People should have to take a test before they are allowed to vote.

[ga-hvac-tech]

"The difference is in what we expect and are willing to accept."

The problem is ingrained selfish greed. That is: the secret internal belief of the voter that something can be had For them personally - for nothing From them personally.

Our system of elected officials is purely based on the buying of votes. The only possible first-step towards the elimination of the effects of the above fact is for every vote to strictly apply this rule to their own actions: Never Vote For An Incumbent.

Obviously this is not the perfect answer - as perhaps we will be substituting bad for good - but it is a good first step towards avoiding systemic vote buying.

Who gets re-elected? And why? What is said about them?

"He/she has really done good things for us. They got those funds for rebuilding the county building - my electrician brother was over there three years on that project. They got this funding, they got that funding. All that government money has revitalized the whole area. Etc. etc. etc."

What is meant is: they got us somebody else's money for free - so let's vote for them so we can get more of the same.

Who gets elected? Why; the guy who promises the most stuff. The greatest Santa Claus who is running.

People in general are stupid and they like being stupid. They much prefer to hide inside their stupidity and then blame everything on some mysterious force outside themselves. The live and die by the credo: No decisions = No mistakes. Why? Because they are terrified of thinking. Thinking is hard work. Thinking is unsettling because in brings into question all the beliefs that people count on as being absolutely true every second of their lives.

That is what the Founding Fathers knew and which is why they specifically tried to create a system which limited governance to those best equipped for the job.

I agree with you when you: "If enough citizens realize they are being fooled and lied to... they will vote the bums out and replace them with folks who believe and respect the words noted in this post. Only then will we get our country back."

But I don't have high hopes for the present system fulfilling that dream.

PHM
------

Glad to see a few folks understand!

[chaard]

"The difference is in what we expect and are willing to accept."

The problem is ingrained selfish greed. That is: the secret internal belief of the voter that something can be had For them personally - for nothing From them personally.

Our system of elected officials is purely based on the buying of votes. The only possible first-step towards the elimination of the effects of the above fact is for every vote to strictly apply this rule to their own actions: Never Vote For An Incumbent.

Obviously this is not the perfect answer - as perhaps we will be substituting bad for good - but it is a good first step towards avoiding systemic vote buying.

Who gets re-elected? And why? What is said about them?

"He/she has really done good things for us. They got those funds for rebuilding the county building - my electrician brother was over there three years on that project. They got this funding, they got that funding. All that government money has revitalized the whole area. Etc. etc. etc."

What is meant is: they got us somebody else's money for free - so let's vote for them so we can get more of the same.

Who gets elected? Why; the guy who promises the most stuff. The greatest Santa Claus who is running.

People in general are stupid and they like being stupid. They much prefer to hide inside their stupidity and then blame everything on some mysterious force outside themselves. The live and die by the credo: No decisions = No mistakes. Why? Because they are terrified of thinking. Thinking is hard work. Thinking is unsettling because in brings into question all the beliefs that people count on as being absolutely true every second of their lives.

That is what the Founding Fathers knew and which is why they specifically tried to create a system which limited governance to those best equipped for the job.

I agree with you when you: "If enough citizens realize they are being fooled and lied to... they will vote the bums out and replace them with folks who believe and respect the words noted in this post. Only then will we get our country back."

But I don't have high hopes for the present system fulfilling that dream.

PHM
------

Glad to see a few folks understand!

So if we elect the "right people", States rights will reign supreme again? I don't see that happening.

One of the biggest problems we have is the Supreme Court. And the fact that the laws passed by Congress are being ruled upon by one man. Yes one man. And not the POTUS. In the case of The Affordable Healthcare Act, Chief Justice John Roberts decided for every single American what was in the best interest for them. One man decided what was Constitutional and States Rights lost. It wouldn't matter if there where 99 SC judges. A decision could still hinge on one man/woman.

This idea that we have checks and balances is naive. Congress I.e. the Fed Govt can pass almost any law it wants to. I.e. Obamacare. The SC can uphold these overreaching laws. Plus the SC can tell every state what laws they can't have I.e. anti abortion laws.
And to add to that the POTUS can make up his own rules I.e. immigration reform.

So instead of checks and balances, we have 3 independent branches of Govt that can do whatever the hell they want!

[chaard]

And those are just the three branches. I haven't even touched on the EPA, FDA, Dept. of Education, etc.

[ga-hvac-tech]

So if we elect the "right people", States rights will reign supreme again? I don't see that happening.

One of the biggest problems we have is the Supreme Court. And the fact that the laws passed by Congress are being ruled upon by one man. Yes one man. And not the POTUS. In the case of The Affordable Healthcare Act, Chief Justice John Roberts decided for every single American what was in the best interest for them. One man decided what was Constitutional and States Rights lost. It wouldn't matter if there where 99 SC judges. A decision could still hinge on one man/woman.

