"545 people" By Charlie Reese - former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper.
Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.
Have you ever wondered why, if both the Democrats and Republicans are against deficits, we have deficits?
Have you ever wondered why, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, we have inflation and high taxes?
You and I don't propose a federal budget. The President does.
You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.
You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.
You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.
100 Senators, 435 Congressmen, one president, and 9 Supreme Court justices - 545 human beings out of the 300 million are - are directly, legally, and morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.
I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.
I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a president to do one thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept of reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.
Those 545 human being spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this comman con regardless of their party.
What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.
The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? She is the leader of the majority party. She and fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want. If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over it over his veto if they agree to.
It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million can not replace 545 people who stand convicted - by present facts - of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.
If the tax code is unfair, it is because they want it unfair.
If the budget is in the red, it is because they want it to be in the red.
If the Marines are in Iraq, it is because they want them in Iraq.
If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it is because they want it that way.
There are no insoluble problems.
Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish, to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy", "inflation", or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.
Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.
Originally posted by whodeyInteresting, but totally wrong.
"545 people" By Charlie Reese - former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper.
If the tax code is unfair, it is because they want it unfair.
If the budget is in the red, it is because they want it to be in the red.
If the Marines are in Iraq, it is because they want them in Iraq.
If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement ...[text shortened]... le, it is because they want it that way.
Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.
Those 545 people are told what to do by a small group of very rich and powerful individuals. The aspirations of this small group out-weigh the necessities of the average populace.
Once again we have an example of someone actually thinking democracies, voting, etc. was brought in to being for the average Joe.
No, no, no.
These institutions were brought into being to serve a small group of people who wanted more power for themselves and to shift it away from inherent rulers (kings, etc.).
By helping the average Joe think he's got a say in the matter (and by bombarding him with this message from the day he was born), the average Joe doesn't feel the need to rebel or do what the small ruling elite did in the first place, which is to take control of the situation and shift power towards himself.
"Throw them a bone and they'll do your bidding."
- Someone from the ruling classes -
Originally posted by shavixmirThe point of the article is that Big Brother only does what Big Brother WANTS to do. You are arguing that Big Brother wants to please Big Wall Street. If so, so be it, however, it still boils down to Big Brother holding the responsibility for doing what they want, whatever that may be.
Interesting, but totally wrong.
Those 545 people are told what to do by a small group of very rich and powerful individuals. The aspirations of this small group out-weigh the necessities of the average populace.
Once again we have an example of someone actually thinking democracies, voting, etc. was brought in to being for the average Joe.
No, no, ...[text shortened]... .
"Throw them a bone and they'll do your bidding."
- Someone from the ruling classes -
Originally posted by shavixmirNobody has a gun to their head. Now if you equate throwing money at them to having a gun to their head then that is your business.
No.
I'm stating that "Big brother" (by this I'm still presuming you mean government) does what it's bloody well told to do.
So, in effect, you see government as an extension of the corporation? Really, the President is just the CEO, is that what you are saying?
Originally posted by whodeyHow do you know what's being held against their heads?
Nobody has a gun to their head. Now if you equate throwing money at them to having a gun to their head then that is your business.
So, in effect, you see government as an extension of the corporation? Really, the President is just the CEO, is that what you are saying?
The president isn't even a CEO. He's a front.
As more and more people got the vote (free citizens, slaves, women...), the more democracy became a gimmick.
Obviously the tactic worked back in the days (of the Romans, the English empire and the creation of the States), but nowadays one would need a whole new approach to taking power away from the powerful.
As soon as you participate in the democratic system of government, you are forced to sell out and become part of the system. It's inherent. You need to start a new system to override the old. Much like "democracy" was... back in the day.
Originally posted by shavixmirSo explain to us how we can get back to the "old way". In fact, are there examples of world governments in which you do not see the flaws?
How do you know what's being held against their heads?
You need to start a new system to override the old. Much like "democracy" was... back in the day.
Originally posted by whodeyThe old way was a king appointing whoever he wanted and everyone paying "Him" to do whatever "He" wanted.
So explain to us how we can get back to the "old way". In fact, are there examples of world governments in which you do not see the flaws?
You'd want to go back to that way? Surely not.
