IT'S A MESS!

So much is happening at once. Is there a connection?

The problems with the environment - Global warming
The War in Iraq
The devaluation of the dollar
The price of oil/gas skyrocketing
A world food shortage
Our economy in turmoil

Seeking alternative fuels has resulted in using food grains contributing to a shortage in food.
Cutting down the rain forest to make room to plant grains for alternative fuels is increasing the problem of global warming. It is also displacing people in the process.

The economy suffers from the burden of the war in Iraq that has caused extensive borrowing and devaluation of the dollar.
The war and threats of new invasions that would affect the supply of oil/gas has caused prices to skyrocket.

Instead of cutting back on consumption of fuels, we work to continue the glut that has created many of our problems and in the process we are creating new problems.

Right now there is an election in process. I’m trying to determine which candidate, if any, will be able to solve any of these problems.

Abe, I fear that it will take much more than the efforts of any one person to fix all the woes we face. Unfortuntely, I don't see any one candidate who has my faith that they can do it. It will probably take a global effort for many of the problems to at least be lessened.

I think the short answer is that one candidate is not going to solve all of those problems; partly because as you aptly point out Abe, these are global problems. Global problems take discussion across cultures and between people. Given that some of the popular American candidates are ready to scrap NAFTA I don't know how they think they will manage globally. Oh right, they won't. And we've all seen what happens when one or two independently seeming governments try to take the upper hand and influence what is happening globally.

Charlton Heston could have sorted it all out in about 103 minutes.

Love the way you think, lin!! I was a great fan of his.

Yeah before Charlton Heston got kinda weird I loved him too. But in all seriousness, there is no answer. We're so out of touch that to be in touch is, well, not happening in our life times. It's like the clip Shelagh sent about this great poem that sums what and who we are quite nicely... http://www.ernestcline.com/spokenword/dance.htm

Yeah Pam, everytime I saw that chariot race in Ben Hur, I kept waiting for the wheel to come off. Eventually it did.

Zada, Pam, Lin,
Why is it that we can recognize the problem and those who can do something about it, don't?

Let's suppose that a presidential candidate would be required to honor all the things that he/she promised during the campaign. And that they would be required to show that there was progress on at least 50% of what they promised during the first two years of their administration. If not, they would be required to resign.
If we could find a way to wipe out all the BS and evaluate a candidate on what could honestly be expected of them, it would make a big difference in our votes.

I think it's a lot more doable and simple than that.

Outlaw spending money on campaign advertising. The electoral district issues a handbook with candidate's statements and background, debates are sponsored at grass-roots level, the press picks everybody apart.

And we don't end up with people whose qualifications are that they can finance a campaign and beholden to the people who paid for their run.

Abe on the surface that appears to be a damned good idea - a report card so that we can honestly measure what the goobers are up to. Is it possible?
In Canada we have a similar system for investment brokers. Checks and balances in place to look after the little guys cheques and balances. Unfortunately the system was funded by the banks. That meant that the brokers got very wealthy, lots of clients became very broke, and nobody seems to be able to do a damned thing about it.
Can the American electoral system be fixed? Who's gonna look after it? I don't ask the question rhetorically or looking for trite answers. I really mean..."who's gonna look after it?"

Personlly, I prefer a more radical plan. Actually, a plan A and plan B.

Both predicated on my theory that anybody who wants to be president of the US should not be allowed to. They are obviously either nuts or dangerous megalomaniacs.

Plan A -- a draft. We take the names of people who have actually proven they are not crooks and idiots and can run something successfully in the real world and put them in a hat.
It continually amazes me that a country that produce Ted Turners and Lee Iacoccas and Bill Gateses and Colin Powells ends up with presidents you wouldn't trust to walk your dog.

So we get all these qualified guys and give them numbers and have a big national drawing with door prizes and stuff and whoever gets picked has to be prez for 4 years for a dollar a year and if they screw up or lose money they go to jail.

If you can do it to nineteen year old boys, why not 60 year old dudes?

Plan B -- Central casting. You just have auditions and hire somebody who looks presidential and is a good, inspirational figurehead. That's what presidents are for anyway, actually. They aren't supposed to be out picking wars and stuff.
They are supposed to be radiating confidence and bringing a crowd to its feel clapping and sobbing by sticking their right fist in the air or smiling.

So we end up with presidents like Heston or Warren Beatty (remember I said they don't have any actual political power? kind of like the Queen) or Tom Cruise or James Earl Jones...people we can BELEIVE IN.

I really mean..."who's gonna look after it?"


