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Moogs
Hates the Infotainment
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: NSA Archives
 
2006-11-05, 12:47

Don't trust it at all. And there doesn't have to be an all-encompassing conspiracy in order for people to get cheated at all levels of electoral government. Even if 10 important races are rigged (say 3 mayoral races here, two governor's races there, and a few congressional races), because the new technology enables their voting officials to do so without getting caught, it's enough to have the entire system banned, Dieboldt audited, etc etc.

Everything about this country's political direction is wrong right now. The voting mechanisms need to change, term limits need to change big time, campaign advertising needs to be banned unless you speak only about yourself, corporate lobbying needs to be hugely reformed to the point that it's publicly visible and practically non-existent, and above all else, pork-barrel voting must die right now or we will never get an honest evaluation of our politicians' work record.

How in the world can we evaluate a congressional candidate when every good thing they voted for, also means they -by definition voted for against 10 other bad things or things that might be perceived as bad. The entire system is rigged so they can hammer on each other during elections.

A vote for this was a vote against that. "John Smith voted FOR Bill #3422 which made it easier for doctors in Kalamazoo to perform abortions" What they don't tell you is Bill #4322 also might've paved the way for better health coverage in Kalamazoo, a new highway through Kalamazoo, and a tax break for small business owners in the restaurant business. It's all so fucking convoluted that there's nothing cut and dry anymore.

How about this: No bill can be introduced where its minor provisions are not directly related to its major provisions. IOW, environmental bills cannot contain line items on unrelated social programs, business programs, military provisions, or whatever. Right now if you look at how the system works, most of these bills are total cluster-fucks. I understand there's only 24 hours in a day and 365 days a year, so you can't have an individual vote on every item, but group the items in a sensible way and if something isn't going to make it in, it isn't going to make it in. So much of this crap is just common sense but we never demand it of anyone so they just keep fucking up year after year.

[and the other obvious part of the solution: congress shouldn't be voting on half the crap they're voting on - state legislatures should be doing that individually wherever possible].

...into the light of a dark black night.

Last edited by Moogs : 2006-11-05 at 13:02.
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