Ovelook for a moment the whole voting system problem. Are We The People represented in DC?

[Stinky The Clown]

I am neither ignoring nor minimizing the flawed system of casting and counting our votes. But set that aside for a moment and look at something even more fundamental.

Do you think the people are represented in government?

[slackmaster]

1. The only people truly represented in government are career politicians and their financial backers

:argh:

[truedelphi]

13. As well as the lobbyists. n/t

[mmonk]

2. Only if we the people means artificial persons on paper.

[Hotler]

3. Not one fucking bit. Next question. n/t

[Autumn]

4. No n/t

[alsame]

5. Well, a majority of Americans wanted a

public option,

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/21/health/policy/21poll.html

want to get out of Afghanistan,

http://www.juancole.com/2011/01/taliban-getting-stronger-as-us-public-support-for-afghanistan-war-collapses.html

want to preserve Medicare/Medicaid/SS and increase taxes on the upper 2%

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/53455.html

Just based on those few issues, I'd say it's clear we are not being represented.

[socialist_n_TN]

14. And there you go.........

Short answer, NO! Eventually, this WILL fuck with the PTB. You can only ignore 60+% of the population so long before things explode.

[Ignis]

22. Great points.

:thumbsup:

[madinmaryland]

6. No.

[The2ndWheel]

7. I think it's pretty much impossible to adequately represent

over 300 million people at the same time.

[socialist_n_TN]

15. Do you think it would be possible to adequately

represent 180,000,000 or more of them?

[The2ndWheel]

18. Nope

I mean you could add more seats to congress, but there aren't even enough hours in a day for what we have now.

[socialist_n_TN]

19. So if 60+% of the population wants certain policies.........

We should just suck it and not expect ANY representation?

[The2ndWheel]

20. I would not expect representation, no

We have so little direct say in these policies, but so many different opinions on them, that I think it's difficult to expect to be adequately represented in the creation of the policies.

[socialist_n_TN]

24. You realize what happens historically

when people have no representation, don't you? BTW, I think that the opinions are not so many and so different. Leftish policies are supported by 60+%. Yet we have NO one (or at least no majority) in our Legislature supporting these VERY popular policies. And apparently not at the WH either.

[cali]

8. I am.

but my state only has 600,000 people.

[Javaman]

9. No, and not have been for a very long time. nt

[jtrockville]

10. Absolutely not.

[TheKentuckian]

11. Hardy har har!

Representation is for the wealthy and multi-national corporations.

[bvar22]

12. !

Who will STAND and FIGHT for THIS American Majority?
"By their WORKS you will know them."

[socialist_n_TN]

16. And this answers Stinky's question EMPHATICALLY.....

As above, next question? Mine would be where do we go from here?

[bvar22]

21. That is THE question.

The strategy of voting for Democrats simply because they have a "D" after their names
has brought us to this point.

There IS a Progressive Caucus, and they have released a budget I can support,
but this wing of The Party has been so successfully marginalized by the Centrist New Democrats that they are irrelevant.
The Centrist leadership of the Democratic party won't even acknowledge that there IS a Progressive Budget plan.



"There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans.
I want a party that will stand up for working Americans."
---Paul Wellstone


"By their works you will know them."

[socialist_n_TN]

25. Historically, this type of lack of representation

has NOT had good outcomes. I've been pragmatically a "reformist" Marxist for most of my life, although philosophically I come down on the revolutionary side. Has reformism stopped working for the majority?

[librechik]

17. sadly, no

because it costs so much to run for office, the only people our reps can pay attention to are contributors, and large-money contributors especially. So get out your wallet if you want representation--or demand public finacing of all elections.

[Phoenix63]

23. Public Campaign Financing is the solution

to many of our ills.

I believe it was Mark Twain who said something to the effect of "I won't vote for the person who wants to be elected. I will vote for the person who has to be dragged kicking and screaming into the job".

He had a strong point. Very few people enter politics with altruistic intentions anymore. It's all about power and money.