Marc2b
Posts: 6660
Joined: 8/7/2006
Status: offline
|
quote:
In reality, I am wholly uncertain that the government -is- a better arbitrator, but technically, it -is- supposed to be the voice of the free people. As such, the "government", technically, IS you, and me, and Joe Blow with the hungry kids, and my sick companion... "Of the people... by the people... for the people..." so technically, the voice of the free people IS reflected, through the electoral process, in the government.
Technically. But government is concentrated power – always a dangerous thing. That is why I favor a limited government and why I get ornery whenever I encounter a mindset (real or perceived, I’ll grant) who response to every problem is “we need a law for this or against that.”
quote:
See, everyone acts like the government is some 3rd-party entity... a stranger, stealing from our pockets and giving what it finds to someone else -- but we ARE the government, and if we're not, then I strongly believe that it is our own apathy that put us in that position.
Throughout history – it seems to me – the vast majority have been apathetic so long as the were fed and entertained.
quote:
Purely pragmatically, I find that our current government is a profound disappointment to me -- but it is all that we have, and its PURPOSE is to serve its constituency -- if it isn't doing that, then it is up to -us-, the constituents, to make that happen.
It is a profound disappointment to me too (but not a surprise, giving the nature of the human race). The bugaboo, of course, is that different people have different ideas of what “serve” means.
quote:
The American people chose last November -- then, instead of seeing the choice through and standing up for the concepts that they wanted, they just sat back down in their easy-chairs and waited for change to happen without bothering their little corner of the world.
No, actually, some of the American people chose last November. I think much of the apathy comes form the fact that nothing really ever changes. The parties switch back and forth between who is in power and subsequently their views on certain topics. “Dissent is un-American! And… what? We lost the election? Er… I mean… “Dissent is the highest form of patriotism!” People just get worn out by the constant hypocrisy and bullshit.
quote:
Am I disillusioned with the current American Monarchy -- you bet your ass. But I haven't been sitting on my hands about it, either. I've been active, and have bugged the crud out of my representatives to the point where I'm betting that they don't want to hear another thing out of me and mine -- but that is part of what is -required- so that the government that IS the voice of the people can -be- the voice of the people.
The reason that things are the way they are, and special interests own our voice is because so few of us have paid attention for the past 50 years. My solution is to use the tools we have to do what good I can, and that INCLUDES the government that I am paying for, and which was -created- to make sure that I -have- a voice, despite the reality that I am not one of the Middle-of-the-Road Americans.
It’s good that you are involved and I applaud that but I am more of a believer in local action. For example: poor kids going hungry upsets decent people. Such decent people can pour their energy into demanding a Federal response (essentially saying: “We demand that you force somebody else to do something!”) with all of its attendant political posturing and corruption or you can take local action to organize food drives, community gardens, etc. There is an old bumper sticker saying: Think Globally, Act Locally. I’d say that’s about half right. I think we should start out by thinking locally. Perhaps if everybody did that (right after monkeys fly out of my butt) the world would need so much government intervention.
quote:
Do I think that the Government needs to stick its nose in some of this stuff? Well, now that I've had LOTS of time to hash it out in my head, my answer is an unequivocal YES, because my government is supposed to speak for -all- of its constituents and protect and serve -all- of its constituents, and that includes the damned poor, homeless, uninsured, underpaid, pagan, gay, kinky members just as much as it does the corporate, gold-washed, squeaky-clean, moralistic, fundamentalist, green-power, ivory-tower members. Democracy does -not- mean "majority rules", even though that's how its' been treated for far too long! Democracy means that -someone- gives a voice to the people who would, otherwise, not have one... and makes it -stick-.
But if the government makes its stick then you don’t have a democracy anymore. Ultimately I’m with Winston Churchill that democracy is the worst form of government – except for all the others.
_____________________________
Do you know what the most awesome thing about being an Atheist is? You're not required to hate anybody!
|
RE: Minimium Wage Rant - 
Profile
I get to be the Dom, though. 
New Messages
No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages
Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages
Locked w/o New Messages
Post New Thread