

Down 18 pounds Steve in 2 months...and the average BP has gone from 150/80 to 125/68 with a resting pulse of 64-65...not bad for an old beer drinking fart, ey?

Law and Order Teacher said...

Vegas,
That's so true. Politicians in general are cockroaches.

Pat,
Well done. The BP thing is big. Beer yes, me too.