Obama, Romney, Perry
Thread Starter
OG
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,295
Likes: 2
From: Philly
I disagree, just as HL Mencken did.
By and large, Americans vote on autopilot.
And like Mencken said, we get the government we deserve.
The largest part of the problem is the media. Our modern format of political reporting sucks.
Having studied it and worked in it, I know how profitable it is to turn nuanced, important issues into cheap, partisan press releases.
When you start to turn deficit reduction talks into a game of which party is "winning," it's no longer of use to anyone.
And that's just online. On TV, there's simply no time set aside for honest discussion.
In my sophomore year, I was required to take 2000-word press releases and cut them down to less than a minute of teleprompter script.
With the exception of NPR, BBC and PBS NewsHour, it's all bubble-gum for the mind.
I could go on:
Our declining standards of education feed into this mess, as does the blurred line between advertising and editorials.
Worst of all, its the gnat-like attention span we seem to cultivate year after year.
Simply put, we don't need to ban lobbyists. That sounds like something Tito or Ceausescu would do.
We don't need to ban PACs either.
We need smarter voters.
In the end, we're the ones with power.
We have let Government overstep its constitutionally defined boundaries.
It's our responsibility to rein it back in... intelligently.
By and large, Americans vote on autopilot.
And like Mencken said, we get the government we deserve.
The largest part of the problem is the media. Our modern format of political reporting sucks.
Having studied it and worked in it, I know how profitable it is to turn nuanced, important issues into cheap, partisan press releases.
When you start to turn deficit reduction talks into a game of which party is "winning," it's no longer of use to anyone.
And that's just online. On TV, there's simply no time set aside for honest discussion.
In my sophomore year, I was required to take 2000-word press releases and cut them down to less than a minute of teleprompter script.
With the exception of NPR, BBC and PBS NewsHour, it's all bubble-gum for the mind.
I could go on:
Our declining standards of education feed into this mess, as does the blurred line between advertising and editorials.
Worst of all, its the gnat-like attention span we seem to cultivate year after year.
Simply put, we don't need to ban lobbyists. That sounds like something Tito or Ceausescu would do.
We don't need to ban PACs either.
We need smarter voters.
In the end, we're the ones with power.
We have let Government overstep its constitutionally defined boundaries.
It's our responsibility to rein it back in... intelligently.
People vote when there is a line, a red line and blue line. No matter how good or how poor the candidate, it really doesn't matter what candidate each party pushes. Much like celebrities, politicians are polished up, marketed correctly, sold like a product and we eat that shit up.
I don't know where you get the idea that we'll suddenly wake up and have a smarter voting population. This nation has been growing dumber each year as evidenced in global education rankings. The backbone of our society lies in celebrity crazed fans, a beauty/sex/fame obsessed society with corresponding moral values and declining academic power.
I've been living in India for about 3 months and can tell you these people have a society based on respect, strong education system, they are extremely ambitious and have a much stronger work ethic than Americans.
Beyond cultural differences, these are facts as to why we're fucked:
-can't cut interest rates anymore to stimulate economy
-most jobs since the recovery have been in the retail and food sectors. Hiring people at fast food restaurants do not output.
-With all of the layoffs in the public sector, the private sector has to create a large net job creation number to even put a dent into the unemployment rate.
-The majority of new capital is invested in BRIC countries and emerging markets where the real growth is. Jobs are created there, not here where growth is sub 2%.
-our government is broke and our only solution is to deficit finance and print money. This will cause inflation that will destroy the middle/poor class more than it already has.
-crime will increase, even more so if unemployment extensions are not granted.
-Charts show that national home prices are still on a downtrend. The majority of those citizens
-According to Wilbur Ross, the new jobs bill Obama proposed will cost around $230,000 tax dollars in order to create a single $50,000 job for 1 year.
-Too much political turmoil and bickering in between the parties to get any cost effective solution passed.
-Increasing barriers to entry for many small businesses. There are too many patents, laws and restrictions that gives incentive for a small business owner to open shop in the US. Recently I heard a US Citizen starting a business in China, because it would take him 4 months, not 2 years as in the US.
-Taxes. Raising taxes on the rich will just piss them off enough to move their funds overseas and incorporate in European Tax Havens. Most of the extra disposable income created from lowering taxes would just be pocketed and saved.
There are many more reasons. Even if you put the smartest person in the world in the President's seat, they couldn't fix the problems we have. It's not because that person couldn't figure out the solution, but because of entire system. It's rigged.
Better Than Canada!
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 10,821
Likes: 0
From: Baltimore, MD
Mind my asking why? 
h:
Between the year wasted on an abysmal healthcare bill, his capitulation on the Bush tax cuts, and ending the wars, I don't see an ounce of the leadership skill he claimed to possess. He campaigned like JFK, but he administrates like Mr. Magoo.
