It's time to look past the partisan distractions. The political class is out of control

[lilelvis]

In perfect harmony with the pipers that lead us we continue to be divided along partisan lines.
This truly is a unique election season with the age of technology offering truthful insights into the political underworld that has existed for decades in the United States, and as time will show, the world. Yesterday's conspiracy theories are today's truth.
The need for pragmatism and reading between the lines has all but been removed, and what we are finding seems to be shocking the masses into disbelief. The excuses we make for our political favorites ("That's just the way politics work", "it's always been that way" etc.) may be true, but is it really something we have to tolerate? It was easy to turn a blind eye and swallow the corruption when it was speculative, rumored behavior but everyday we are being blessed with more and more hard evidence that we are all just numbers to the world's political elite.
I could ramble on and on about the tax code, self enrichment schemes and the cozy, cozy cross isle relationships but the words are wasted on any honest and sober citizen.
It seems irreversible at this point, and obviously a monumental task, but we owe it to our children and future generations to put aside our political leanings and restart this system for the good of all.



The share feature is disabled on part 2, but it is easy to find if interested.

I know this features the Clinton's, but reaches much, much further and the nepotism and favoritism is sickening at best.

So, do we continue making excuses for these fucking vampires, or do we collectively demand some "common sense" reforms like congressional term limits, lobbying regulations and the decentralization of every form of government that is not defense and interstate infrastructure?

 

[Jack V Savage]

It's time to look past partisan distractions and vote Republican because the crazy CTs I read on right-wing websites are true.

 

[panamaican]

My take on this is that fighting this type of environment requires that people actually make the effort to increase their political participation.

Politics has this level of corruption because the only people who commit the time to the process are people who see a path to a personal gain from engagement. I'm going to speak from experience and analysis (which apparently rubs some people the wrong way).

If upstanding people were engaged in local politics, they could act as a bulwark against the corruption. They could say "No, we won't support this local guy within the party because we don't agree with his character." Without that local support, that guy never gains any prominence. He never gets the money backing to move on the state level or even the national level. If that local support within the parties went to morally upstanding people then those are the people who would get the attention and the financial backing that leads to state legislatures, Congress or the Presidency.

Instead, people argue that they don't have the time to get involved. They don't make the effort to actually join their local party and put a stamp on it. So you end up with people who are in it for the power and the connections more than the desire to improve the nation.

And that's not to say that these are inherently bad people but there comes a point where the goal of winning the elections outweighs the goal of what you're going to do after you win. And when you reach that point, if you don't have enough people involved who are truly focused on what to do with the win, you end up advancing the people who care about winning at all costs.

And that's the environment that politics operates in. Winning elections is the scorecard that gets you promoted. I'm not talking about candidates here. I'm talking about the infrastructure. The people who organize and run the street level stuff. Those guys are incentivized to skirt the line because winning is the only thing that matters. And it's the only thing that matters because the only people who regularly participate are people in the business of politics. You don't get regular participation from local plumbers or accountants or home inspectors. People with regular jobs and a civic inclination. Those are the people who could keep the system honest but they don't make the effort.

They just complain about it later. Democracy is a year round participation sport, not just one day every 2 years.

 

[lilelvis]

You should watch the video. It's not all that partisan. My point is not Pro-anybody. It will take more than changing a president to realign the current state of affairs.
Do you really think the current system is doing the right thing?

 

[WalkenWouldOwn]

It's time to look past partisan distractions and vote Republican because the crazy CTs I read on right-wing websites are true.

 

[ehtheist]

It's time to look past partisan distractions and vote Republican because the crazy CTs I read on right-wing websites are true.

He's with her.

 

[Jack V Savage]

He's with her.

Typically helpful contribution to the thread from ehtheist.

 

[LucasWithLidOff]

It's time to look past partisan distractions and vote Republican because the crazy CTs I read on right-wing websites are true.

Even republicans aren't voting republican this year. With all the recent leaks, it's out in the open that big business, government, and media are colluding with each other. Unfortunately those who don't approve picked the wrong Saviour. Trump is a turd.

 

[lilelvis]

My take on this is that fighting this type of environment requires that people actually make the effort to increase their political participation.

Politics has this level of corruption because the only people who commit the time to the process are people who see a path to a personal gain from engagement. I'm going to speak from experience and analysis (which apparently rubs some people the wrong way).

