Step 1 to bring the US into the First World Nations Campaign Financing

The US wasn't kicked out, it flunked out, and in many different subject areas. It needs some time in the minor leagues or remedial classes before it tries to compete at the First World Nation level it seems.It really needs to improve in infant health, general health care, education, ethics and honesty, lowering crime, reducing prison populations, closing its income gap and other areas.

---

Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!

I agree with you Dr. A. However, it shouldn't be that difficult for responsible voters to find out which candidate is in which corporation's pocket. But, when it comes to voting responsibility, Americans tend to be "hyper-lazy". So I would suggest that candidates wear suits like racing car drivers which have all their corporate patches attached. Not my idea, I saw bill maher on larry king wearing such a suit. Our American election system is such a game show system now, I really don't think it would be any less dignified than it is now.(Not sure how to post an in-line photo, so I updated my avatar. If you are still seeing my old avatar, you may need to update your cache.)I appreciate that new election ideas or laws or regulations are considered to help our nation. But really, when only half the population bothers to vote, Americans really do get the type of government we deserve.Edited by dronester, : typo

I don't know that quite all of those things (ethics and honesty?) are part of the consideration for first- vs second-world nation classification.But regardless, the era of American exceptionalism is now in the past, and most of the country is absolutely certain that the Emperor is still wearing clothes. Ask just about anyone on the street about those topics and they'll almost certainly tell you that America has the best system for each...and they'll still try to deny even when you show the numbers proving that America isn't even #2. Then they'll tell you that what works in other countries won;t work in America, because America is..."different" somehow.It's frustrating. A major cultural change is necessary to bring us to the point where we can even seriously address those problems. Right now, only a few people are yelling about it, and the voting public barely listens.

I included ethics and honesty for a couple reasons.First, to be considered as an equal, a partner, other nations need to know that they can trust the US to live up to its commitments made in treaties, pronouncements and agreements.Unfortunately the US has a long history of NOT living up to its commitments.Second, citizens need to know that their government is NOT lying to them. Again though, the US has a long history of doing just that.

---

Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!

Even if they all did, there's a psychological difference between looking a fact up once and having your nose rubbed in it repeatedly. The technique that works for impressing lies and propaganda might well be equally successful if applied to facts. This forum has no rule against hotlinking. So:(1) Right-click on the image you want to use on the original website where you saw it.
(2) A box will pop up. Copy the internet address after where it says "Location:"
(3) Paste this address into the EvC reply box.
(4) Put img tags around the address --- like the qs tags around quotes, only with img instead of qs.
(5) Enjoy.

There is also the argument that without campaign finance reform it probably doesn't matter who you vote for. Both Republicans and Democrats are in the pockets of insurance companies, so does it really matter who you vote for if you want a single payer system or real healthcare reform? One of the things that sickened me was that Obama went to the insurance companies to get the OK on healthcare reform.Yes, american voters are apathetic towards voting, but can you really blame them?

Of course.

---

Check out No webpage found at provided URL: Apollo's Temple!
Ignorance is temporary; you should be able to overcome it. - nwr

I am unsure if that would be true. As we have witnessed on the forum, some people make choices based only on fear. Often IRRATIONAL fears. Alas, fear IS sometimes a darn good motivator! Conversely, I think truth is generally not so fearful, so perhaps truth wouldn't be as motivational or successful.Thanks for the hotlinking instructions. But in this case I couldn't locate a similar photo, so I quickly photoshopped the avatar and re-uploaded to my profile. Perhaps if I uploaded the photo into Flicker or something similar, then I could hotlink it.

The end result: Americans get the government they deserve. Maybe a good topic for a new thread, going off-topic here.(Ever political, Coyote will probably be the OP) Edited by dronester, : snark

Hi, Jar. I've got to be honest with you, Jar: this has the feel of hollow political rhetoric.It sounds really pathetic to me to hear an American complaining that life is so bad that they must not even be living in a developed country.For example, look at this table. It shows the 2010 Human Development Index, which incorporates income, education and life expectancy. The USA is ranked #4. This one puts us at #8 in 2004.I find it hard to believe that a country can be the in the top ten on the planet in terms of human development and somehow still not make the cut for First World. You must believe in a pretty small First World that essentially includes only Scandinavia and Australia.Anyway, I don't want to detract from your discussion on campaign financing, but I just don't see how you can honestly think things are this bad here. Is this a common opinion?