My biggest concern is seeing the GOP nominate another Christian Conservative... one who does their level best to mollycoddle billionaires, play golf and impede scientific progress, all in the name of their "God." :a:
h:Between the year wasted on an abysmal healthcare bill, his capitulation on the Bush tax cuts, and ending the wars, I don't see an ounce of the leadership skill he claimed to possess. He campaigned like JFK, but he administrates like Mr. Magoo.
My biggest concern is seeing the GOP nominate another Christian Conservative... one who does their level best to mollycoddle billionaires, play golf and impede scientific progress, all in the name of their "God." :a:
it's my D in a B
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 24,787
Likes: 1
From: Your Mom's House
Not voting for any incumbents, that's for damn sure. I really wish some 3rd (and 4th and 5th) parties could take advantage of the widespread dissatisfaction with the government and get a foothold.
SDSU Basketball
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 9,483
Likes: 0
From: Diego
People vote when there is a line, a red line and blue line. No matter how good or how poor the candidate, it really doesn't matter what candidate each party pushes. Much like celebrities, politicians are polished up, marketed correctly, sold like a product and we eat that shit up.
I don't know where you get the idea that we'll suddenly wake up and have a smarter voting population. This nation has been growing dumber each year as evidenced in global education rankings. The backbone of our society lies in celebrity crazed fans, a beauty/sex/fame obsessed society with corresponding moral values and declining academic power.
I've been living in India for about 3 months and can tell you these people have a society based on respect, strong education system, they are extremely ambitious and have a much stronger work ethic than Americans.
Beyond cultural differences, these are facts as to why we're fucked:
-can't cut interest rates anymore to stimulate economy
-most jobs since the recovery have been in the retail and food sectors. Hiring people at fast food restaurants do not output.
-With all of the layoffs in the public sector, the private sector has to create a large net job creation number to even put a dent into the unemployment rate.
-The majority of new capital is invested in BRIC countries and emerging markets where the real growth is. Jobs are created there, not here where growth is sub 2%.
-our government is broke and our only solution is to deficit finance and print money. This will cause inflation that will destroy the middle/poor class more than it already has.
-crime will increase, even more so if unemployment extensions are not granted.
-Charts show that national home prices are still on a downtrend. The majority of those citizens
-According to Wilbur Ross, the new jobs bill Obama proposed will cost around $230,000 tax dollars in order to create a single $50,000 job for 1 year.
-Too much political turmoil and bickering in between the parties to get any cost effective solution passed.
-Increasing barriers to entry for many small businesses. There are too many patents, laws and restrictions that gives incentive for a small business owner to open shop in the US. Recently I heard a US Citizen starting a business in China, because it would take him 4 months, not 2 years as in the US.
-Taxes. Raising taxes on the rich will just piss them off enough to move their funds overseas and incorporate in European Tax Havens. Most of the extra disposable income created from lowering taxes would just be pocketed and saved.
There are many more reasons. Even if you put the smartest person in the world in the President's seat, they couldn't fix the problems we have. It's not because that person couldn't figure out the solution, but because of entire system. It's rigged.
I don't know where you get the idea that we'll suddenly wake up and have a smarter voting population. This nation has been growing dumber each year as evidenced in global education rankings. The backbone of our society lies in celebrity crazed fans, a beauty/sex/fame obsessed society with corresponding moral values and declining academic power.
I've been living in India for about 3 months and can tell you these people have a society based on respect, strong education system, they are extremely ambitious and have a much stronger work ethic than Americans.
Beyond cultural differences, these are facts as to why we're fucked:
-can't cut interest rates anymore to stimulate economy
-most jobs since the recovery have been in the retail and food sectors. Hiring people at fast food restaurants do not output.
-With all of the layoffs in the public sector, the private sector has to create a large net job creation number to even put a dent into the unemployment rate.
-The majority of new capital is invested in BRIC countries and emerging markets where the real growth is. Jobs are created there, not here where growth is sub 2%.
-our government is broke and our only solution is to deficit finance and print money. This will cause inflation that will destroy the middle/poor class more than it already has.
-crime will increase, even more so if unemployment extensions are not granted.
-Charts show that national home prices are still on a downtrend. The majority of those citizens
-According to Wilbur Ross, the new jobs bill Obama proposed will cost around $230,000 tax dollars in order to create a single $50,000 job for 1 year.
-Too much political turmoil and bickering in between the parties to get any cost effective solution passed.
-Increasing barriers to entry for many small businesses. There are too many patents, laws and restrictions that gives incentive for a small business owner to open shop in the US. Recently I heard a US Citizen starting a business in China, because it would take him 4 months, not 2 years as in the US.