This idea that we have checks and balances is naive. Congress I.e. the Fed Govt can pass almost any law it wants to. I.e. Obamacare. The SC can uphold these overreaching laws. Plus the SC can tell every state what laws they can't have I.e. anti abortion laws.
And to add to that the POTUS can make up his own rules I.e. immigration reform.

So instead of checks and balances, we have 3 independent branches of Govt that can do whatever the hell they want!

So is conspiracy theory starting to sound plausible?

SCOTUS has become political in my lifetime... they rule based on whims and waves of interest... rather than being the keepers of the Constitution.

As to 'elect the right folks'... Well:
If we elect the wrong folks, we KNOW what happens. Perhaps we need to elect the right folks instead?

[chaard]

So is conspiracy theory starting to sound plausible?

SCOTUS has become political in my lifetime... they rule based on whims and waves of interest... rather than being the keepers of the Constitution.

As to 'elect the right folks'... Well:
If we elect the wrong folks, we KNOW what happens. Perhaps we need to elect the right folks instead?

Havent we been trying to elect the right folks for the past 238yrs.? What pray tell is going to be different?

[chaard]

Conspiracy theory. I only believe in one. Oswald was a decoy. He did not act alone, if he acted at all.

But now I do believe that our Constitution is under assault and will be rendered null and void at any given moment. Despite what the Constitution says Govt does not respect God given rights or rights of nature. I'm sure you've read Common Sense.

[Poodle Head Mikey]

There was oly one man wih the powera and the motivation to take out Kennedy

Who was it.

Phm
""........."





QUOTE=chaard;13987671]Conspiracy theory. I only believe in one. Oswald was a decoy. He did not act alone, if he acted at all.

But now I do believe that our Constitution is under assault and will be rendered null and void at any given moment. Despite what the Constitution says Govt does not respect God given rights or rights of nature. I'm sure you've read Common Sense.[/QUOTE]

[ga-hvac-tech]

Havent we been trying to elect the right folks for the past 238yrs.? What pray tell is going to be different?

Well, lessee...

There is this thing called fiscal responsibility. In a nutshell, it means one can only spend the $$$ they ACTUALLY have or have reason to predict they will receive in a given time.

For starters, we could ONLY vote for folks who are VERY SERIOUS about a balanced budget amendment.

How about the idea that folks need to work to eat. Seems to have worked over the entire history of mankind... but now our govt says we need a special class of folks who are literally receiving their substinance at the govt teet.

We could vote for folks who are SERIOUS about stopping govt handouts to folks who do not need them.

Then there is the banking and financial community: It is no secret the teet govt sucks at is located on Wall Street...

We could vote for folks who would completely sever this connection.

Now we know all 3 of the examples above are right... do the current batch of folks in elected office adhere to them. NO.
Did we vote these folks into office? YES.
Seems obviously to me we are NOT voting for the right folks, even more so we ARE voting for the WRONG folks.

[ga-hvac-tech]

Conspiracy theory. I only believe in one. Oswald was a decoy. He did not act alone, if he acted at all.

But now I do believe that our Constitution is under assault and will be rendered null and void at any given moment. Despite what the Constitution says Govt does not respect God given rights or rights of nature. I'm sure you've read Common Sense.

The Constitution will always have as much strength as 'We the People' DEMAND the govt give it. Two problems exist here: One is the people need to understand the Constitution, and two the people need to LOUDLY voice their sentiment concerning it.
The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. If we want freedom, yet are not willing to stay on top of govt to be SURE they do not try to take it away... well we will not have freedom for long.

[ga-hvac-tech]

There was oly one man wih the powera and the motivation to take out Kennedy

Who was it.

Phm
""........."

I am interested to hear this one also! I think I know the answer, but want to hear what you think.

[Poodle Head Mikey]

That man was Lyndon Johnson. There was no chance occurrence about it happening in Dallas.

[ga-hvac-tech]

The 'theory' I kinda support goes like this:

Kennedy was about to blow the whistle on the international (and secret) banking cartel... by more or less under-mining the FED... BIG MONEY DID NOT LIKE THIS... SO:
They took care of the threat. And of course... BIG MONEY never has a viable paper trail... they can afford covering it.

Just my thoughts.

[Poodle Head Mikey]

The reason that Ido not believe in conspiracy theories is this

The is no one to run them. Everywhere I go, no matter what I need done, people are just dumber than dog ****. So where is this giant labor pool of brilliant effective people? And they can keep a secret too? For yeaRs and decades?

Please!!!

P H M

The 'theory' I kinda support goes like this:

Kennedy was about to blow the whistle on the international (and secret) banking cartel... by more or less under-mining the FED... BIG MONEY DID NOT LIKE THIS... SO:
They took care of the threat. And of course... BIG MONEY never has a viable paper trail... they can afford covering it.

Just my thoughts.