---

-Bluejay (a.k.a. Mantis, Thylacosmilus)Darwin loves you.

Do you think he got the OK? American health insurance companies spent millions in lobbying and advertising against the American Care Act.Does that strike you as a reasonable reaction to a massive health insurance giveaway? Does that sound like they gave Obama "permission"?Where does everybody get this stupid idea that the ACA is a huge giveaway? The mandate? The mandate is the only way it could have worked, and the mandate is hardly a sweetheart deal for the insurance companies; the new customers they're going to get as a result of the mandate are the exact "customers" they didn't want and deliberately priced out of the market - the ones who are already sick and need expensive care in advance of significant premium payments.

Well not in any sense that would be beyond the tendency for humans to be stupid. That would be like blaming your cat for not being able to file your income tax form. One of the glaring signs of the stupidity built into us is just the mere fact that Advertising Works. That campaigns can be actually HELPED by robo-calling is so disastrous! It's like INSULT ME MORE! You want Campaign Reform? I like the idea of FREE TV appearances for all candidates - BUT - Hello, they, the dudes you need to convince, are the very same big time heavy thugs that are using all their whole body weight to drive in the painful varied screwdriver devices deep into your guts - and you, holding up your paper towel tube of cardboard against them, granted to you by your "liberal" segment of this government, are now asking them to change their tools to toilet paper? Sorry - it aint gonna happen. The Evil Empire has already won.We, the intelligentsia & caring, have to eke out our lives on this planet by living between the interstices. If we get in their way, if we merely create enough noise for them to notice, we are dead for less than a mere 5 dollars American. But the spaces between the interstices of their power lines are large enough to eke out a quality life. Here. And many other places. Not all, but many - so the idea of helping out those who are not in such places is STILL A DAMN GOOD IDEA. The more there are people who think for themselves on this planet, the better it has to be. Fairy tales are nice....here's another fairy tale:The Modest Proposal, in the spirit of Jonathan Swift's work of the same title:Get rid of voting. Voting panders to the Stupid in us as a species. Democracy has FAILED in being the form of government that best suits the ideal of ridding the world of injustice, poverty, disease, misery, while at the same time promoting good stuff. It has Failed. Considering how much better it is than all other forms employed upon the world so far, this is indeed a very dismal thought.Look at how Jury Duty is done here in the US. Random draw. A very long long time ago the Greek Senate picked their President this way (of course they had a totalitarian view on who could be a citizen and who could thus become a Senator in the first place).I propose that we replace all elected offices with a system built up from the way they pick jurors here in this country....here's how it would work:Level 1: Jury duty as is.
Level 2: from the pool of people who have served jury duty, select by random the next higher office, perhaps your town selectmen/women.
Level 3: from the level 2 people select by random again, the city councilors or mayor if a small town. The idea is that each level represents more citizens in a hierarchical manner.
Level 4: State Representatives.
Level 5: State Senators.
Level 6: Mayors drawn at random from level 5, local.
Level 7: US Representatives
Level 8: US Senators
Level 9: ...maybe by now, the President?Each prospective candidate for selection will have served a term of their current level. The person selected for President will have served 8 levels (assuming this model is still the model in effect) of experience dealing with all level of government - so they will be Qualified.No money is in this system other than that which would be punishable criminal activity of a very egregious nature too painful to consider.If you don't want to participate beyond jury duty, that's okay. You can always get off the bus. Each salary level is perhaps determined by the level below vote.If you get caught doing anything wrong while you are in office, you are OUT for good.

---

- xongsmith, 5.7d

All forms of government are a failure. I do not like the American democratic system; I voice my opinion by not voting; I accept full blame for my decision, but I don't regard myself as stupid.Jon

---

Check out No webpage found at provided URL: Apollo's Temple!
Ignorance is temporary; you should be able to overcome it. - nwr