If upstanding people were engaged in local politics, they could act as a bulwark against the corruption. They could say "No, we won't support this local guy within the party because we don't agree with his character." Without that local support, that guy never gains any prominence. He never gets the money backing to move on the state level or even the national level. If that local support within the parties went to morally upstanding people then those are the people who would get the attention and the financial backing that leads to state legislatures, Congress or the Presidency.

Instead, people argue that they don't have the time to get involved. They don't make the effort to actually join their local party and put a stamp on it. So you end up with people who are in it for the power and the connections more than the desire to improve the nation.

And that's not to say that these are inherently bad people but there comes a point where the goal of winning the elections outweighs the goal of what you're going to do after you win. And when you reach that point, if you don't have enough people involved who are truly focused on what to do with the win, you end up advancing the people who care about winning at all costs.

And that's the environment that politics operates in. Winning elections is the scorecard that gets you promoted. I'm not talking about candidates here. I'm talking about the infrastructure. The people who organize and run the street level stuff. Those guys are incentivized to skirt the line because winning is the only thing that matters. And it's the only thing that matters because the only people who regularly participate are people in the business of politics. You don't get regular participation from local plumbers or accountants or home inspectors. People with regular jobs and a civic inclination. Those are the people who could keep the system honest but they don't make the effort.

They just complain about it later. Democracy is a year round participation sport, not just one day every 2 years.

Nice insight Pan. So I guess a post on Sherdog is not taking the effort far enough. ; )

 

[ehtheist]

Typically helpful contribution to the thread from ehtheist.

I thought I was helping her image by posting a picture showing her without fangs...

 

[lilelvis]

It's time to look past partisan distractions and vote Republican because the crazy CTs I read on right-wing websites are true.

You should watch the video. It's not all that partisan. My point is not Pro-anybody. It will take more than changing a president to realign the current state of affairs.
Do you really think the current system is doing the right thing?

 

[Jack V Savage]

Even republicans aren't voting republican this year. With all the recent leaks, it's out in the open that big business, government, and media are colluding with each other.

Not really, unless you're talking broadly in the sense that gov't defends property claims, media is a big business, and media covers gov't.

 

[Fawlty]

One problem with this year's media-driven overreaction to the unsavory aspects of the political process (not our political process- THE political process) is that everybody wants it replaced with either the same thing or something much worse. There isn't a solution on the table now, and to some degree, there never can be under our system of government.

 

[Jack V Savage]

Do you really think the current system is doing the right thing?

Absolutely. We responded effectively to the financial crisis, we're making really significant progress on the other major issue of our time (climate change), crime is really low--things are great in America.

 

[lilelvis]

Absolutely. We responded effectively to the financial crisis, we're making really significant progress on the other major issue of our time (climate change), crime is really low--things are great in America.

Are you in the political trade? (if you don't mind my asking)

 

[lilelvis]

One problem with this year's media-driven overreaction to the unsavory aspects of the political process (not our political process- THE political process) is that everybody wants it replaced with either the same thing or something much worse. There isn't a solution on the table now, and to some degree, there never can be under our system of government.

Do you think congressional term limits and lobby regulations could improve what we currently have? even a little.

 

[panamaican]

One problem with this year's media-driven overreaction to the unsavory aspects of the political process (not our political process- THE political process) is that everybody wants it replaced with either the same thing or something much worse. There isn't a solution on the table now, and to some degree, there never can be under our system of government.

I don't know if that's fair.

I think it's more accurate to say that people want a solution that doesn't require them to behave differently, just the politicians.

 

[Throttlehead]

Do you think congressional term limits and lobby regulations could improve what we currently have? even a little.

YES, its the only thing Trump has said that makes sense, its too bad he brought it to the election as a hail mary. Include gerrymandering and citizens united.

 

[Fawlty]

Do you think congressional term limits and lobby regulations could improve what we currently have? even a little.

I don't know about term limits, but if we could make it harder for them to work around "quid pro quo" I'd be interested.

 

[Jack V Savage]

Are you in the political trade? (if you don't mind my asking)

No. "We" is Americans. Policy is a big part of the solutions to those issues, and we select representatives to enact policy, but it's also not the only thing.