my_government_is_corrupt 1_1 And I can't do anything about it. 070115 ... Lemon_Soda I'd say individuals in our government are corrupt, not the whole of government itself. If that where the case we'd of overthrown it by now. 070115 ... u24 hey! me too! 070115 ... sameolme A corrupt government need not fear a properly sedated populis. Just ask Bush. Our government relies on political passivity. 070115 ... security we_the_people_have_failed 070115 ... god it's unanimous 070117 ... pete government is legitimised corruption, though that begs the question: what is corruption without legitimised structures for it to corrupt away from some shiny ideal? 070117 ... tourist Government seems More Like The Giant Flaming Head Of The Wizard Of Oz to Me. Bellowing Commands "Silence Whippersnapper!" Promising Rewards "I Have Every INTENTION Of Granting Your Requests" Placing Conditions On The Populace " But First You Need To Perform A Small Task To Prove You Are Worthy" No Matter How It Started Out Government Has Become Smoke And Mirrors It's The Man Behind The Curtain We Really Need To Be Watching. 080812 ... Strideo "I Have Every INTENTION Of Granting Your Requests!" "But First You Need To Vote For Me So I May Continue As A Career Politician!" How could we expect anything but corruption when the politicians are more concerned with getting back in office than in making good policies for their nation? It just devolves into a competition to see who can buy the most votes from their constituents by either making promises or diverting tax money to projects in their home districts! "We don't need to repair roads and bridges! Here! Have a new stadium! Here! Have a new National Yarn Museum!" ... 080812 ... dosquatch In the big picture sense, it may not be the best for the whole when money is diverted for that yarn museum, but when the do so they are answering the call of their constituents. They are representing the desires of the people they represent. They are actually doing their job. Inadvisable, perhaps, but that's not any more corrupt than the common man. At least the politician is pandering to the whims of others. Far worse, a politician who is NOT accountable to the people over whom he governs, and is pandering only to his own desires. Here there be dragons, down THIS path true corruption lies. 080813 ... Strideo Maybe so. They say uneducated voters get the government they deserve. ... 080813 ... tourist Even If The Whole Bailywick Wasn't Being Stolen By A Corrupt Banking Cartel, And All The Votes Cast Were Truly Tallied, The Fact That The Majority Of The People Entitled to Vote, Don't. And As A Result We Are In A Situation Where All The Politicians Are Elected As Second Runners Up, Out Done By A Vote For Apathy, Or No Confidence. At Least On The National Level, Participation MAY Be Greater In Some Local Elections, Especially Where Some Referendum Is On The Ballot That Gives At Least The Illusion Of Direct Democracy. But Before I'd Put Much Stock In My Representative Backing The Will Of The People For The Yarn Museum, I'd Want To Make Sure That Their Pockets Weren't Stuffed With Money From The Knitters Guild And The Textile Consortium. If They Check Out Clean, I'll Agree With The Theory That They Are Just Doing Their Job. Just Follow The Lint! 080813 ... . everything is corrupt. shoulda stayed in the jungles. 080813 ... dosquatch Though, to be fair, lobbyists throw a kink in the works. Far too often, politicians end up voting special interest noise rather than will of the people simply because the special interests have the deeper pockets. And that's NOT how it is supposed to be. 080813 ... unhinged we have a capitalist government not a democratic or even republican one sad_but_true no_bid_contracts for companies that are in the pants of prominent politicians for example there are more billionaires in the u.s. everyday which also means there are more people below poverty level everyday cutting the middle class off at the knees and wondering why there's a recession when it's me me me mine mine mine give back to the community? aghast gasps me give some money away to people who need it to eat? no never i don't even get angry anymore because this society is beyond hope greedy fucking backstabbers every single last one that claims to be a 'good american' 080813 ... hee hee why don't you wave a flag and look ridiculous on purpose then :) 080813 ... jdude i said something and someone said something like 'and the cave tubles down around you 080814 ... j_blue 'tumbles around you' 080814 ... j_blue i was governmentally critical 080814 ... j_blue i'm frightened and unsure how concerned to be 080814 ... j_blue by someone i mean blather 080814 ... tourist Inflation Is No Mystery, The Government, Asks The Federal Reserve Banking Cartel To PRINT More Money, Which Is Then LOANED At Intrest To The Government To Cover It's Deficit Spending. The Value Of This Currency Is Based On Nothing Other Than The Debt It Accrues, It Is A Promissory Note. As You Add New Monetary Units Into The Supply Of Capital This Way, The Value Of ALL Existing Units Is Diluted (Like Sitting At A Bar And Ordering A Round Of Drinks And Having The Bartender Add More Ice To Everyones Glass) As For More Billionares, I'm Reminded Of An OLD SNL Skit Where Jimmy Carter Is Talking "Infation Is Everybodies Friend! We Can All Be Millionares! I Can Just Call Up The Fed And Say, "Hello Fed? This Is Jimmy, Roll Off A Few More Twenties!"" It's So Preposterous That It's Funny, Yet Politicians Still Use Tricks Like Stimulus Checks. I Used To Struggle To Understand The Economy, It Seemed Like It Was Too Complicated and Didn't Make Any Sense, But It's Dirt Simple, Yet So Outrages That Most Of Us Still Don't Believe It As It's Happening. I've Been A Socialist Leaning Outsider Most All My Life, Conservitives Had Always Been Bullet Headed War Mongers, Greedy Protectors Of The Status Quo. It Wasn't Until I Started Seeing The Ron Paul Revolution Signs That I Started Checking Things Out A Bit More Closely. I Don't Know IF There Is Any Hope For This System, Not When People Are So Easily Distracted, But If You've Got A Moment, Check Some Of This Out, On The Other Hand Ignorance IS Bliss. 080814 what's it to you? who go blather from