Shitty Politicians

[angrychair]

Last edited Fri Jun 28, 2013, 01:26 AM - Edit history (1)

I've made the observation many times and so have a lot of you: "how do we always end up with these shitty politicians?" the answer is simple, "Shitty voters" (see 2010 mid-term elections). People have just forgotten how to be citizens anymore. We love to say it, we love that sticker on our chest "I Voted". We love to wave the flag. We love to shout "USA! USA! USA!" during the Olympics. While all these things are fine, they don't make you a citizen in the true sense of the word. Doing those things no more makes you a citizen than the lazy bastard melting into his coach, cramming Cheetos into his blow-hole while screaming obscenities at "Celebrity Apprentice".
To be a citizen requires something special, active participation.
Knowing that the presidential candidate married his high school sweetheart and his favorite color is redwhiteblue means nothing. What does matter? What would make you a good citizen? Knowing your state senate candidate's position on state medicare funding means EVERYTHING. Knowing the city council candidate's position on rezoning public land to for-profit business use means EVERYTHING. Knowing each presidential candidate's position on EVERY issue that matters to you and understanding the differences means EVERYTHING. If you say you will vote for the guy with a "D" after his name because you heard him say "something about civil rights or gay rights or save the whales" or if you vote for the guy with the "R" after his name because he said something about "family values and used the word God and money in the same sentence" than, in either case, you get what you deserve: Shitty politicians. On the other hand, If you want good government, be a good citizen.

[kyeshinka]

1. Nicely said!

The 2010 elections were decided by shitty, angry, awful voters, but I think it won't happen again. That demographic is finally--mercifully--literally dying off. It's time. This country won't have much of a future if the younger generation can't get a chance to reset what is a failing, disastrous course.

[bemildred]

2. The problem is not "shitty voters" it is money in politics, i.e. corrupt elections. nt

[angrychair]

3. With all due respect

I have to cautiously disagree. If money really had the final say than our president would not have won in 2008 and there would have been NO WAY for him to win in 2012. Electioneering (redistricting, rule changing and so on), voter ID laws and buying politicians with big PAC money all can all be overwhelmed with good citizenship. Elections are a dirty business and always have been. You should never concede the ground before the battle has even started. Never forget, at the end of the day, there are more of us (citizens) then there are of them.

[bemildred]

4. With respect, take a look around.

When politicians have to raise millions or billions from private sources, they are being bought. Should politicans be bought? Well they are being bought now.

Edit: to be fair, it is true that the US voting public allows itself to be routinely bamboozled, and that were they to stop that they could easily take back control.

But nevertheless our government is very corrupt and long has been.

[Sunlei]

5. corrupt elections and paid, lobbyest bought shitty corrupt politicans. LOCAL "racial gerrymandering*

"racial gerrymandering"*stated last week by the SC Justice.