In another forum I had a discussion with Habee and others about why the political system throws up such a high proportion of undesireable people and so few good people.
Any answers?
Just ask an anarchist!
Government is, by definition, a small group of individuals who are granted the power by the populace to use violence and force to steal from other individuals without the threat of getting in trouble.
It's a miracle this job description attracts ANY good people.
Another answer is that we've let things get too nationalized. It's absolutely impossible to make everyone happy. So when decisions are made that affect 300 million people (instead of a few thousand local people), half those people are instantly pissed off at the decision.
Translation: Government is designed to suck.
Only people with money can run for offices. Most people with money are stuck on themselves and are concerned about one thing, more money. Most of these people don't really know what it is like in the "real" world, That is one reason I believe that anytime someone runs for office there should be a limit on how much personal and how much fund raised money can be spent on any campaign. The one that lasts at least knows how to manage money. That would also give someone with qualifications to run even if they aren't rich. Money is why I feel we have no good choices. My opinion, Greg
+1 very powerful message there the rich don't know how it is to be poor or go poor
stuck on themselves
out of touch with reality
yeah, I 2nd this motion
Yes, I agree with Greg. In USA it is about the money. In other countries of the world too, it is fast becoming so. Maybe, not always personal money but definitely the money the party can raise. And the money the party can raise is bargained against undue and often illegal favors. In India we have recently seen the ruling party torn to shreds by the Media and other vested interests, who helped to get the cat out of the bag of the shady dealings of many Parliamentarians and Ministers. Yet, they still remain in power!
"We need to get people who don't care about money into office", is basically what your argument is.
The system is set up to reward corruption. Abolish it and start anew.
The second rule of Thermodynamics. Any system that operates over a period of time experiences latency or the operation of the system becomes more chaotic, over time. The politicians we see are nothing more than masks for the people that have been defining this system for quite some time. It is still the same tired empire seeking type model that has failed since Nimrod's time. We are still governed by 3 centers of power: Spiritual-The Vatican, Military-Washington DC and Finance-London England. Politicians are nothing more than paid help to the money changers so we see in them what the power structure wants us to see. Now that the empires are all shaking (with the destruction of the currency and the financial system) we really aren't going to see politicians doing much of anything useful. That's my take.
here is a good example of the media exploiting an innocent person,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmEE61iVhCA
And the outcome is that she quit, because of all the false accusations, vitriol, and mischaracterizations.
The reason is the loyal party voter who lets the party choose the pathetic candidates. So the choices in the election are based on the lesser of evils, and not the best candidate for the job.
One reason maybe again the perceptional one. In general, we do not think of politics as a honest 'profession', whatever may be our expectations of our political leaders. The 'trade' has got such a tainted, bad name that no honest, man (or woman) of dignity will opt for it as a career, if he or she can avoid it. Even if they do, I suppose they get no motivation to continue, for try as they may, they will not only have to push against the paradigm and to be able to have any power to wield change, they must first give in to the same corrupt machinery and loose their 'virgin' innocence.
This is definitely an oversimplification- but just a starting thought.
Yes, there are sincere politicians. However the political machine, particularly in the United States, is a system which rely upon the corporate powers, the lobbyists, and other machinations. The politician must depend upon the powers that be i.e. corporate and lobbying sponsors to be elected.
Politics is a game to be played. A politician that elects often to show some type of integrity and to think independently does not last long in the political arena. Of course, there are politicians who are independent thinkers who show integrity; however, their road is difficult and onerous to say the least.
Many politicians furthermore view the act of politics as celebrity. They really are unconcerned about their constituents but view politics as a game of power, a career move, and a chance to be seen. They use politics as a means to become famous and well-known just like an actor and/or any other entertainer. Their contention is that the more people, especially powerful people, know them, the smoother and more prestigious their political careers will be.
Honestly...and this is HONESTLY....if they don't "go along", they are politically destroyed, or murdered.
McKinney: destroyed
Wellstone: murdered
Stakes are too high> Too many secrets to tell> Too much MONEY involved.
I like a lot of Dems right now....WE need to help root out the rot! How, I'm not really sure...
These days you have to be a salesman to get elected and there are very few really honest salesmen. Most candidates are driven by the power and the prestige of the office rather than being driven to serve the electorate. Being a legislator was never intended to be a career, rather the founding fathers perception was that you served a term and then went home to a 'real' job. That gave others the opportunity to contribute.
What makes a GOOD politician then? I'm possibly considering a career in politics with the (perhaps very naive) desire to try and change things. You people are rather gloom and doom about politics.
Part of the issue may be the way Congress (for example) is structured. Nothing gets done because those in Congress have to balance getting re-elected with getting things done. They have to cater to those back home who elected them. If they appear to be compromising, they're giving something up that their constituents may want. So they don't compromise. They constantly add Pork Barrel Legislation that wastes money and time so they can get re-elected, otherwise they lose their jobs.
But if you do what's right, you don't worry about getting reelected. You do the right thing and let the chips fall where they may. We need to clean house and elect those that are interested in serving the electorate, rather than themselves. Then a more honest exchange of ideas will take place and the dirty deeds that are not done dirt cheap will soon fade away.
I agree Shanna. It is the same in most democracies. That is the bane of democracy- you have to fit into the bill of your electorate. But times require thinking out of the box, being a bit radical and at times going for the harsh step that would benefit the country/people in the long term. Our political leaders are too concerned about the term end polls and less so about what they do while they stay in power.
If we take the money out of politics,like banning lobbyists, limiting terms,and limiting political contributions,then maybe we can get some honest workers.They have forgotten their roles;they work for us.
by Sylvia Sky 14 years ago
How do honest people suddenly turn dishonest when they go into politics?
by RealityTalk 11 years ago
Who is the most honest politician you have ever known & who is the most dishonestPoliticians make a lot of press & become the butt of many jokes for their lack of honest & ethics. So I thought it fun to get your opinions as to politicians you believe to be honest and...
by tonybeck 14 years ago
Why does politics only seem to attract people that want to lord over us all and enslave us?Government handouts and other forms of "free" money are anti-human as they serve to demoralize the populace, make us lazy and not motivated to achieve anything other than sitting on our asses. ...
by Grace Marguerite Williams 10 years ago
Do you contend that politics is a game and that the average politician whether Republican orDemocrat cares nothing at all about his/her constituents but only his/her self-aggrandizement, celebrity, and next career move?
by prm.peddada 15 years ago
I FOUND BY NEWS ITEMS IN TV AND NEWS PAPERS THE INDIAN ECONOMY IS UNDER DOWN FALL DUE THE RUDE POLITICS FOLLOWED BY THE LEADERS IN THE COUNTRY. I OBSERVED THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS FUNCTIONING WELL AND NOT DOING ANY JUSTICE TO COMMON MAN AND NO DEVELOPMENT IS THERE. FURTHER RECENT FLOODS IN ANDHRA...
by ViralWhisper 14 years ago
Politics in itself is good. It was basically created to give meaningful directions to an otherwise chaotic and multi-dimensional problems of our society. The politicians are the ones that make it look trashy and confusing to a majority of the people. Too much scandals/corruptions and too much...
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