Re: [MLUG - DISCUSSION] Krugman: Losing Our Country

[Stephen Montgomery-Smith <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

Michael wrote:

> I think a couple smart steps to economic reform would be to A) make it 
> totally illegal to profit from your political career, B) illegal to 
> bribe or threaten anyone in government to vote your way, and C) create a 
> new part of congress that pulls represenatives from diverse ranges of 
> incomes as was originally inteded. One of the reasons we pull 
> represenatives from diverse areas of the country is to try to get a 
> diverse set of represenatives. Rich people, middle class people, poor 
> people, farmers, engineers, business men, and blue collar workers. A 
> little of everyone. But politicians have pulled so many strings that 
> this isn't going to happen anymore. Coupled with the ease by which 
> people can travel these days it pretty much undoes most of that 
> diversity. Who cares if your from Palm Beach, Florida.. you can still 
> run for election in a poor area of New York you've never set foot in 
> anyway. Just buy a house in the general area and redraw the lines so 
> that your house falls within the area that the poor people live in. 
> Presto you are sure to win the election as you're the only one in the 
> area that has an advertising budget. Both parties play that game a lot.


I personally believe that in almost every situation, the government of a 
country is a strong reflection of the people of that country.  This is 
certainly the case in democracies, but I think most of the time it is 
true of other systems of government as well.

If we have corruption or greediness in our politicians, this reflects 
that a large proportion of the general public are also corrupt or 
greedy.  So you can create all the systems and balances in the 
government that you like, but as long as the general populace don't 
clean up their act, neither will those who are in charge.

I believe that America has done well in the last century or so, because 
its people have generally been relatively hard working and honest.  I 
say relatively, because we really are not all that hard working and 
honest, but compared to some cultures we are.  I think that America is 
quite possibly slipping in this area, and this will probably be 
reflected in America's economic decline over the next century or so.

Incidently, I have an approach to campaign finance that is sure fire to 
work.  Simply persuade the general population not to fall for those 
expensive glitzy advertisments, but instead to actually look at the 
candidates themselves.  If you do this, campaign finance reform is 
virtually automatic.  Fail to do this, and any efforts in this direction 
are basically band aid solutions.

Stephen
_______________________________________________
discussion mailing list
EMAIL:PROTECTED
http://mlug.missouri.edu/mailman/listinfo/discussion