We have met the enemy and he is us! Poll

SamIam · 10-20-2010, 01:37 PM

A while back the Politics forum was so filled with controversy and juvenile (but nasty) name calling that some folks wanted that forum to be removed from the Cellar. Many others simply stopped posting here.

I wonder if some of the enmity here is a reflection of the US political system as a whole - politicians call each other every name in the book, no real dialogue occurs between parties and factions. I am that close to "stopping posting" by refusing to vote in the national elections.

There seem to be a number of threads that pertain to this idea, but I was gone for a while with my computer to the Electronics Recovery Center - an excellent 12-step based outfit for recalcitrant machines.

I digress. My apology if this material has already been covered, but take the poll! I'm curious to see how you all would vote.

Oh yeah, you can make more than one choice if you want to confuse the issue even further!

classicman · 10-20-2010, 02:50 PM

Thanks - I took 2 choices. I probably shouldn't have taken the poll just now because I'm passed pissed off about it. They are all friggin liars, cheats and thieves.
Eff them all - D's R's I's T's WTFE.

Flint · 10-20-2010, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamIam

I am that close to "stopping posting" by refusing to vote in the national elections.

Not voting communicates no message, but voting ONLY THIRD PARTY does.

glatt · 10-20-2010, 03:13 PM

The best way to send the message is to write in your vote.

SamIam · 10-20-2010, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by classicman

Thanks - I took 2 choices. I probably shouldn't have taken the poll just now because I'm passed pissed off about it. They are all friggin liars, cheats and thieves.
Eff them all - D's R's I's T's WTFE.

Yay, Classic! We actually voted for the same thing (OK, I didn't vote for the shiney thing).

Funny that we could come from such different viewpoints to finally find a common point of despair.

Wanna go get lots of guns and explosives and hide off the grid somewhere in the mountains while we plan our attack?

Pssst! Don't worry. I'm just pulling your tail!

fargon · 10-20-2010, 06:53 PM

I voted for the shiny thing.

HungLikeJesus · 10-20-2010, 09:34 PM

Sometimes gridlock is the best option.

glatt · 10-21-2010, 07:15 AM

I was skimming a short article the other day, and it said that this congress has been more productive than any congress in something like 40 years at passing new laws. They have done a tremendous amount.

So the question about "effectiveness" is really phrased wrong. Congress is extremely effective this year. I think the question is whether they can work together in a bipartisan way to pass laws that are good for the country as a whole and not just some special interest.

Shawnee123 · 10-21-2010, 07:22 AM

What he said.

I couldn't pick any of the options. I just think we are getting more and more negative, and more and more worried that someone else will pee in our spot. I hear bitching, but no ideas. I see discontent, but no action. As I said a couple years ago: we ain't gonna make it when it's more important to be right than to do what's good for the country. Too many would rather stand in breadlines saying "I told you so! HA!" than work together for the betterment of all of us. It's politics as usual, sure, but at some point we are supposed to grow out of the sandbox and get down to business. Meh.

Spexxvet · 10-21-2010, 07:41 AM

Part of the problem is that we tend to vote for our representatives when they do things that are good for us, not best for the entire country. The candidates say "I brought home the bacon". How did they get the bacon? By voting for someone else to get their bacon, which escalates overall spending.

TheMercenary · 10-21-2010, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glatt

I was skimming a short article the other day, and it said that this congress has been more productive than any congress in something like 40 years at passing new laws. They have done a tremendous amount.

So the question about "effectiveness" is really phrased wrong. Congress is extremely effective this year. I think the question is whether they can work together in a bipartisan way to pass laws that are good for the country as a whole and not just some special interest.

Wasteful would be a better description. Big Government is not the answer. Sure they have been productive, productively destructive to our future. The latest scheme is to print more money and have the Federal Reserve feed it to the system to "stimulate" the economy, talk about weakening the dollar. Zimbabwe did the same thing.

Shawnee123 · 10-21-2010, 09:16 AM

I hate that term: Big Government. What does it really mean? Under one party we have less governing entities? HUH? We live in a BIG country, with BIG corporations and BIG amounts of peoples and BIG states and BIG monies...

More rhetoric. As MTP says: working for government small enough to fit inside your bedroom.

When you say BIG GOVERNMENT and TAXES it pisses people off, and they don't even know why. Ragers against the machine but they know nothing about the machine. Sheep.

Meh meh meh. Rinse and repeat.

TheMercenary · 10-21-2010, 09:20 AM

Big Government means expanding and growing government and reaching past the edicts of their elected office beyond the powers given to them in our Constitution. More people understand it as they discuss it and read about it. I don't like it either, which is why I am against it.

Stormieweather · 10-21-2010, 10:45 AM

I think most people have short memories when it comes to politics. Everything that is right/wrong TODAY gets blamed on/credited to those in office TODAY.

It's a pretty thankless job to make changes now whose effects will only be felt years down the road.

If only there wasn't so much greed in the world.

classicman · 10-21-2010, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glatt

I was skimming a short article the other day, and it said that this congress has been more productive than any congress in something like 40 years at passing new laws.
So the question about "effectiveness" is really phrased wrong.

They have passed a large amount of legislation. Agreed. Effective or productive or good? That won't be know for some time.

Quote:

I think the question is whether they can work together in a bipartisan way to pass laws that are good for the country as a whole and not just some special interest.

