With the average cost of a gallon of gasoline at $4.00, will someone explain to me why we should vote for an incumbent this fall?
I know there is a lot of finger pointing going on both side but we must send a message to everyone in Washington regardless their political affiliation. If I screwed up this bad at my job I would be living every second in fear of losing my job. Our Representatives arecoming on TV and doing interviews like everything is fine. It takes a lot to make my blood boil but I think it’s finally happened.
There are a lot of frustrated voters out there and sometimes you wish you could press a button and fix the problem. Kinda like Staples “Easy” button for anything. If you could make changes to this county political or social, what would they be and how would you fix it.
Try and keep it reasonable and possible.
I find it interesting how Americans, independents, conservatives, and liberals alike, show such disrespect for the office of the President of the United States. I know that those who have raised their right hand have done their part to reduce the reputation and the prestige of the office, but that person is still our President. I don’t care if you think he is dead wrong, intellects prove their point through the merits of their arguments, not disrespecting those with the opposing view.
Do you think we have the responsibility to respect the Office of the President and does the holder of the Office deserve our respect, regardless of our views?
Your thoughts…
I find it interesting how it seems like every election cycle we elect politicians who promise change. Their campaign promises are full of bridges to the future, leaving the past behind and righting the wrongs of the incumbents. We do our civic duty and elect these politicians but nothing changes. Either we (as the electorate) are stuck in a perpetual state of stupidity, our politicians are outright liars or we find ourselves in political system that is not working the way it was intended by the creators.
As a student of history and American Politics, I believe we are currently suffering from almost one hundred years of “fixings things that are not broke.” Our Founding Fathers gave us an ability to amend the Constitution so the country could adjust to changing times.
During the first few years our Found Fathers amended the Constitution twice. One to prevent foreign nationals from suing the Federal Government and the other amendment brought about the “Presidential Ticket.” I was not part of the ratification of these amendments, but since most of the Founding Fathers were still directly involved, it is safe to say that these amendments came about more of political reflection than political movements. Both of these changes were justified because they helped improve our country and they were free of populist political activism.
It then took almost sixty years before the second and third generation of Americans prompted the next round of amendments. The three amendments were a direct result of the Civil War. A conflict of this magnitude is sure to bring about changes that will help resolve the initial cause of the conflict and put to prevent perpetual discussion of underlying issues. All three of these amendments helped improve our country because they helped resolve the most painful divide in our country’s history, and while could be seen as political activism, they abolished slavery and provided equality already provide in the Constitution.
The next round of amendments spanned about forty years. This round of amendments was primarily brought about by political activism. During this period we banned alcohol and then repealed it; at least we got that one right. We also gave women the right to vote, a long overdue right that should have been included in the original Constitution and is legitimate because it meets the “basic freedoms” test. We also limited the number of presidential terms and changed presidential succession. Both moves were procedural and did very little to limit the power of the people or the states, and does not give any additional power to the federal government. I disagree with presidential term limits but it has very little to do with our country’s current problems. The Sixteenth Amendment authorized federal taxes on income. This amendment has given the federal government a virtual blank check and government spending skyrocketed almost immediately. Fast-forward almost 100 years and we are now in debt about nine trillion dollars. This type of grossly irresponsible and potentially crippling level of debt is only possible because of the federal government access to our pocketbooks. Now, before you try and label me as a “taxes are unconstitutional” extremist, I’m not saying that the idea of taxation is illegal, but the method by which we collect the tax is flawed. The Seventeenth Amendment changed the way we elect US Senators. This amendment put the responsibility of electing US Senators in the hands of the American people. What is wrong with that? Why not let the people vote for their elected officials? It took power away from the states. Prior to 1913 and the Seventeenth Amendment the state legislators elected US Senators. This gave the states a voice in national affairs. The Founding Fathers, even those writing the Federalist Papers, intended for a majority of power to exist at the state level. Cutting the states out of national politics significantly weakened the states. It gave them no voice in legislation that increased the federal governments power and weakened states involvement in government. It also took away their ability to exercise their right to “advise and consent” on Supreme Court Judges. This often-overlooked change has helped the federal government slowly change the judicial structure away from states rights. These two amendments did more to increase the federal government’s power than any other amendment, and is one of the main reasons we are facing truly monumental challenges.
These challenges are less a product of the times than a result of our inability to let well enough alone. We use the federal Constitution to promote and advance political agendas. This county was designed to work not only in three equal branches of government but also three equal levels of government. The underling consensus among our Founding Fathers was a general distrust of a large national government, even among the writers of the Federalist Papers, and a desire for the states to determine their laws and values. The beauty and genius of the new country was not in the mechanics of our new government but the common belief that individual freedoms and responsibilities trump the involvement and intrusiveness of government.
