Quote:
Originally Posted by JoeRedskin
The bottom line is, just like you can't create morality through legislation, you can't legislate or regulate an informed electorate into existence. You can regulate lobbiests, you can make term limits, BUT, if the voters don't take the time to investigate their governmental representatives (small "r"), then no amount of legislation is going to change things. Without the populous holding them accountable, lobbiests and corrupt politicians will simply find ways to manipulate and avoid the laws' and regulations' intent.
Listen to some of the comments on this board. Everyone is giving up. And this is from a cross-section of educated and generally well read individuals. In light of that, what chance is there for real reform or good governance. As more of us simply give up, it becomes harder and harder to change the status quo.
"Toute nation a le gouvernement qu’elle mérite" ("Every country has the government it deserves"). Joseph de Maistre, Lettres et Opuscules Inédits, Vol. 1, letter 53: Dated August 15, 1811 (Published in 1851).
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What you see as giving up, I see as calling for a reasonable change. I think most on here can agree to certain problems - the level of lobbyist influence, spending outstripping revenues, federal govt encroaching on individual and/or state freedoms-rights, etc. To say well you have the govt you deserve implies that this talk/discussion doesn't serve to further discourse and possibly change the direction that our govt is headed. Other than TTE who clearly had withdrawn from the electorate, I think everyone on here (or most everyone) votes. We need to discuss what can be done to bring the common problems into a resolution. Clearly a man in the senate-be it Byrd or Thurmond-that holds a seat for nearly 50 years needs to be limited but also you can't say 2 terms and leave the govt fully in the hands of entrenched bureaucrats and lobbyist. We need to civilly discuss what can be done. That does not mean that we have given up, only that we are highly dissatisfied with what is.