Thats a whole different can of worms. If the R's gain as many seats as it appears they will, I think that will only embolden them even more.
I'm not seeing that future as bipartisan or productive.

View Poll Results: What do you think about the effectiveness of Congress
Congress has gone over to the dark side and reform is hopeless	7	24.14%
Congress was always corrupt, but the US will survive just like always	10	34.48%
Government can be fixed if enough voters demand a change.	12	41.38%
I see nothing wrong with the current status quo.	1	3.45%
Oh! Look over there. I see something shiney!	10	34.48%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 29. You may not vote on this poll

10-20-2010, 01:37 PM	#1
SamIam Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Not here Posts: 2,655	We have met the enemy and he is us! Poll A while back the Politics forum was so filled with controversy and juvenile (but nasty) name calling that some folks wanted that forum to be removed from the Cellar. Many others simply stopped posting here. I wonder if some of the enmity here is a reflection of the US political system as a whole - politicians call each other every name in the book, no real dialogue occurs between parties and factions. I am that close to "stopping posting" by refusing to vote in the national elections. There seem to be a number of threads that pertain to this idea, but I was gone for a while with my computer to the Electronics Recovery Center - an excellent 12-step based outfit for recalcitrant machines. I digress. My apology if this material has already been covered, but take the poll! I'm curious to see how you all would vote. Oh yeah, you can make more than one choice if you want to confuse the issue even further! Last edited by SamIam; 10-20-2010 at 01:48 PM.

10-20-2010, 02:50 PM	#2
classicman barely disguised asshole, keeper of all that is holy. Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 23,401	Thanks - I took 2 choices. I probably shouldn't have taken the poll just now because I'm passed pissed off about it. They are all friggin liars, cheats and thieves. Eff them all - D's R's I's T's WTFE. __________________ "like strapping a pillow on a bull in a china shop" Bullitt

10-20-2010, 03:13 PM	#4
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	The best way to send the message is to write in your vote. Attached Images

10-20-2010, 06:53 PM	#6
fargon Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: La Crosse, WI Posts: 8,924	I voted for the shiny thing. __________________ Annoy the ones that ignore you!!! I live a blessed life I Love my Country, I Fear the Government!!! Heavily medicated for the good of mankind.

10-20-2010, 09:34 PM	#7
HungLikeJesus Only looks like a disaster tourist Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: above 7,000 feet Posts: 7,208	Sometimes gridlock is the best option. __________________ Keep Your Bodies Off My Lawn SteveDallas's Random Thread Picker.

10-21-2010, 07:15 AM	#8
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	I was skimming a short article the other day, and it said that this congress has been more productive than any congress in something like 40 years at passing new laws. They have done a tremendous amount. So the question about "effectiveness" is really phrased wrong. Congress is extremely effective this year. I think the question is whether they can work together in a bipartisan way to pass laws that are good for the country as a whole and not just some special interest.

10-21-2010, 07:22 AM	#9
Shawnee123 Why, you're a regular Alfred E Einstein, ain't ya? Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 21,206	What he said. I couldn't pick any of the options. I just think we are getting more and more negative, and more and more worried that someone else will pee in our spot. I hear bitching, but no ideas. I see discontent, but no action. As I said a couple years ago: we ain't gonna make it when it's more important to be right than to do what's good for the country. Too many would rather stand in breadlines saying "I told you so! HA!" than work together for the betterment of all of us. It's politics as usual, sure, but at some point we are supposed to grow out of the sandbox and get down to business. Meh. __________________ A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones who need the advice. --Bill Cosby

10-21-2010, 07:41 AM	#10
Spexxvet Makes some feel uncomfortable Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 10,346	Part of the problem is that we tend to vote for our representatives when they do things that are good for us, not best for the entire country. The candidates say "I brought home the bacon". How did they get the bacon? By voting for someone else to get their bacon, which escalates overall spending. __________________ "I'm certainly free, nay compelled, to spread the gospel of Spex. " - xoxoxoBruce

10-21-2010, 09:16 AM	#12
Shawnee123 Why, you're a regular Alfred E Einstein, ain't ya? Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 21,206	I hate that term: Big Government. What does it really mean? Under one party we have less governing entities? HUH? We live in a BIG country, with BIG corporations and BIG amounts of peoples and BIG states and BIG monies... More rhetoric. As MTP says: working for government small enough to fit inside your bedroom. When you say BIG GOVERNMENT and TAXES it pisses people off, and they don't even know why. Ragers against the machine but they know nothing about the machine. Sheep. Meh meh meh. Rinse and repeat. __________________ A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones who need the advice. --Bill Cosby

10-21-2010, 09:20 AM	#13
TheMercenary “Hypocrisy: prejudice with a halo” Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Savannah, Georgia Posts: 21,393	Big Government means expanding and growing government and reaching past the edicts of their elected office beyond the powers given to them in our Constitution. More people understand it as they discuss it and read about it. I don't like it either, which is why I am against it. __________________ Anyone but the this most fuked up President in History in 2012!

10-21-2010, 10:45 AM	#14
Stormieweather Wearing her bitch boots Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Floriduh Posts: 1,181	I think most people have short memories when it comes to politics. Everything that is right/wrong TODAY gets blamed on/credited to those in office TODAY. It's a pretty thankless job to make changes now whose effects will only be felt years down the road. If only there wasn't so much greed in the world. __________________ "First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." - Mahatma Gandhi

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