I'm still stunned about this

Random Fun
61

Before I begin, please allow me to clarify a couple of things real quick that I may have failed to mention already.

  1. I DO NOT “identify” myself as being associated with ANY political party. (MUCH LESS Repubs or Dems.) But people can feel free to “label” me however they want. I honestly don’t give a shit.
  2. I consider BOTH of the dominating parties in this country to be EQUALLY corrupt and EQUALLY controlled by the same greedy, power-hungry corporations and private billionaires.
  3. As far as I am concerned, both the Orange Man and the Pedo Hair Sniffer (along with their respective party staffs, together with Congress/Senate/SCOTUS) are merely the “Front Man” puppets being manipulated by said corporate masters to keep the general public divided, blinded, distracted, and (as a result) unwilling to join forces to rise up against the tiny number of elites who are calling the shots and DICTATING our lives.

I’ve already agreed there are a FEW good and honest people out there in various political offices who genuinely want to make a positive difference and do well for the citizens who elected them. Hell, I’ve actually known and/or have known of a handful of them over the years. And at the lower levels such as city or county jurisdictions, the communities within their limited range of control are typically “above average” in comfortable living conditions and such. But… They are the EXCEPTIONS to what has become the overall general RULE. As such, for those honest office holders to climb the “Political Ladder” and rise above their local areas, they will have to play by the “rules” of the overwhelmingly corrupt system that controls who advances and who stays small. Once again, I sincerely WANT TO BE proven wrong about that.

The PRIMARY goal for BOTH parties (for our federal government in general) is to break this country down as much as possible to pave the way for placing all of us under a SINGULAR “World Government”. Whether they use Plan Repub or Plan Demo makes no difference to them. Both are just a means to an end. And the polarization of the general population (whether it’s political affiliation, race, gender, sexual lifestyle, pro-life/pro-choice, etc.) simply makes it THAT MUCH EASIER for them to bring about that deconstruction. At the very BASE of this is a simple strategy as old as war itself: “Divide & Conquer.”

Inside job. Outside job. Nut job. Rim job-blow job-hand job… Call it whatever you want. Makes no difference to me. I honestly don’t know (for certain) WHO was responsible for that nightmare. I just know I have ZERO faith in any “official government reports” that came out of that “investigation”. To me, considering the state of our “government” now AND then, I consider it akin to a bank robber holding up a bank and then going back to lead the crime investigation for the police. Or, maybe it was the police chief’s best friend who robbed the bank for a piece of the take, and the police chief had his “investigators” write up the report the way he dictated it. Either way, I DO NOT TRUST anything coming from the feds. I have worked considerably with, for, and around them over the course of many years. Anybody who believes our government agencies care about “we the lowly citizens” and that they would NEVER LIE to the public, is incredibly naive and/or in complete denial of reality. (Again, just my opinion, of course.)

Finally! Making a bit of progress. Those VERY FEW who control a VAST MAJORITY of the world’s wealth did not get to those positions by caring about those they had to trample over to gain their immense wealth, power, and influence. They are of a mentality that most of us here cannot even remotely relate to or understand. In that same respect, those in those high levels of power/wealth cannot even remotely relate to or understand those of us at the level of average Joe/Jane citizen. To them, we are nothing more than numbers on a spreadsheet to be manipulated in whatever manner that will increase their wealth and power.

Quick question. Think of it as a little “mind game”, if you will. Can anybody here even remotely imagine what it would be like to literally have billions of dollars at your fingertips to do with as you please? Sure, we can sometimes sit back and fantasize about such things and joke about what we would do with that much money. But take a moment and seriously consider it from a REALISTIC point of view. Keep in mind, upon obtaining that amount of wealth, you will immediately be under the spotlight of those who are currently at that level. More importantly, though, you will gain the attention of those at much HIGHER levels. To make this “mind game” a little more interesting, consider two different methods by which you gained your wealth. 1. Worked your ass off for it over the course of several years of your life. 2. Suddenly and unexpectedly inherited it somehow, or maybe won a mega-lottery. Be honest with yourself, and be realistic about the circumstances and responsibilities involved with having such tremendous wealth at your disposal. (Hmmm… :thinking: Maybe this particular question would be better suited in a thread on its own. Open for suggestions on that.)

Anyway, point being, while there may actually be a rare one or two honest and good-hearted ultra-wealthy individuals out in the world (Although, we are more likely to discover a unicorn somewhere first.), whatever good deeds they did would be practically insignificant compared to the damage being done by those of the “Ruler” mentality. As I have mentioned in another thread (can’t remember which one) many months ago, millionaires are a dime a dozen in today’s world. Billionaires may not be as numerous, but they have become more and more “common” over the past decades. But most people never stop to consider those who make billionaires look like panhandlers out on the street corners. Can you even remotely imagine having that type of power and control at your disposal? Even on a “lower level”, can you imagine being a part of the " upper staff" of such a person or “business”? Personally, while I CAN imagine what it would be like (to some degree), I also realize it is very likely something my own conscious would not allow me to be part of for any significant amount of time. (Assuming I would “join” it in the first place.)

