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Re: Oligarchy/Politics

By: tkc in ALEA | Recommend this post (0)
Thu, 24 Apr 14 4:49 AM | 71 view(s)
Boardmark this board | The Trust Matrix 		Msg. 15416 of 54959
(This msg. is a reply to 15414 by Cactus Flower)
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As a teenager, in my 3rd year of Hi-Y "running" N.Y.S. government, I was Chairman of the bills commitee. I had serious power. No bill could be passed to a floor vote w/o my blessing. We "whipped" votes we wanted to pass. If votes weren't there, we withheld passing opposition's bills out of commitee until they agreed to pass ours on the floor. When they agreed we put our bill on the floor first, if they passed only then would I allow their bills to pass commitee. That was simple politics w/o the influence of lobyists' money funded by corporations, party or oligarchs. Today money has way too munch influence. Today, buy the state lagislators and jerymander districts to assure re-election to state and federal legislatures. Once in control make it as difficult as possible for opposition voters to vote. Sadly, U.S. democracy has been sold. For Legistators, choosing to "Do the right thing" is secondary to voting their moneys'interest. But you all knew that. Position or principle?


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The above is a reply to the following message:
Re: Oligarchy
By: Cactus Flower in ALEA
Mon, 21 Apr 14 10:03 PM 		Msg. 15414 of 54959

hi orda,

i think the real problem is that the us constitution is a statement of philosophy. it didn't grow out of internal experience and it was designed to provide considerable resistance to real time responsiveness.

some think that is its virtue.

but the problems that are building up behind this inability to adapt are the sort that require earthquakes to shift them.

we've seen how politics cannot shift hard problems within the constitutional framework prior to the us civil war. in that case, the issue was a state's right to manage its own affairs.

now we are seeing how incumbent commercial interests control the chess board using the same set of tools. the tools of frustration and dark influence.

when the common will is thwarted, the pressure between incumbency and progress/innovation grows to seismic proportions. very frustrating, when the popular will has often devised sensible pathways forward. where there are no incumbent commercial actors in the way, things work pretty well.

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