I keep seeing they or them as the cause of all of our problems.
POLITICIANS. They are to blame for so much. Well we did it.
Our experiment in government is for the people by the people. We put them in office and we can vote them out. Call them out and boycott companies that bribe them.
We can vote them out, but the system of seniority is very important to each state, and that is one reason that they become entrenched in office. Term limits would help to stop this, however, there is a much more important issue that needs to be solved. That is the amount of money that each incumbent accumulates during their term in office toward their re-election. This money comes from the companies that pay to have the "loyalty" of the particular congressperson to vote for what is best for that business. In other countries, this isn't allowed, and since the Supreme Court has ruled that it is OK, then the only way that will change is if the congress reigns in itself. We all know that isn't going to happen. The longer that they stay in office, the wealthier that they become. Today, many office-seekers are from the same family or have family ties that help them get elected and stay in office long term. California is one example that comes to mind, however, there have been others, such as the Cuomo's of New York, the Rockefellers of New York, and other states, the Kenedy's of Massachusetts, you get the idea. Read this:
As Gavin Newson becomes governor of California, he's writing a new chapter in the saga of four intertwined San Francisco families.
calmatters.org
BUSINESS and the RICH. Our economy is based on supply and demand. We allowed the big box stores to sell us cheap crap while killing the little mom and pop shops. Then we complain about walmart and dollar general.
There are still lots of Mom & Pop shops left, and my wife and I are one of them. I started with one store and built it up to 5 stores, and then when it became too much for me to handle, I brought it down to 2 and then to 1, and we have been in business for 49 years. I know of a lot of Mom & Pop shops that are still going strong, but you have to put out the effort to do so. Today way too many people don't want to put the effort into being their own boss. They rather work for someone else than put in the effort to succeed in business. When I started out, I didn't have much money, and it was a struggle for the first 5 or 6 years, but slowly I successfully grew the customer base and to this day, we still have a very loyal customer base that supports us. We sell primarily Made in USA goods and do our best to shy away from offshore companies that don't produce quality products.
As Americans we are pretty much self centered. Keep the same politician in office because your party told you so or do the hard work and try to change the guard.
I don't agree that we are self-centered, but all too many people that go to the polls don't know much about their representatives beyond what they see on television. They also have a blind eye to what their favorite party stands for on both a local and a national basis, and just vote along party lines. I have long said that women voters will always vote for the most photogenic person that is running, especially for national office. I can clearly remember when John Kennedy ran against Richard Nixon, and I successfully predicted the outcome of that election long before any of my friends and colleagues.
As to the economy. I hope we are not already screwed to the point of no return. We can not compete with slave labor but we will buy their products. This has to stop.
I plead guilty to shopping at wally world and big box stores.
I don't think that we are screwed but I do know that the way that things are going right now in Washington, it does look quite bleak for the future. There is no doubt that we are headed into a recession, and that the governing parties don't feel the pain the average American has paid the high cost of living and fueling their car. I am old enough to remember 18 cents a gallon of gasoline, and I can clearly remember in 2000 paying $2.00 a gallon for premium gasoline. A couple of days ago, I paid $5.35 for a gallon of unleaded gasoline with 10% corn alcohol. Alcohol was tried in the 1920s as a substitute for 100% gasoline, and it didn't work well then, and it still doesn't work well today, 100 years later. Using agriculture to grow crops for fuel takes food crops out of production, leading to higher prices.
