Can we learn something from China?

[Jeremiah65]

http://www.washingto...-life-sentence/

Read the article, but in a nutshell...

Bo Xilai has been sentenced to life in prison for corruption, bribery and abuse of power. Now I am not a huge fan of China's form of Government, but I do believe that when corruption leaks into the instutions that are supposed to make things fair and just...then you have a problem.

The question is, is there anyone among us here that is beyond corruption? Is there anyone that could investigate and prosecute the unjust and corrupt in our society? We love our greed and we love to say that everyone has a price. Do we have it within us to rise up and put the betrayers, the traitors and the corrupt where they belong?...Behind bars?...to the gallows?

When I see a country like China do something like this, I have to tip my hat to them. There was a time in our country that we had principles and rebuked and punished those that violated them. I am thinking Theodore Roosevelt for one...put down the "Robber barons" and created the anti-trust and monopoly laws...

Have we completely lost those principles of right, justice and goodness? I am beginning to think we are corrupt and wicked from top to bottom...poor to rich..."As long as I get mine, eff everyone else"...

Edited September 22, 2013 by Jeremiah65

[questionmark]

Well, it might be a shining light if the guy was not being brought to trial because some politicians (who are just as corrupt as he is) feared the charismatic regional leader.

The only thing we can learn is: Thank god we are a democracy.

[Jeremiah65]

Well, it might be a shining light if the guy was not being brought to trial because some politicians (who are just as corrupt as he is) feared the charismatic regional leader.

The only thing we can learn is: Thank god we are a democracy.

I wish it was a better indicator than what it is....but it did make me wonder about our great Republic and our democratically selected representatives.

We have so much "wrong" that going on that no one is doing anything about.

I was watching a report on farm subsidies and it made me sick to my stomach. Not because I don't think that "real" farmers shouldn't get a hand every now and then...but because people that aren't actually farmers are getting this money....Michele Bachman gets a farm subsidy...for instance. Is she "really" A FARMER?....I actually do not know...but something tells me she would not know how a scythe works....

ETA....

The farm subsidies is just one of the lesser talked about...we are talking about shutting down the GOV in a week or so over Obamacare....which I hate btw....BUT...is this really wise? We have became completely dysfunctional....this is what worries me...the wealthy get handouts, the poor get less....services we pay taxes for are being reduced and suspended....we have to do something about this soon...

Edited September 22, 2013 by Jeremiah65

[questionmark]

I wish it was a better indicator than what it is....but it did make me wonder about our great Republic and our democratically selected representatives.

We have so much "wrong" that going on that no one is doing anything about.

I was watching a report on farm subsidies and it made me sick to my stomach. Not because I don't think that "real" farmers shouldn't get a hand every now and then...but because people that aren't actually farmers are getting this money....Michele Bachman gets a farm subsidy...for instance. Is she "really" A FARMER?....I actually do not know...but something tells me she would not know how a scythe works....

ETA....

he farm subsidies is just one of the lesser talked about...we are talking about shutting down the GOV in a week or so over Obamacare....which I hate btw....BUT...is this really wise? We have became completely dysfunctional....this is what worries me...the wealthy get handouts, the poor get less....services we pay taxes for are being reduced and suspended....we have to do something about this soon...

I have been saying for a long time that politicians should be liable for the damages they cause by their action and inaction.

[Jeremiah65]

So what do we do? I am all for a house cleaning (and Senate too!). I am a big fan of a small Gov, but I expect the one that is there...taking our money....to be a functional institution. I think the Fed Gov has became a giant revenue devouring monstrosity...an abomination (an Obamanation?...haha...my funny....sorry).

I want to see the states once again being able to do things for themselves...bonded roadworks, social programs that they (the people of that state) agree upon. It has functioned before and can function again.

When the Fed takes money from every state...pools that money...and then divvies it out by extortion...I have an issue with that. I understand some states need the help of their neighbors...it's not a perfect system, but it is what it is. The Fed using that money to strong arm states into compliance has to stop.

But back more on topic...

We know that big money is destroying elections...even if it is just the barrage of paid for campaign ads that sway public opinion...it is damaging. We know that 'too big to fail" has equated to criminals and gamblers (using innocent and unwilling people's money) are not going to be charged or face trial...this is not good...this is corruption.

Edited September 22, 2013 by Jeremiah65

[questionmark]

So what do we do? I am all for a house cleaning (and Senate too!). I am a big fan of a small Gov, but I expect the one that is there...taking our money....to be a functional institution. I think the Fed Gov has became a giant revenue devouring monstrosity...an abomination (an Obamanation?...haha...my funny....sorry).

I want to see the states once again being able to do things for themselves...bonded roadworks, social programs that they (the people of that state) agree upon. It has functioned before and can function again.

When the Fed takes money from every state...pools that money...and then divvies it out by extortion...I have an issue with that. I understand some states need the help of their neighbors...it's not a perfect system, but it is what it is. The Fed using that money to strong arm states into compliance has to stop.

But back more on topic...

We know that big money is destroying elections...even if it is just the barrage of paid for campaign ads that sway public opinion...it is damaging. We know that 'too big to fail" has equated to criminals and gamblers (using innocent and unwilling people's money) are not going to be charged or face trial...this is not good...this is corruption.

It is not just big money, it is also that some without money have been converted into mouthpieces for big money.

The only solution I see is to make the cross under "Others" the next few elections. But I doubt there is the political will for that.

[Jeremiah65]

Wow Q-mark....are we having a moment of agreement here? Nice to know!