BINGO! Making more progress.

62

Lots of beliefs…

20 characters

63

DITTO:

I consider BOTH of the dominating parties in this country to be EQUALLY corrupt and EQUALLY controlled by the same greedy, power-hungry corporations and private billionaires.

DITTO

  1. As far as I am concerned, both the Orange Man and the Pedo Hair Sniffer (along with their respective party staffs, together with Congress/Senate/SCOTUS) are merely the “Front Man” puppets being manipulated by said corporate masters to keep the general public divided, blinded, distracted, and (as a result) unwilling to join forces to rise up against the tiny number of elites who are calling the shots and DICTATING our lives.

Well, that makes two of us… It’s a beginning. The “Tin-Banana Party.”

  1. The sad news is there isn’t a damn thing we can do about it but sit and watch as the powers that be run the country into the ground.
2 Likes
64

Do you really think that the Electoral College should be eliminated? Great, then whoever is in power when/if it ever happens will never lose another election. We’ll just let California and New York decide who gets elected?
Fuck the rest of the country, right?

65

What? It’s actually the opposite. Without the Electoral College, whoever wins the popular vote would be elected to the office of president. Makes exactly ZERO difference what state folks live in. Currently, (Wiki quote) “congressional representatives is determined by population, electors are assigned based on representatives. More populous states have more electors.”
Do you know why the Electoral College was started? The founding fathers didn’t think regular citizens were smart enough to elect an appropriate president. Additionally, the states with a high slave population wanted those slaves to be counted for representation in Congress (without them, of course, being able to vote) so they could have more political clout than the other states.

66

Yep, pretty much sums it up.

Well, on the surface, it does seem like a good idea. Although, in reality, I am fairly certain we would never even get out of the gate. For starters, I have a sneaking suspicion there are way too many child-trafficking pedophiles out there who would “frown upon” my policies in regards to the methods of their “rehabilitation”. Especially considering a (too) large number of our higher government officials/politicians, along with untold numbers of religious clergy, are involved in such activities. (In my defense, however, I could ABSOLUTELY 110% GUARANTEE there would NEVER be any repeat offenders.) More than that, however, I am not very politically correct, and I look horrible in a suit and tie.

1 Like
67

Ahhh, that post takes me back to the memories of Boys Town, one of the first times I recall the US government got its pee pee trapped in its zipper.

1 Like
68

I think you have created a false dichotomy there, how about in Presidential elections, the candidate with the most votes wins? That seems pretty democratic?

69

WOW is that my buddies Cog and Tin sounding so defeatist? I mean really how many people on this forum have you both explained the connection between cognition and behaviour and how you can always DO something. I think @Get_off_my_lawn summed it up nicely when he said:

Oh wait, my bad forming the Banana Tin Party or is it the Tin Banana Party might qualify as something. Although Banana Tin has a note of practicality where as a Tin Banana would likely not pass the taste test.
Cheers :innocent:

70

Another way of doing it is not voting for assholes you think won’t do a damn thing, never giving support to the incumbents, expose the lies when you can. And finally, hang your head in shame when you end up needing to play within the broken system because voting for any third party is the same thing as throwing your vote in the trash.

Interesting, have reached the conclusion I have not. Do you have any evidence for that assertion?

71

Yes, I really think the Electoral College should be eliminated. It’s undemocratic. It was put in place originally because the slave states wanted to increase their voting power (they counted slaves as 3/5 of a person when allocating electors even though those slaves couldn’t vote).

The Electoral College system gives more voting power to people in states with small populations relative to states with more. That goes against the principle of one person, one vote. In the extreme case, if an election for president goes to the House of Representatives for whatever reason, each state has one vote, so Wyoming, with a population of half a million, has exactly the same voting power as California’s 39 million.

Why do you say that? You know that Texas and Florida both have more electoral votes than New York, right?

2 Likes
72

You gunna walk your post back?

73

Nope, we live in a Democratic Republic of States, not a straight up Democracy. All 50 states are given equal representation, regardless of it’s population. If it was winner take all, the “left” coast , DC, and NY would decide the Presidential election every 4 years.
Each state has 2 senators representing them, and the number of members of congress is based on it’s population. They are elected by the people of each state.
The Electoral College gives all 50 states an opportunity to be represented equally in a federal election.

74

So you actually think that it’s okay for the will of the majority of citizens of the U.S. to be overridden?

75

How do you figure this is the case? If the majority of the people of the U.S. vote a particular way, how does your assertion actually work?

It’s okay that the 6 million votes for your candidate in California in 2020 didn’t matter?

76

Indeed, that is precisely what electoral reform hopes to change, make the process more democratic.

