It's a SHAME that government officials cannot be held accountable....

As I've been watching this pandemic unfold, I'm finding government officials, who are supposed to serve the citizens of this country, sinking lower than I ever thought was possible. Just when you think they can't possibly get any slimier, they gleefully disappoint you!

As we have watched tens of thousands of everyday people come down sick and die, our politicians bicker like children on the school playground. Not only have the Democrats played an absolutely galling round of politics with the Coronavirus relief bill by adding their own special interests to shove their agenda through, but Republicans are actually considering and allowing these shenanigans to stand in an effort to "just pass something." Note to Washington - you can't negotiate with terrorists.

But what makes me more livid than I can possibly believe is that these hooligans are ALLOWED BY LAW to get away with this nonsense! Yes...other than to VOTE THEM OUT, there is absolutely NOTHING you can do about their behavior. So while I do not live in Nancy Pelosi's district or Amash's district or Chuck Schumer's district, these pieces of human slime can cause the death of hundreds of people by holding relief hostage so the Kennedy Center can get their cool $25 Million of OUR money, and there is absolutely NOTHING we can do about it.....

There are people who want to sue China for withholding vital information about Coronavirus and crashing global economies everwhere....and yet, no one wants to SUE WASHINGTON for playing with people's lives and livelihoods in much the same manner. Why? Because we have no remedy to do so.....not without a revolution.

Why would we ever expect a politician to change their behavior when they have a cushy system that allows them to act with impunity? Oh...and line their pockets at the same time.

a reply to: CIAGypsy

Americans don't seem to have the option to elect reasonable administrators.

It always comes down to a choice of the two worst possible candidates.

That isn't choice.

a reply to: chr0naut

You are correct....so, as a citizen, what do you do about it? People have thought for years that we only have 2 options - Republican or Democrat. Ross Perot proved them all wrong. I'm not saying good 'ol Ross was a great candidate or should have won...what I'm saying is that he thumbed his nose at the status quo and, at least, TRIED to do something about it.

Most people do not have the resources to "overcome the status quo" the way Ross did.... But we are Americans. We have ingenuity on our side. We have innovation on our side. Collectively, if enough people refuse to accept the status quo and make an active plan to change it, we could accomplish anything....

But typically this fails because:

1. People are not persistent or committed enough to see it through
2. Most people will follow a leader, but don't want to be a leader to drive the necessary changes.

The fact is: They had a low teens (or less) approval rating ... since forever.

I wish there was a Constitutional provision that said if their approval rating was that low, they just have to be kicked out lock, stock and barrel. Vote in a new batch four years later.

a reply to: CIAGypsy

Solution is simple..... a few thousand people drag these political criminals out onto the street and hang them on light poles for all to see.

In the past lynch hangings were very effective against murderers and horse thieves.

Politicians are more dangerous than horse thieves and murderers.

A couple of years ago, I served on an organization where I was representing the interests of several other companies which were not owned by me in any way, shape or form. More than once, I was asked to vote on measures that would hurt my own company but could be helpful or foundational to the other companies I was supposed to represent. Without fail, I always voted for what was ethical and right for the people I served.... Taking the ethical/right road isn't always easy. I'm not saying that it is or should be.... But it seems that Washington, as a whole, has forgotten (or maybe never cared) that they are there to do a job for the PEOPLE they serve, not themselves, not corporations or special interests....for the people and the Constitution.

a reply to: DeathSlayer

Solution is simple..... a few thousand people drag these political criminals out onto the street and hang them on light poles for all to see.

Don’t talk about it, be about it.

a reply to: chr0naut

Same story pretty much anywhere in the world I have heard of...

a reply to: CIAGypsy



I think Mary Shelly expressed crowd rage mentality well in "Frankenstein"

Ok...so what can we do?

a reply to: CIAGypsy

This is why TERM LIMITS should be imposed on career politicians. We HAVE to change the president every 8 years, whether good or bad. Should be the same for members and congress or the senate, but THEY would have to vote on that and NOT ONE would agree to do it. So we have Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff, Maxine Waters, etc...

Couple that with power corrupts, and the longer you hold power the more corrupt you become. We need term limits in congress and the senate!

a reply to: CIAGypsy

But typically this fails because:
1. People are not persistent or committed enough to see it through
2. Most people will follow a leader, but don't want to be a leader to drive the necessary changes.

3. The people of this country are so divided right now, it's hard to get more than a small group of people to be of the same mind about anything, let alone stand up against a borderline tyrannical government.

a reply to: CIAGypsy

The Senators are worried that some may get more in unemployment benefits than what they normal earn, and yet they are able to give themselves pay raises. What a bunch of dildos.

originally posted by: CIAGypsy
a reply to: chr0naut

You are correct....so, as a citizen, what do you do about it? People have thought for years that we only have 2 options - Republican or Democrat. Ross Perot proved them all wrong. I'm not saying good 'ol Ross was a great candidate or should have won...what I'm saying is that he thumbed his nose at the status quo and, at least, TRIED to do something about it.

Most people do not have the resources to "overcome the status quo" the way Ross did.... But we are Americans. We have ingenuity on our side. We have innovation on our side. Collectively, if enough people refuse to accept the status quo and make an active plan to change it, we could accomplish anything....

But typically this fails because:

1. People are not persistent or committed enough to see it through
2. Most people will follow a leader, but don't want to be a leader to drive the necessary changes.

If the citizenry were to concentrate less on the 'personalities' and more on the policies, then I'm sure that they would choose better administrators who perform better.

I once suggested 'blind elections', where the candidate wasn't known but where the people voted on actual policies (where there was a point of difference). In that way, candidates themselves are almost interchangeable and organizational platforms are selected by function rather than advertising.

Things like the left or right leaning, and other partisan issues become irrelevant and the point of governance comes to the fore.

Probably also if a platform has a record of good governance under the policy, then that could be part of the promotional effort.

Probably too radical.

originally posted by: RickyD
a reply to: chr0naut

Same story pretty much anywhere in the world I have heard of...

And it is impossible for us to learn and change?

a reply to: chr0naut

It truly appears to be the real pandemic. Your country is no better or worse than any other...they are all the same behind the curtain.

originally posted by: RickyD
a reply to: chr0naut

It truly appears to be the real pandemic. Your country is no better or worse than any other...they are all the same behind the curtain.

We have not had a single death yet, even though our government took too long to act (like so many others), so, there's that.

a reply to: chr0naut

You also live on a tiny island and have a tiny population...does that mean you have a good government or good pandemic planning?

originally posted by: RickyD
a reply to: chr0naut

You also live on a tiny island and have a tiny population...does that mean you have a good government or good pandemic planning?

Several islands, not an island. 3.41 times the population of the state of Hawaii, and 9.3 times the land area of the 8 islands that make up the state of Hawaii.

But that is a digression. We have only had 205 cases in total, so perhaps we haven't seen any deaths because of the small infected population, however, statistics show 1 death for every 70 infected in the US. In China, 1 death for every 25 infected. In Italy, 1 death for every 10 infected. In Germany 1 death for every 181 infected.

But time will tell. I think we have been lucky so far, and last night, we went into nation-wide lockdown (everyone, except unfortunate vital workers such as me, must stay at home for four weeks and no travel, even within the country).

So, we'll see.

a reply to: chr0naut

Hopefully you are luckier than I am and your government doesn't drown its citizens in debt over what keeps appearing to be a very small number of people seriously effected by this virus.

I hope it stays that way too, no deaths is a good thing. My state (Michigan) has twice your population and we've had 43 deaths and around 2,250 cases so far, that's a 1:52 (ish) rate as of today.