Well, I'm kind of expensive and picky, but I CAN be had.

Lin,
I like Plan A.
If people didn't have to "run" for president, put themselves up for ridicule, disgrace themselves, etc., you would find good qualified people to be president.

Abe, I truly believe that we can see it because we aren't the ones being paid to NOT see it!!

Who wants to admit they inhaled? Be picked apart by the media? Admit to being not exactly saint material? That is why so few run who are actually capable.

Plan A works for me, although without the dollar a year. A living wage is fine, and reasonable.

Lin I'm not sure I can nominate a skull and sombrero, but I too can be had...especially where there are good door prizes involved.

Pam wrote:

Yeah before Charlton Heston got kinda weird I loved him too. But in all seriousness, there is no answer. We're so out of touch that to be in touch is, well, not happening in our life times. It's like the clip Shelagh sent about this great poem that sums what and who we are quite nicely... http://www.ernestcline.com/spokenword/dance.htm

This is a link to the video I sent to Pam on facebook. It's worth watching:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=TsPw649qN9I

What's a living wage for Bill Gates?

I don't need any more than a steenking sombrero, gringo! I've been had by experts.

Lin it would depend on whether you nominated the actual Bill Gates or you nominated a Bill Gates...who just might need a salary, you know, to pay for groceries or a good book for his kids...

I would propose a reality check for anyone seeking public office.

They would have to spend two years with no income, living on the streets with no help from family or friends. Many of these politicians claim to be 'normal' folks like the rest of us, but I bet none of them have ever wondered how they were going to pay the rent, or where their next meal would come from.

It would do them all good, and maybe they would have compassion for those around them. Maybe they would even be able to balance their checkbooks!!

You're right Zada,
most politicians have never held a regular job. They don't know what it's like to struggle to make a living. They all come under that security blanket provided by the government. Good health care,a guaranteed pension, etc. These are the people who make decisions about things they know little or nothing about. And who's to blame? We are. We should not vote for anyone who cannot understand the worker. We usually put rich people into office who will protect their way of life and provide security to their other rich friends. They are power-hungry people who will say or do whatever is needed to get the job, and once they have it, they will do what they want. That's where accountability would help.

I'm not talking about anybody hurting for money. My whole point would be to have presidents who actually know how to lead people to success. Find 'em, cut 'em out, draft 'em and make 'em turn things around.

Lin, my point is that those who have not come from 'common' people who have had to scratch for a living, have no idea what their laws and rules do to the 'common' man. They only know how it affects them.

There is also the argument that those who have very little might be much more corruptible by money coming in from big business and lobbies that have the $ to buy support.

Gone are the days when it was an honor to hold ofice in this country. Now it is just another job. A well paid, benefit packed job. And once you are in, you are basically in, with lifetime benefits.

I would not be at all surprised to see a revolution by the people of the US against their government in my own lifetime. Although I would never support acts of aggression by the people, I would certainly understand it. I know many who are angry enough to be involved in something like that.

I don't know about a revolution, because the government controls most of the firepower of the country, and I don't think they would hesitate to use it. Especially when the people doing the revolting are the poor, the weak and the disenfranchised. The people who run this country don’t need us, they don’t want us, they don’t think we are good for anything except to perform the lowest manual labor, and they would kill us all without hesitation.

There is something else that I have been giving some thought to lately, and preparing for, just in case.

First scenario.
Obama loses to Hillary and is not picked as the Democrat nominee.

Second scenario.
Obama beats Hillary, becomes the Democrat's nominee, and then gets beat by McCain in the general election.

Third scenario.
Obama beats McCain in the general election, becomes the President, and some crazed Booth or Oswald comes out of the woodwork and assassinates him.

If either of the above scenarios come to pass, and the fact is that at least one of them will have to, I think there is a good chance that there will be widespread riots, destruction of property, many deaths, and terror in the streets of almost every city in America. I think there will be fighting in the streets or neighborhoods everywhere, and it’s almost a certainty that martial law will be declared. However, with so many of our national guard in Iraq, I wonder if there will be enough left to prevent or control the situation. I don’t think anyone will be safe, and to me it is a wise thing to begin making preparations as soon as possible. By the way, that guy in the line ahead of you stockpiling food and buying ammunition will be me.

Don, I have already done my shopping. What took you so long?

Is it any wonder the politicians want our guns?

I think they are preparing as well.

Zada, I didn't take so long to get ready, just to announce it.

I think you're right, they are preparing, and they know it's coming. Think I'll hold on to my sidearm(s), long guns, and hunting knives just in case.