Despite the “will of the people”…you seem to be arguing that where people are from, is more important than what the majority wants. The price of democracy is not always getting the government you want, and accepting that the will of the majority determines this.

You have to ask yourself, which is more important, getting the outcome you want, or living in a society that is truly democratic, no one is suggesting that is ever an easy choice.

Not quite, what I inferred is that he doesn’t want the majority to override the outcome he desires. I think at some level I can empathise, where my empathy ends is when people let their resentment of losing an election resist the peaceful transfer of power.

77

Ya got me @Cognostic I have no evidence that you have done anything except complain about how corrupt the political system is. I certainly agree that it is.

For all I know you might have recently won a mayoral election representing the Banana Tin party in Mud River Mississippi. Or perhaps you’ve joined a group trying to reform campaign finance laws, or end the bribery of SCOTUS. Or… Hell there are so many ways that America is corrupt you can take your choice or none at all. You tell me what you’ve done.

78

The only reason we have the EC is because slave states wanted more power than they were entitled to. That’s now moot and there’s no reason to keep the undemocratic EC.

BTW, “it’s” = “it is” or “it has”. “Its” is the possessive form of “it”.

The Senate is also a deeply undemocratic institution. States with sparse populations like Wyoming and Alaska have unreasonably large representation in the Senate. The filibuster is also deeply undemocratic and needs to go. Anything that delays a vote as a means to affect policy makes no rational sense.

The “people” are more important than the “states”, although in recent times it seems like SCOTUS has been working hard to make “corporations” more important than the “people”.

1 Like
79

My dear Canuk, there is a difference between being defeatist and simply facing reality. I have spent most of my life as a “warrior” in some form or fashion. Whether it was on the streets of a crime-infested city, or in hot sandy lands thousands of miles from my home, my life in general was primarily centered around a mindset of battling/defeating whatever enemy I faced. As such, through much training and personal experience, one learns when and how to most effectively engage an enemy with the best possibility of victory and (preferably) survival. More importantly, however, one learns WHEN NOT TO CONFRONT an opponent. Often, this entails setting aside the ego and being able to recognize and admit the “enemy” has a FAR SUPERIOR force, making it foolish and “suicidal” to confront it directly. In other words, any attempt to stop said enemy would be futile, at best. For instance, say I’m in a trench with only my rifle and a couple of mags of ammo, and I look up to see a whole battalion of armored tanks headed toward me. Does it make me a “defeatist” if I (correctly) determine there is absolutely NOTHING I can do to stop those tanks? That, my friend, is pretty much where we are now.

Granted, no analogy is ever perfect, but please allow me to put this into perspective for you (from MY point of view), if I may. Let’s say (hypothetically) there is a hurricane approaching the coast of a large populated city. What would be your thoughts of an individual (or organization) that started running tv ads and such trying to convince the citizens of the city they need to help change the course of the hurricane? The ads are telling everybody, “Good people of Phukked City, it is IMPERATIVE we stand together as ONE to change the course of the hurricane that threatens to destroy our homes and our way of life! Therefore, we encourage every Phukked citizen to grab their leaf blowers and gather on the beach the day the hurricane is due to arrive. And with the force of all of those leaf blowers combined, we can redirect the course of that hurricane away from our beloved city and homes!” Tell me, would you be out there on the beach with a leaf blower? Or would you be preparing as best you can to secure your home and gather provisions and try to keep your family as safe as possible until the storm passed? See what I’m sayin’? Oh, and that’s not even factoring in those folks who fully deny the existence of the hurricane at all.

Please, allow me AGAIN to say I want VERY MUCH to be WRONG. I truly and sincerely want the “hurricane” to NOT BE REAL. But I’ll be damned if I’m gonna just pretend it isn’t a potential threat simply because it makes me feel “uncomfortable” and makes me question so many things I have been taught all my life. As such, I am not sitting by idly and going about my life as if all is hunky-dory. Making preps for “worst case scenario” as best as possible, while at the same time trying to enjoy life with my family as much as possible while we still can. And, hopefully, that “hurricane” on the horizon will turn out to be nothing at all. Make no mistake, though… IF that “hurricane” is actually real, then rest assured there is not a goddamned thing we can do to divert it or stop it. If that makes me a “defeatist”, well… so be it.

Hmmm… :thinking:… @Cognostic Dammit, I think Canuk may have a point there. As much as I would hate giving up top billing, I have to say Banana-Tin does have a more appealing ring to it. And, in all fairness, you would make a better “Commander”, while I have always considered myself to be better suited as an XO. Hey, thanks for the input, Canuk. :+1:

Modified slightly for easier reading at the request of a potential constituent. (@SodaAnt When it comes time to vote, remember who actually listened to your complaints and fulfilled your requests. Team Banana-Tin. We care. :innocent:)

80

My dear Tin-Man. Please use more vertical whitespace. Your walls of text are interesting, but hard to read.

2 Likes