tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9924834.post1930224442406140613..comments2024-03-14T08:21:24.575-04:00Comments on Island Voice: Democracy, Rise and fall of in AmericaEveretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05992573194167721951noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9924834.post-62505142405232024252007-12-05T22:44:00.000-05:002007-12-05T22:44:00.000-05:00Oh, Ron Paul - also called Dr. No - lives just dow...Oh, Ron Paul - also called Dr. No - lives just down the road from Tom Delay south of Houston, Texas. He's a freaking wing-nut with no chance to win the Presidency. For gosh sakes, he tried to abolish the US Department of the Treasury! <BR/><BR/>He's raising a ton of money because everyone hates the Republican and Democrat candidates, as he seems to stand for a more libertarian and freethinker kind of person.<BR/><BR/>Hey, like him, give the poor old gynecologist some money. I doubt you'll get to vote for him though.Samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06904821424581969401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9924834.post-50261141281728561952007-12-05T19:03:00.000-05:002007-12-05T19:03:00.000-05:00You want change...check out Ron Paul.http://youtub...You want change...check out Ron Paul.<BR/><BR/>http://youtube.com/watch?v=8Hfa7vT02lA<BR/><BR/>Don't beleive the people who call him wacko, judge for yourself.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9924834.post-54193953449169082442007-12-03T21:00:00.000-05:002007-12-03T21:00:00.000-05:00Let's try this one first: a politician should not...Let's try this one first: a politician should not be allowed to become a lobbyist for 12 years. <BR/><BR/>Sure, I know what you're after, but lobbying is where millions of dollars is transferred directly to politicians for their private enjoyment. Tom "Mister Hot Tub" DeLay was the master of getting goodies that way. Guess what - he's a lobbyist now!<BR/><BR/>How about that Jefferson guy from Louisiana with hundreds of thousands hidden in his freezer? Stevens from Alaska, the ex-Governor of Connecticut, they're all a bunch of crooks - busted crooks, more discovered every day. <BR/><BR/>About 12 years in and then 12 years out of federal political office sounds good to me.Samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06904821424581969401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9924834.post-34988487876773852982007-12-03T20:37:00.000-05:002007-12-03T20:37:00.000-05:00Ev,You're on to something here. I was watching to...Ev,<BR/>You're on to something here. I was watching tonight's news report and the statistics re: voting statistics and a first step towards sanity is just getting people to pay attention and get involved.<BR/>Hope that this is the rant heard round the world!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9924834.post-66082400118715180082007-12-03T20:03:00.000-05:002007-12-03T20:03:00.000-05:00Ev, approval is down to a whopping 11% and falling...Ev, approval is down to a whopping 11% and falling :-) Yes, term limits are the answer, but there is almost no way I that know of to get it on the ballot... sigh... It would put paid to this crap of 'lives' in politics and never having to hold a real job! Don't get me started!Old NFOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16404197287935017147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9924834.post-37401035806453783842007-12-03T11:44:00.000-05:002007-12-03T11:44:00.000-05:00When I started to put this together, I wondered if...When I started to put this together, I wondered if I had the force of will, energy, or stamina to keep it going and to carry it on. And even if I could figure out how to get it out to the public at large, not just here on BI. I am able to sit here and pound on this thing all day long, but because I'm getting OLD, I don't think I would want to actually be the front man, organizer, group leader etc., but would certainly go to a meeting and help out in any way possible. Guess I'm what some people would call 'all show and no go'.<BR/>PS haven't seen the Sicko movie and never will. I can't stand that dude!!Everetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05992573194167721951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9924834.post-79900058534099316072007-12-03T11:01:00.000-05:002007-12-03T11:01:00.000-05:00I'm not sure what you think about Michael Moore's ...I'm not sure what you think about Michael Moore's film "Sicko" but he does address a similar concern. In this film he points to the contributions that the pharmarcy and health care lobbyists bestowed upon our politicians. The effect was both shocking and alarming. <BR/><BR/>In sync with your own call for civic responsibility, Moore spoke with a retired (British) member of Parliament. In this interview the retired politician noted that democracies fail when citizens abdicate their responsibilities to call the government to accountability. He noted that "fear" was an effective means of silencing the critics of any government. Meaning, that when people are afraid- terrorism- bad mortgages- unemployment- etc. they tend to towards sheepishness, rather than call for reform.<BR/><BR/>I was just re-reading the 1980's book--Habits of the Heart - a polticial analysis of individualism and democracy in the US. Back then the writers proposed that should the citizens of the US succumb to the busyness and cares of the modern world, it would imperil the effectiveness of democracy, by defaulting to what the authors termed a "benevolent administrative" model of government. What the authors viewed as a pull towards this model of govt. - twenty years ago- seems to be rather functional at this point.<BR/><BR/> The authors of HH stressed the importance of getting involved-as you do- but were aware of how so many folks are overwhelmed by family and work demands. Add to that the fear factor that may be at work, and the challenge to get involved seems rather daunting. <BR/><BR/>I agree with your "call to action" but wonder how to address the underlying factors that may have discouraged or even paralyzed civic participation in call the government and politicians to accountability. Sometimes it even seems to plague island politics as people debate whether they have the time to get involved or not.<BR/> <BR/><BR/>Just wondering what you think?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com