I'm quickly coming to the conclusion that it doesn't matter

who wins the nomination, and perhaps even the White House. Our governmental leaders, both Republican and Democratic, don't govern. They turn that job over to lobbyists and PACS and cronies. It's more important for all the remaining candidates on both sides, it seems to me, "to be President than it is to be right" (meaning "correct.")

So, we win in November. What then? Are we going to get single-payer health care? Are we going to stop funding the war? Are we going to go after the war criminals and the war profiteers (the very ones that are funding the candidates' campaigns?) Are we going to deny immunity to the telecoms, when they are funding the candidates' campaigns? Are we going to get affordable prescription drugs, when the pharmaceutical industry is pouring millions of dollars into the candidates' campaigns? Do we really believe that the money going into the coffers of the candidates' campaigns---presidential, Representive, Senate---isn't going to play a role in how they vote and what legislation they will push and what bills will be signed into law?

No president is going to be able to beat the money being used to buy off the legislative branch...especially one that is bought with that same money. Until we get private corporations and other private donations out of politics and have public financing of campaigns---we the people will keep getting screwed.

And, the politicians won't vote for public financing...there's too much money at stake for that.

The economy is swirling down the toilet, the Iraq war will be heating up again soon when Al-Sadr ends the ceasefire, Israel and Palestine will remain at each others' throats, the planet will keep heating up, and our freedoms will keep being eroded.

Call me cynical. Tell me I'm wrong. I hope I am. But, I am quickly losing that hope.

my Senators and Representatives when I write them. And, then they keep on pandering to the special interests.

I guess "being concerned" is a bad thing anymore.

Thanks for setting me straight on that one.

condescending and asinine "thanks for your concern" post.

;-)

points of intervention and to try not to beat each other up in the process.

(I said "try", okay?)

lol

I'm adamantly opposed to Clinton, but will vote for her if elected. I've strongly criticized her, and have even, on rare occasion defended her.

I don't mind strong criticism, but, it's getting personal, and I'm getting sucked into that...and, have decided it's not worth the fight. After all, again, it really won't matter much in the end unless we change the whole paradigm. And, the incentive to do that just isn't there.

And whoever wins in November will get stuck with the biggest financial and international can of crap. Bushco and the Fed did their jobs ... they ruined America for the globalists. Soon Americans will crawl and beg for a totalitarianism regime to calm their fears and tell them what to do and when to do it.

when the POTUS and VP commit high crimes, the Congress looks away.

Welcome to DU.

why else have the Dems in congress done NOTHING to imped the Bushies.

that they'll actually hold this administration accountable.

Rateyes. :D

:D

(psssstt... hey, I mean this nicely, but this thread is kinda makin ya out to be that horse)

I've been told before to fuck myself. And, I'm sure it won't be the last time.

Didn't vote for Nader. And, I hold him largely responsible for giving us 8 years of George Bush.

Oh, well.

So, just do the best you can.

If you're that turned-off by politics, there are local groups you can join to make a positive change in your area.

Don't give up... that's all I'm saying.

we need every good soul we have in this fight...

:hug:

If this was an assured process, we wouldn't be working so hard to affect it.

been doing it for 30 years. I'm becoming disillusioned in the results.

this is no arena for folks with elastic resolve. Get back in there . . . and, fight!

I'm not sure the fight we're in now is taking place on the correct battlefield. I've fought from within trying to change the system. We've lost that fight, IMO.

It's time to get outside the system and replace it with something better. We, the people, need to begin another revolution, or nothing is going to change, IMO.

and, there's also a time for doing what we're able inside the system. That's why we fight for access. Without that access, we really have no chance at all of even considering changing things within the political system.

not with votes, but with corporate money. That's the system that needs changing. And, until it does....

But, I hear what you're saying. And, I hope you're right. I'm fighting this fight one more time. If it doesn't change with a Democratic president and Democratic majority in Congress, then either I'm going to fight in a revolution, or I'm going to stay home from now on.

It has long been decided that your choices in 2008 will be:

A Corporate Owned/ AntiLABOR/ ProWAR Republican

OR

A Corporate Owned/ AntiLABOR/ ProWAR Democrat

:woohoo:

But "your concern has been noted."

...But I think you're absolutely correct and it's the goddamn corporate media who've played the decisive role.

Voters had some real alternatives this time. Between Kucinich, Gravel and even Paul, people could have had the rare experience of voting their hearts, consciences, self-interests and party affiliations at the same time. But that wouldn't be the American way.

So, seeing these possible threats to the status quo, mass media stepped in early on and removed these dangerous radicals from the playing field, labeling them "unelectable," making them objects of ridicule and keeping them out of the public eye whenever possible.

A politically significant percentage of Americans have been taught to purge their minds of important issues like REAL universal health care, ending US military and corporate aggression around the globe, dealing somehow with the massive debt and trade imbalance Bush has piled up, figuring out some way to avoid another 1929-class depression, shifting scarce federal money to programs that actually help Americans rather than those that efficiently murder Arab civilians... And all this while halting and, ideally, reversing the ecological meltdown heading this way within a few decades at most.

