The American republic has entered the first stage of decline. It has become a totalitarian democracy, a political system described by Israeli historian J. L. Talmon, in which lawfully elected representatives rule a nation state whose citizens, although granted the right to vote, have little or no participation in the decision-making process of government. In every sense of the term, we have a rogue government, which has been hijacked by an oligarchy composed of a self-serving permanent political class, supported by an obsequious press and financed by and beholden to wealthy special interests in order to pursue personal power and profit at the expense of ordinary Americans; the very people who pay the nationâs bills and fight her wars. Politicians buy votes with our money, steal more money from our wallets and then repeat the process. It is a method designed to reward special interests in return for kickbacks in the form of campaign funding and other benefits in order to maintain themselves as permanent political parasites in Washington, D.C. http://www.thepostemail.com/2011/12/23/how-obama-escapes-justice-a-congress-of-whores/
That wouldn't really help much. In fact it would make the government more crooked because they will have to do all the stealing in a few years rather than being able to stretch it over 20 years. Instead of being sharks they became Piranhas. Balanced budget amendment and flat tax would cut their nuts off.
james is right, term limits. You keep getting the same old crap because you got the same old cats in power. Toss them out, get FIRED Up- forget incumbent re election drives upsetting politicians. Time for ABI anyone but incumbents. You have two choices, hot crap and cold crap but their both crap. To show you how unconstitutional our system is in 08 mccain and obama presidential debates on tv Nader shows up to debate and in a bipartisan agreement that lasted as long as a kardashian marriage both agreed to forbid him to speak. We have an electoral system not party system, the electoral system has been hijacked by poth parties. Increase the number of congress people as outlined in the constitution, both parties want a grip on power and keep out everyone else, we need over 4,000 house members, not 435, we live in a nation of 311 million people, time for change.
Republicans passed a balanced budget amendment or law or something in the '80's [that doesn't mean they were ever really for it, they could have colluded with Democrats to blow it up] and Democrats took it to the Supreme Court and blew it out of the water... Republicans would use some bullshit like "family values" to kill a consumption tax or flat tax... Vote Libertarian!! Don't let the talk about "wasted votes" deter you, the Oligarchy plays off the two main parties against each other and uses the Republicans to institute Socialism and the Democrats to preserve their status as a protected class. Votes for either of the two main parties are ALL WASTED VOTES!!
elimination or curtailing of of lobbying and campaign contributions. Combined with a flat tax without loopholes would help as well.
Most states today are right to work, you can be fired for any cause, we demand the same from our overpaid government employees with their oversized pensions, namely CONGRESS, we demand the right to expel them at any time for any reason. Waiting for the next election might have been ok in ancient times but in a 24/7 kind of world we now reside in the time has come.
It was not a balanced budget amendment that was passed. Something called 'Pay Go" which worked ok. It expired about 15 years ago. Balanced budget amendment would require government downsizing.
Ok, there are the protesters that chant "1%", "99%", whatever.... Then there are Congressmen and Senators who automatically get pay increases unless they vote it down, get COLA adjustments, publicly-paid for healthcare, can inside-trade without being punished, don't read many of the bills they vote on, and can never get anything done. So....what percent would THEY fall into....?
I agree, although I would like to see congressional term limits as well. A kind of check and balance. We limit the POTUS why not congressmen, and SCOTUS judges while we're at it?