dakota44

Repubs decry the state of Medicare and forget that one of it's huge budget problems is the legislation they passed under Bush, the Medicare Prescription Drug Act that added more than half a trillion dollars to the cost of Medicare, largely due to the Act prohibiting the Federal government from negotiating discounts with drug companies; a huge gift to their friends at big Pharma. The Canadian government negotiates drug prices, which is why they are so much less expensive for everyone there, but God forbid we do. That wouldn't be prudent, not to mention Socialist, not to mention bye bye to all those huge political contributions and perks from Pharma.

Xebedee

I'm biased too cuz I've witnessed the sheer fu(king carnage engineers can cause in any social gathering.

There has to be some group who would actually make good politicians.......

How about dead people?
or perhaps gypsies?

SultanOfSwing

Maybe not engineers per se then, but there's got to be someone out there who could do a better job of it.

I mean, it's not a difficult concept, is it? Make a promise, get elected on the strength of that promise, and once elected KEEP THE F**KING PROMISE.

Am I asking too much?

anotherlimey

lol, there's actually a personality group for politicians (I recall it from a college course); it's basically the people who can change their behaviour to suit the people around them, i.e. slimey gits. Everyone else is too honest or too smart.

Sarah

http://whatthe****hasobamadonesofar.com/

dakota44

Interesting.

sir_eccles

Isn't it like the joke about teachers? "Those who can do, those who can't teach". Or a cross between that and Catch-22.

If you actually want to be a politician (as many of the current lot seem to be "career politicians") you should be barred. The people who should be politicians are clever enough to know that's a bad career move. The people actually qualified couldn't care less. And the people that can actually afford to run for office are usually born into wealth.

dakota44

The problem is that voters too often don't want the truth. They want what they want, so the majority of politicos give it to them, in spades. Constant pandering to interest groups and trying to be all things to all people. It does not work. To paraphrase Lincoln. You can please some of the people all of the time, and all of the people all of the time, but you cannot please all of the people all of the time.

SultanOfSwing

I still feel short changed but I suppose that's what you get for listening to a politician.

I'm probably still going to vote for him but really it's just a lesser of two evils. In 25 years time we're probably still going to be a nation in debt, paying over the odds for healthcare and education while haemorrhaging millions of $$$ of some other unjust f**king military action. Most of that isn't his fault but I thought he was going to bring 'change'? I suppose he's still trying to remove Bush's knob from America's arse, perhaps once that's done things will improve

I remain a cynic, and I probably always will. I wonder if the Chinese will allow me to be one when we're their bitches?

Xebedee

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." Thomas Jefferson

I'd say the buggers who really pull the strings and aren't answerable to those promises you hear have hit on a pretty clever and cunning plan.....

* Keep the majority fat and happy - or at least distracted with promises of shiny things which will make them happy.
* Add to that a moderate amount of fear of poverty and security (more distraction).
* Keep them isolated (work, work, work & tie them to their jobs)
* Wrap the whole thing up in a flag (very clever bit, that)

So, basically - yes. Without causing "a lot of fuss", I'm rather afraid it might be asking too much. Sorry pal.

Anian

The reason that there are so many unqualified politicians is because there are even more unqualified voters.

dakota44

Politics is like being crucified. Good people avoid it because who wants every little detail of their life out there, and some 501 group, or whatever number they are called, running ads that misrepresent the facts, or out and out lie, and push polling that suggests you have views that you don't. It is a ridiculous process that would destroy people with lesser egos.

SultanOfSwing

I thought so. Bollocks.

Nail. Head. Hit.

SultanOfSwing

The difference is, I had many teachers in school who enriched my life, taught me many interesting things and generally made class fun.

All politics ever does is make me taste vomit at the back of my throat

anotherlimey

Check out Inside Job - sometimes becoming a politician, or one of their appointees, can make you a lot of money!