But nobody really wants to hear that kind of doom and gloom stuff. It's too painful for people subsisting on an intellectual and cultural diet of perky morning network happy talk shows, CNN or Fox for the mid-day news, an hour in the afternoon scanning Vogue for something besides ads, nitwit local news at six, an evening of celebrity gawking and reality show tripe, a couple of reruns of "Cops" for some excitement, Dave or Jay to calm things down and finally, an Ambien to dull the grinding pain long enough to permit a few hours of fitful sleep before rising and resuming the same dreary, empty life once again.

It's life experienced as a passive consumer rather than as an active participant, and it has a way of keeping the peasants docile and compliant.

So yeah, I don't think anything's going to change in any measurable way. The massuhs will continue to amass more money and power; the debt slaves will continue to sink into economic and spiritual hopelessness; the middle men will continue to siphon off their traditional share; and mass media will always be there to tranquilize, soothe, calm and numb Americans into a coma.

Canada anyone? Or maybe France, Spain, Costa Rica, Sweden...?


wp

On edit: moor tpyos

You've nailed what I'm thinking right now.

You went from eloquently to bluntly speaking the truth! :rofl:

I went into this election season hopeful and optimistic, but now I'm where you're at. Nothing will change. It was the same during the 2006 election season and look what happened. Nothing. Shrub and Darth are never going to be held accountable for ruining 2 countries: this one and Iraq. As long as the politicians in Washington are drawing a good paycheck with regular raises, covered under a wonderful health insurance plan and have retirement plans most of us would kill for, they won't rock the boat and risk losing an election until they're ready to go to work as a lobbyist. The whole system is corrupt and the average American is only important when they want your vote and your $$$.

. . . or, that the act of changing the party in power in the WH won't stop some of the abuses and threat from this administration and its republican enablers in Congress. There is NOTHING more dangerous and self-defeating for our party and our Democratic advocates than settling on apathy as a response.

yesterday, and guess who wasn't there?---Rep. Jim Marshall, who is the Democrat who represents this district. I guess he felt the need to stay away from his constituents. He's a DINO who voted against SCHIP, and continues to support Bush's war---out of political considerations. That's what we're up against.

He's been acting as Mitt Romney's valet and it's the best work he's done since I've moved to New Hampshire.

My sympathies. :rofl:

at the end of the day, all politicians are the same. They all lie and they all want your money. What they do to effect our lives is virtually never ever realized by the average citizen. The only thing you can ever count on, is your taxes going up and the reps increasing their pay.

I was very idealistic when he said this to me. I knew he just had to be wrong. I knew it in my heart.

Now, lo and behold, I'm at that age, roughly, of my dad, when he told me those words.

Sadly, I now agree with him. My idyllic intentions haven't left, only suppressed by a gamed system of fake elections, appointed presidents, house leaders not doing their jobs and our voice never being heard.

My countless hand written letters being answered by form letters.

My protests being quarantined to "freedom of speech zones"

my face photographed and saved for a later date to haunt me.

my phone is tapped, my internet is tapped.

my freedoms removed.

And all the while our "elected reps" refuse to hold anyone responsible.

I, the worker bee of america, will continue to grind the wheat, while the dollar falls and food goes up and the dollar declines and my savings vanish before my eyes.

In any other country, people would be rioting, but here, we are fat from the memory of what was and still basking in the false glow and lying to ourselves that things will get better.

But honestly, just for things to get back to "bad", from our current state of horrible, will take an enormous effort on the part of the American people.

but when people refuse to do the hard work unless forced to do so, it's going to go from horrible in terrifying very soon.

you and I are close in age.

Blackflag fan by chance? LOL

:D

But, if you want to do something that actually does something to improve the world without either..try this: http://kiva.org/

Thanks.

no matter that it no longer serves our needs. That's why I have this:

:popcorn:

You see, I'm one of the younger generation, and I haven't known a time I wasn't screwed by the system, or blamed for the way the system works("These young kids don't participate!"). Damn straight, we do. We're told that our ideas "won't work."

So you know what? If Americans are happy being a bloodthirsty empire, who am I to argue?

When you finally get fed up with getting f***ed up the a**, come see me. I have some ideas that might interest you.

ready to listen.

But you and I are in the minority. Welcome.

We'll need a few more people to join us in our understanding that the system is not salvageable.

Since I can't search DU without a donation(would, but disabled relative and I need every penny we have), you have to look up my "perfect candidate creator" post. Google wouldn't cough it up for me :evilgrin:

I have very much the same feelings toward things these days. When you start to realize the full extent of the corruption and just how much the system is rigged in favor of the corporations and other big money interests, and against the vast majority of people in this country as well as the world, well, it doesn't do much for one's moral to fight. But fight the good fight we must, otherwise things will only get worse.

become the "front runner"? With the corporate controlled media that supports her. Get ready for the dynasty.

now exists only to transfer wealth from wage earners to the investor class.

As a member or the former, I expect nothing.

of a bank run or could everybody's credit cards be turned off - like for a week or two?
What would it be like for you?
What's really going on in the banks?
Nah. Couldn't happen here!
Days like today bring out the negative.

If they did that, the whole country would grind to a halt. Not that they couldn't or wouldn't, but expect police out in riot gear when they do.

.

Those who do, like Kucinich, are "unelectable". You want leadership? Look in the mirror. Then get busy.