-Taxes. Raising taxes on the rich will just piss them off enough to move their funds overseas and incorporate in European Tax Havens. Most of the extra disposable income created from lowering taxes would just be pocketed and saved.
There are many more reasons. Even if you put the smartest person in the world in the President's seat, they couldn't fix the problems we have. It's not because that person couldn't figure out the solution, but because of entire system. It's rigged.
Your sir are the smartest man in the room :bowdown:
I had a friend of mine who just started a business manufacturing plastics in china
He wanted to start it in California,but the state was making him jump to to many hoops.
His business is very successful and he employ's more than 50 people.:tsk:
BAZINGA!
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 21,613
Likes: 0
From: San Diego, CA
-Increasing barriers to entry for many small businesses. There are too many patents, laws and restrictions that gives incentive for a small business owner to open shop in the US. Recently I heard a US Citizen starting a business in China, because it would take him 4 months, not 2 years as in the US.
Also...when businesses go out of business they have to pay back their creditors and THEN the FTB. Guess how much goes back to the FTB after they pay back their creditors...little to nothing.
Live Free Or Die
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,388
Likes: 1
From: San Diego County
I disagree, just as HL Mencken did.
By and large, Americans vote on autopilot.
And like Mencken said, we get the government we deserve.
The largest part of the problem is the media. Our modern format of political reporting sucks.
Having studied it and worked in it, I know how profitable it is to turn nuanced, important issues into cheap, partisan press releases.
When you start to turn deficit reduction talks into a game of which party is "winning," it's no longer of use to anyone.
And that's just online. On TV, there's simply no time set aside for honest discussion.
In my sophomore year, I was required to take 2000-word press releases and cut them down to less than a minute of teleprompter script.
With the exception of NPR, BBC and PBS NewsHour, it's all bubble-gum for the mind.
I could go on:
Our declining standards of education feed into this mess, as does the blurred line between advertising and editorials.
Worst of all, its the gnat-like attention span we seem to cultivate year after year.
Simply put, we don't need to ban lobbyists. That sounds like something Tito or Ceausescu would do.
We don't need to ban PACs either.
We need smarter voters.
In the end, we're the ones with power.
We have let Government overstep its constitutionally defined boundaries.
It's our responsibility to rein it back in... intelligently.
By and large, Americans vote on autopilot.
And like Mencken said, we get the government we deserve.
The largest part of the problem is the media. Our modern format of political reporting sucks.
Having studied it and worked in it, I know how profitable it is to turn nuanced, important issues into cheap, partisan press releases.
When you start to turn deficit reduction talks into a game of which party is "winning," it's no longer of use to anyone.
And that's just online. On TV, there's simply no time set aside for honest discussion.
In my sophomore year, I was required to take 2000-word press releases and cut them down to less than a minute of teleprompter script.
With the exception of NPR, BBC and PBS NewsHour, it's all bubble-gum for the mind.
I could go on:
Our declining standards of education feed into this mess, as does the blurred line between advertising and editorials.
Worst of all, its the gnat-like attention span we seem to cultivate year after year.
Simply put, we don't need to ban lobbyists. That sounds like something Tito or Ceausescu would do.
We don't need to ban PACs either.
We need smarter voters.
In the end, we're the ones with power.
We have let Government overstep its constitutionally defined boundaries.
It's our responsibility to rein it back in... intelligently.
- As long as parents continue to refuse to take responsibility for their children and actually do their jobs as parents,
- As long as we reduce school funding because we have to pay for services for illegal immigrants
- As long as the school Districts (especially in CA) refuse to streamline and dump the huge administrative bureaucracy and use the money to pay for decent teachers,
- As long as the PC liberals refuse to allow schools to discipline the children
- And to a lesser degree as long as the teacher's unions allow Districts to fire teachers that are unable to perform (there are indeed bad teachers, but some of them are unable to perform because their stuck with a class full of non-English speaking kids and a bunch of unruly brats with zero respect for authority).
America has been in decline for decades. I believe it is not entirely out of the question that America as we know it will come to end within my lifetime. Whatever replaces it remains to be seen, but we may all want to start learning to speak Chinese.
un-Touch'd krew
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 51,774
Likes: 1
From: My own level of hell
I am voting Ron Paul but the real change needs to come in the form of ousting the houses of those shitheads who have stopped listening and can truly bring the turn around needed to this country.
__________________
"I'll keep my money, guns and freedom. You can keep the "Change."
"I'll keep my money, guns and freedom. You can keep the "Change."
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 10,168
Likes: 4
From: New Orleans
Good god. The man supports something that is literally taking the money out of your (and eventually my) pocket.