I was getting a haircut the other day, the stylist in the next booth who had been sitting quietly asked a question, "What's a Republican?" I asked why and she told me that her last customer, who had just left, had asked her who she was voting for and told her he was a Republican. Since she was sincerely interested I tried my best to answer.
I explained about the democratic parties and offered a perspective on the philosophies of both. I gave her honest answers when what I really wanted to say was that there is a difference between liberals and conservatives but there is little difference between politicians, Republican and Democrat.
I submit to you, and forgive me for stating the obvious but, the system is not broken. That's right: the system is not broken, the politicians are. There is so little difference between individual politicians, Republican and Democrat, that you cannot tell the players without a scorecard.
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4 comments:
Great submission- isn't it funny how often hair salons bring up politics.
So you submit that the system is not broken. I agree in so far that the 3 branches of government is a perfect system to ensure that there is no dominance.
I disagree in as much as the system as created by the forefathers promoted multiple viewpoints and multiple parties. The second election of the US in 1796 had thirteen canidates from 13different "parties". Today we have a choice of 2. That is broken if you ask me.
We agree that it is the people infesting the current atmosphere that are broken. The parties, at the upper levels, have shown so little regard for the people whom they are supposed to represent and are so close to one another in spending and determination to remain in power (the end justifies the means) that they are both so power hungry as to be indistiguishable one from the other.
Too many parties are not the answer either. Two parties work well, you have a majority in power and minority to monitor and provide an alternative should the majority fail to do as they were voted in to do. When you have three parties or more you have minority groups acting as "king makers" and overruling the elected majority.
The real battle now is between liberal and conservative. Neither party is representative of either group. Putatively the Republicans are supposedly conservative and the Democrats are supposedly liberal. The Democrats at the upper levels come close to representing the liberal point of view. The Republicans at the upper levels are big government moderates. There are no true conservatives (limited government, fiscal conservatives, moral absolutists) at the upper levels of the Republican party.
So the problem is that the "moral majority" is left out in the cold. They are nice to play to for election, the Democrats run right and the Republicans run farther right in the elections, and once in power the parties do what they think they must (buy votes with taxpayer funded programs - move to the left or far left [more government spending and regulation]) to remain in power. There aren't any leaders left, only politicians doing and saying anything to get elected and then remain in power.
Solution?
Is it term limits, lobbyists, or just plain old fashioned money- paid too much?
The asnwer ties in with your post on American Cowboy. The Fair Tax is the quickest way to force some correction onto the system. The current income tax system, besides being a wealth redistribution system, is merely a way for the powers that be to encourage or discourage certain behaviors. Want to reward certain behaviors? Tax credits. Discourage behaviors? Tax hikes. Big brother is manipulating the game. The Fair Tax, while not only being fair to all and encourage savings, would take all of that manipulative and punative power out of the hands of politicians. What's that old saying about the corrupting influence of power.
Did you know that Americans spend over 500 billion on tax preparation every year. How much would that stimulate the economy? Do you think that corporations would bring manufacturing jobs, currently outsourced to other countries due to punative tax implicatons, back to American if the only tax they had to worry about was a consumption tax on new goods purchased? Do you think thousands if not hundreds of thousands of new jobs would stimulate the economy? What if you and every other hard working American got to keep every penny of your paycheck? Do you think you could put more money in your savings account?
It is a win win situation. Less power for the government, more power for the people.
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