I totally agree. The "two party paradigm" must be tossed out the window...but so many people refuse to research and learn. I learned a few years back when I got really disillusioned with the Bush era republicans....they were not representing me and I had basically put up with the Repugs since I was eligible to vote. I had enough with the Bush second term....the party was no longer my party.

I started research and I researched alot. I found the Libertarians...not because they were "the hot thing" back then but because their core system was very similar to mine...more than all the others. Ideally there would be a party perfectly inline with me but since I can occasionally have paradoxical views,....that was not going to happen.

People that believe in "a moral backbone" and still believe in the Constitution....well....they will prob love the Constitutionalist party over the Repugs...

democrats that feel that the Dem party has been sold down the river....might like the Green Party...

Those of us that believe Gov is supposed to protect our borders, provide infrastructure and facilitate commerce only...well you will prob like the Libertarian party. I do not agree with everything in the platform, but I agree more with it than I do the others out there.

The only way to break the two party paradigm is education. I try...but even I am biased...I try to sell Libertarianism...and always will. But even beyond that, I see the need to break free of the Dems and Rep's...they are becoming our undoing....we need tom get the word out and get people searching and learning....there is prob a party out there that represents more of your interests....you just have to find them.

Once we break the two party lie...we might make a step forward...

new political parties are growing....Libertarianism just happens to be the fastest growing and the one I agree the most with....it isn't perfect either. But there are alternatives now because more and more people are beginning to question things and think outside of the two party box....this m,akes me happy.

We can overcome this people...but you need to use that social media thing and reach out to people....tell the people to open their eyes and their minds...and we can reclaim our great experiment...we can save the Republic....the very thing the ancient Greeks fought and died to teach us about...

[Drayno]

We can learn something from Iceland, who imprisoned their bankers and politicians.

[Gromdor]

No, because of American exceptionalism, we know that everything we do is right and everything other counties do is communist, socialist, islamist, or some other -ist. And no I am not being sarcastic.

[Jeremiah65]

No, because of American exceptionalism, we know that everything we do is right and everything other counties do is communist, socialist, islamist, or some other -ist. And no I am not being sarcastic.

Ya know....I laughed at first....but that is sooo very right it is disconcerting....

We still believe we have the best system ever...and in "theory" it is....but....the theory passed away and the loopholes came....the religious "-ist" do not bother me as much as the political "-ist"....

I am not a towering icon of intellect...I am not a genius....last I checked, I have a 137 IQ (which last I checked does not qualify as genius)....not terrible but not remarkable....I think 1 in 10 have an IQ of over 150... so....I consider myself maybe just a little bit better than average...but not exceptional.

How do we get the bulk of people to understand they are being played? They are being manipulated...in a nutshell....they are being lied to in one form or another...a lie of omission is still a lie.

So many refuse to think for a moment that their gov is really no longer their gov....it is a private institution of people looking out for an even smaller group of people....this is not what we were founded on. BUT....the sheep just keep voting in the terds...McCain...Graham....these warmongers want to kill your children in the name of arab oil deals....does this not offend you?

I guess not cause Arizona and South Caroline keep electing these b*ttholes year after year....time to put them out to pasture....maybe send them right to the glue factory....they are NOT your friendly community representatives...they stopped representing "Joe Average" ages ago and your dumbed down and distracted @sses have totally missed it

[Gromdor]

The hardest part of curing an addiction is getting the person to realize they have a problem.

[questionmark]

The hardest part of curing an addiction is getting the person to realize they have a problem.

The problem in this case is that among the majority of those who actually vote there is a complete ignorance about other "non-communist" parties. They just don't seem to exist in the classical cafeteria discussions. And if they do they confuse them with Nazis or Socialists.

[Jeremiah65]

I'm railing in a thread here and there about the lobbyist and the "bought and paid for" representatives.

How can any human with a pulse and an IQ above wheat not miss the fact that McCain and Graham are warmongers? They want to kill your children.

That might sound harsh, but it is a fact...."necessary collateral damage"....

I dispute that....I say....no collateral damage.

How about this....why don't we just do as "the old good book" says and designate a battlefield....you take your army and I take mine....swords and shields....maybe a phalanx...and fight it out and the one with the last man (or men) standing....wins....why not just do it on a chess board?

We fight and we kill because someone long-long ago said it must be this way and yet my brain says there are other ways to deal with disputes aside from killing innocents...

Oh my....and the black SUV's appear.....

[Jeremiah65]

I hate that so many people are ignorant....they just do not understand the systems of governance around the world and they do not understand why some are good and some are not so good.

I look at the nations within Africa and I am slack jawed and speechless as to why they cannot come to a decent agreement that would stop the killing...I mean....they don't talk about this stuff on the news very often unless it furthers an agenda....but these poor ass people suffer...well...constantly...and we do nothing.

We got involved with Kosovo....we did our bit in the meltdown of eastern Europe....why? Oh my....if I told you my thoughts....you'd think I was a lunatic. But think for a moment...the killing in Kosovo....Serbia....etc....was far less than the death tolls of Africa....yet there we were....the great "big daddy going to fix it"....and we do nothing for the people in Africa facing the same thing daily....

Same could be said for regions in central and south America....I had a friend....well, he worked for me....his name was Carlos and he was from El Salvador.....the shiz these people deal with would blow you away...but it is never hardly reported. He said it was because outside of drugs there is nothing in ElSalvador the USA is interested in....I wonder how much truth is there?

[Kowalski]

[Jeremiah65]

LMao.....Burt....I love that pic!

We have been so facked over....I hope one day our justice system quits being a tool for the elite and actually brings us justice

[aztek]

he most likely stepped on toes of other politicians, that is why they punished him, no way he'd be in jail otherwise. they are all corrupted.