C.I.
Yes you're right----but for me it really comes down to 2 items that must be changed:
1. The length of time our elected officials are allowed to spend campaigning to get re-elected----in the case of congressmen, they put their names on the door then go on the campaign trail. In the case of Senators---they work a couple of years then hit the campaign trail. The few days they do work it's scratching each others back to consolidate their power base. If they were restricted to 30 or 60 days of actual campaigning they could get something done for the people.
2. If all campaign money was restricted to public funds(no other money allowed) then the challenger would be on equal footing and some of the bastards would get voted out. I think this is one of the things our founding fathers did not anticipate. The legislative branch has too much control over self perpetuating laws and regulations.
This situation is disgusting.
Not quite equal, perception. The advantage held by an incumbent has no relation to the relative amounts of money available to each.
Asherman
Wonderful posts. Your defence of 'real politic' though, presents us once again with the old problem of 'means justifying ends' - that the end is usually irretrievably marked by those means brought to bear. There are quite understandable reasons why Al Qaida targets the US and not Denmark or Belgium or Australia, and some important parts of those reasons relate to 'real politic' decisions and behaviors in the past.
I'm telling you nothing you don't already know, of course. But I think the point needs to be dusted off now and again for the sake of that necessary clear-headed honesty which leads to temperance and national humility.
Roger
Yes---you're correct----the encumbent will always have an advantage but if the money thing was equalized we might even get some better candidates.
blatham wrote:. . . which leads to temperance and national humility.
In a nation in which there are only 10 media companies, compared to the 50 of twenty years ago, and the hundreds of fifty years ago; in a nation in which the electorate go "baa-ing" after political shepherds such as the Shrub, and Lott/Frist (same person, different packaging)--neither temperance nor national humility are likely to be in evidence. We are not told the truth by press or politician, and far too many of us wouldn't have it any other way.
Setanta
You must not have had a happy Christmas since you have returned even more cynical than before)))))))).
Politicians will never tell us the truth but the press is not truthful only through omission. They often miss the true value of a story or the impact may not mesh with their agenda, but even though I get very irritated by the media I would never accuse them of outright lies.
You also imply that most of the public would rather not hear the truth----it may be a case of being too busy to hear the truth or too apathetic because they feel it is hopeless. Could it be that the 24 hr. news channels will make a difference? I believe they made a real difference in the most recent elections.
Interesting comment there perception. I tend to believe that the 24-hour news channels are a bigger problem than a help. Having one that repeats the same news clips every 30 minutes (i.e. CNN Headline News) is one thing but with 15 or 20 of them they start looking for to many things to fill the timeslots and I think people have begun to rely on the opinions of the pundits more and more instead of looking at the news itself and then thinking for themselves.
To a large extent I think the reliance on that type of programming is where some of the charges that they are "making the news instead of reporting the news" comes from.
No, Boss, i didn't have a bad christmas, rather a good one in fact. As the Shrub's d-day approaches, i become more depressed that no one is raising any objections to his planned subjugation of Iraq. As for the press, it bothers me greatly, and has for some time, that ownership of media outlets is increasingly concentrated, and that, therefore, the number of stories which are published decreases, and the depth of coverage decreases, and the "shelf-life" of stories decreases. That the Shrub was able to use the apathy of the electorate and the moral cowardice of both Dems and moderate Repubs to stampede Congress into giving him extraordinary war powers depresses me also. As for my immediate physical situation, i'm playing on-line from my Lovey's house, where the dogs and i have been relaxing this morning, doing aboslutely nothing constructive, and nibbling on anything at hand. I that respect, we're having a very good day. Hope you had and continue to have a good holiday season, Boss.
Fishin'
I can completely understand your reasoning but I don't agree with your conclusions. Remember back when the 3 major networks, NBC, CBS, ABC, could manage and control the slant with their 30 evening news. Now with CNN and FOX out scratching for every item of interest we get an honest presentation(more of less)of the just the news and the pundits are forced to present the views of both left and right-----the intellectual left does not have the influence it once had.
