This is my first post, be gentile.
Disclaimer: This post may offend. I can only hope it will. Oh, and I'm a terrible speller.
It has come to my understanding recently that we live in what is known to a large part of the world as a representative democracy, which is, to my understanding, rule by people over themselves through elected representatives. Correct me if I'm wrong.
If this is the truth, then there is something horribly wrong. People don't vote for people to represent them, they vote for the person that they think they might have enough in common with such that the elected folk will vote for what the person would vote for. So, the elected person is elected to represent themselves, and the person voting just hopes that the person that thinks the most like him will be elected. Although, in the end the elected official usually ends up doing what THEY think will be best for the country, and for whatever lobbyists are under them.
So why do people vote again?
Listen current and future congressmen and women and the presidential candidates, I am not saying that this government is the best one that can be achieved, but while it is around shouldn't we at least honor it enough to abide by it. You are elected to represent the people. Not yourselves. Sometime the people are stupid, sometimes they want something that you might not think is best for them. Sometimes they want an end to a war. But, in the end, it doesn't matter if you think it is a bad idea to stop the war, if you think it is a bad idea to cut taxes, it doesn't matter what you think at all. You are elected to represent, not to think. If you were elected to think, hopefully you would have much higher credentials in government running than most of you do today. This may not be the best system, perhaps we should train people to run the government like Britain, but that isn't what we do. We elect representatives.
But really, it isn't all that crazy. The people may not know what is best for the future many times, but they usually know what is best to make them happy in the present. So if the people want to go out of Iraq, then you should let them...if it is truly a democracy, then they wanted to go in in the first place, and it is their decision to leave, not yours. Of course, maybe it isn't a true democracy then. Let's say it is.
Think of it this way, if lowering taxes is bad for the country, and YOU know it is bad for the country, but the people want taxes lowered. Then lower it. It will make them happy, and in the end if you were right (haha go you!) then guess what the people will want then. Higher taxes. All you have to do is keep them informed. Let the people know why you think things, but DO what the people say they want. You might have some bumps along the road, but by god you will have a happy country.
All in all, I don't give a crap what the people being elected think. That should not matter so much. What should matter is the extent to which that person is willing to listen, really listen to the people and do what they want. Talk to the people, they will gladly talk back. Have public meetings. Let the White House business be known to the public, for it is the public for which is paying for it, and who hired you. The public is YOUR boss, that's what it is to work in government. The lobbyists may pay for dinner, but we pay for your paycheck.
Stop shrouding yourselves in mysteries, stop taking yourself off Google maps, stop lying, just stop. You aren't the boss, we are. And to the public: if your government is not serving you, then fire them. You deserve better.
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the reason poloticians act the way they do is they want to accomplish something in their term, and they have to accomplish what they feel is what is good for the people. because if they listen to everyone who wants a say in the decisions they have to make they would never stop argueing and compromising. at some point a decision has to be made and the person elected has to make it. i like your thought on how things happen though. in alaska they want to move the capital from juneau to anchorage. now some want it to be moved to palmer and some to wasilla, the only real place is anchorage and that has a third of alaskas population. but like you said if the capital moves its because a majority of alaska wants the capital to move. there were people who didn't get a chance to have their city on the ballot but the whole is represented by offering the change. i hipe this wasn't to disjointed but i dont have time to review it(>
No that makes since.
And I'm not saying that listening to everyone is practical, or even realistic, but they have those highly paid pollsters waisting their time worrying about what the election turnout is going to be - something that is completely useless to report on. All I'm saying is it would be nice to put them to some good use and try and figure out what the majority of people really want, and to act accordingly. On a national level if at all possible.
I doubt any of it is possible or is going to happen, but I wish they would stop spouting nonsense about this being a democracy then, and what the founding fathers would want. I doubt that this was their dream. Of course, they weren't right about everything, and they shouldn't be the end-all source of the direction of America. I'm tired of WWTFFD being a motto.
Knowing how a candidate thinks can help in predicting future actions that they will make, and since they don't play by the rules, we use this knowledge to pick candidates that will act in our favor without having to consult us.
Nicholas Aden
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Agreed. Unfortunately, you are right.
"People should be changed by world wars, else what are world wars for?" ~ Voonnegut