Extremism is dangerous on both ends.
Do you feel the same way about Warren Buffett and George Soros?
Sam Burnham
You don't hear much about Buffett or Soros. They're doing the exact same thing the Koch brothers are vilified for. Just as guilty, just as damaging, just as wrong.
Terrell Shaw
We need to reduce the effect of money in politics. Soros and Buffett have not been as influential in politics as the Koch brothers but they should be limited too. By the way, there is much to blame about the Koch brothers and Adelson, but I have not done that here. My criticism here is of 1) the cancerous nature of unlimited and even uncredited money in politics; and 2) the cancerous effect upon society by extreme concentration of wealth. Soros and Buffett may contribute to the first, but at least they recognize the second and are using their money to support measures that help to change that.
Sam Burnham
If we reverse the cancerous nature of unlimited power of politics over every area of our daily lives and the cancerous effect upon society of the concentration of that power in Washington, the money will follow it right out the door.
Once we don't need Washington's permission to sneeze, the money will go elsewhere. And once that power is gone & the corporate welfare dries up the rest will work itself out.
Terrell Shaw
Some may be willing to accept a much lesser America, but I believe most folks want the safety, infrastructure, environmental protections, parks, schools, etc. etc that a huge country like ours in the 21st century affords us. Yes we must guard our liberty, but we can not soon return to the days of a tremendously smaller population with much less complicated lives.
Life is what it is. We have 50 states and a population of over 300 million that includes lots of Baptists, Catholics, Sikhs, Muslims, Atheists, Gays, Straights, blacks, whites, Cherokee, Navajo, Cajuns, Hispanics, etc, etc, amen. No man is an island.
What Adelson does with his casinos and Buffett does with his stocks, affects more than themselves and their families. What BP does with their drills and Monsanto with their chemicals, concerns me and mine. I want We the People looking out for my interests and those of my posterity, not a bunch of rich businessmen.
When We the People make decisions that displease us, We the People can raise Cain to get those things changed through our republican processes. We have virtually no control over the Koches and Soroses unless We the People assert some limits on 'em.
Sam Burnham
Washington hasn't been "We the People" in a long, long time. Since that time we've seen Both parties enjoy the power of control of both the White House & Congress. And the promises are still broken by both.
And with 50 states having the ability to govern returned to them (closer to home, where the founding fathers put it) we'd actually have a much greater America, not less. Just the improvements that could be made to education by the removal of the federal govt from it would be a great start.
Raymond Atkins
Government service should be determined by lottery and limited to one term. If you're drafted, you go.
Sam Burnham
That's not a bad idea. Pay them like soldiers. Treat them like soldiers. They won't stay long then.
Raymond Atkins
Then all the people with money will be finding a way to avoid going...
Sam Burnham
And succeeding in doing so.
Laurie Craw
Sam Burnham, what you say sounds sensible. Take away government's power and the billionaires will have no reason to spend their money to influence our government. "Small government" sounds great until you remember a little history. Capitalism has many benefits but its natural evolution is concentration of wealth and concentration of power in monopolies. Energy monopolies. Transportation and communication monopolies. Banking monopolies. Healthcare monopolies. Food and water monopolies. The way to make the greatest wealth is not to compete but to eliminate the competition. And where does that leave us little guys? Without "big government," it leaves us at the mercy of a handful of megacorporations not only for our livelihoods but for everything we need to live. And BTW, those even-richer, unregulated billionaires would STILL control what's left of our "small government." In short, shrinking and weakening government would not expand individual freedom in any meaningful way but it would free the billionaires to take more control of our lives.
Sam Burnham
Well, since humongous government has done such a fine job of preventing monopolies, mega corporations and crooked billionaires, I guess I'll concede my argument.
Terry Lewis
Good point that it would free billionaires to take more control of our lives. But, OH how I would rather the billionaires control my life than the government!!! There are laws to protect me from billionaires but not the government!!! We need strong leadership at any organization or govt. A little common sense helps. Looking at Obama who said the Super Bowl would be close and who laughed at Romney who mentioned the power of Russia and whose experience was being a lawyer for Acorn and social activist. We need a Reagan who played all the different parts of leaders as an actor and gained a lot of insight! lol
Terrell Shaw
Sam, government does help rein in monopolies, corrupt corporations and corporate leaders, though Republicans have lessened our ability to do that over the last 30 years. Terry, I am just flabbergasted that anyone would rather be governed by billionaires than by our republican government. That is downright scary.
Sam Burnham
It's just hard for me to believe that either of these parties is less responsible than the other. History has shown time and again they only pad their own pockets on our efforts.
Terrell Shaw
Then vote 'em out. Democracy is a very bad form of govt but it beats all the rest. There will always be ne'er-do-wells, crooks, cowards, etc. But there will also always be statesfolk, thinkers, good guys.
Terry Lewis
Terrell, my point was about what Laurie said...."shrinking govt. would free billionaires to take more control of our lives". Billionaires taking control of my life is like an alien from Mars doing the same! the only one that controls me is my wife. lol. As I said, we have laws to protect us from unethical, criminalistic type persons. But, a government can have the power to control your life in many ways.
Terrell Shaw
Only by the will of the people, who should use the their government to balance six goals: better govt, justice, peace at home, defense from enemies, general welfare, and liberty.
Laurie Craw
Instead of talking in abstractions, let's talk about HOW government controls our lives and HOW big business controls our lives, with concrete examples. And I'm talking about how we LIVE our lives, day in, day out. Government, that is, the laws created by our elected representatives in government and enforced by the agencies those representatives also created, tells me I can't do a lot of things but I honestly can't remember wanting to do something the government told me I couldn't do, except get into a national park campground after dark one time. If I were a male and got drafted to fight a war I didn't believe was moral or necessary for national defense, I'd definitely have a problem with "big government" as many young men did in the Vietnam era.
But here's how big corporations (and small businesses) have kept me from doing things I DID want to do. Back in the "old days" before "big government" passed a law or two, I wanted to get a credit card in my own name to establish my credit but the banks said I couldn't because I was a married woman. I also wanted to take a one-month leave from my job when our first child was born, but my employer said I had to return to work as soon as my doctor said I was recovered from childbirth (that is, no longer "sick" under their sick leave policy) or lose my job. My husband and I were evicted from our rental apartment when our baby was born and it was perfectly legal for landlords to refuse to rent to adults with small children. More recently, I wanted to buy our diabetic son some health insurance to help pay for his life-saving insulin and other medicines but NO insurance company would sell him any.
In all these examples from my real life, "big government" stepped in and made laws to enable me to do things I wanted to do, things that were very important to me. So these are my examples. Let's hear examples of how government has prevented you from doing something important to you.
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