It would appear that you are contemptuous of the publics ability to think-----just as are the politicians and the editorial managers at the media centers of control. Note: I didn't use the word contemptuous in a derogatory sense----I just wanted to get your attention.
I tried to get this point across in another thread which wasn't successful-----I think it is a serious mistake for people to underestimate the thinking ability of the public-----just as it is a mistake to underestimate the wrath of the American people which Yamamoto and Asherman have pointed out.
Setanta
Thanks for the kind thoughts and I'm glad you are enjoying life---even though you may be a little pessimistic about the the future.
I'm quite optimistic---even in the face of the brinkmanship presented by Jong II of North Korea. If it weren't for the killing of perhaps millions of rather innocent civilians, I would advocate vaporizing that SOB.
I think the "Shrub" is doing quite well and is right on schedule with the "subjugation" of Iraq.
This may brighten you up-----In my opinion---if he doesn't work a miracle to restore the economy he won't get re-elected in 2004
It's interesting if not alarming how many multi-millionaires have been elected to Congress and the Senate this last time around. Haven't looked around the Internet for the exact figure but it is way up this last election.
It doesn't look good at all for the economy -- worse Christmas sales in thirty years and the market is remaining sluggish and not paying off reasonable dividends. It's difficult to be optimistic and I know I've tightened up my belt.
North Korea just kicked out their inspectors.
perception wrote:Fishin'
I can completely understand your reasoning but I don't agree with your conclusions. Remember back when the 3 major networks, NBC, CBS, ABC, could manage and control the slant with their 30 evening news. Now with CNN and FOX out scratching for every item of interest we get an honest presentation(more of less)of the just the news and the pundits are forced to present the views of both left and right-----the intellectual left does not have the influence it once had.
It would appear that you are contemptuous of the publics ability to think-----just as are the politicians and the editorial managers at the media centers of control. Note: I didn't use the word contemptuous in a derogatory sense----I just wanted to get your attention.
I tried to get this point across in another thread which wasn't successful-----I think it is a serious mistake for people to underestimate the thinking ability of the public-----just as it is a mistake to underestimate the wrath of the American people which Yamamoto and Asherman have pointed out.
I think you've misunderstood or misinterpreted what I wrote. I have no problem with their being more news outlets or sources/views of the news. I'd love for their to be thousands of them. What I have issues with are total idiots that get on the "talk-news" (aka "Larry King", "Hannity and Combs", etc..) and spout off endlessly about their views of what the news actually means.
We have some people to listen who the Sunday morning news shows and think about what is being said critically, some that listen because they are addicted to news (and those people. IMO, generally tend to loose the forest for the trees..) and we have some people that have no clue, came across the station and left it on and then believe every word that the participants say whether those participants know what they are talking about or not. (I'm leaving out the group that totally ignores news altogether for now..).
I'm in no way comtemptous of the public's ABILITY to think. I'm a little disgusted with the public apathy towards BOTHERING TO think CRITICALLY. The 24 hour news programs make it to easy for people to let others think for them.
Fishin'
If your premise is correct(that 24 hr news tells people how to think) then I hope they listen to Fox because they will get the "right" slant as opposed to the "left" slant)))))))))))))
Happy New Year.
dyslexia
Hey poet----you're still on the wrong thread))))))))
Not this time he isn't . . .
Fox emplified the old adage of the Soviet citizen that there is no truth in the news, and no news in the truth . . .
i was just walking thru the living room on my way to the kitchen for a cuppa tea and the teevee was on (the parrots like to listen) and it was the Bill O'Really (news) show. now i realize its a slow news day with N.Korea going nuclear, the catholic church claiming separation of church and state regarding immunity for abuse claims, war looming in Iraq, but the hot topic on O'Realy was that some lesbians were seen kissing YES i said kissing at a NBA basket-ball game. Perhaps i am naive but can this be considered prime time newsworthy?
Hey guys you're speaking of my fav--or--yte news channel and the one favored by all "thinking" people)))))))))----I just don't understand your critical comments. They must be doing something right-----Gore and Dashle are wailing about how unfair they are-----keep the heat on Fox.
dys, Their desperation for any news is laughable. And they're supposed to be the pros.
c.i.
