A modest proposal for fixing government

[Sassy]

To be really honest with you Chris, there seems to be more people who wish us to be part of the New World Order - even our local public cinema has classes that involve students around the world via the internet discussing issues of globalism, everyone being one big happy family, thinking "globally"; the schools have been teaching tha philosophy for years.  Read this article entitled "Social Science for a Non-Free Society" http://www.newswithviews.com/Erica/Carle39.htm
Back in 1990 we began with the "Earth Summit" in Rio de Janeiro http://www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/sustdev/climate.htm - and the UN's Agenda 21 http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/documents/agenda21/index.htm - pretty loaded with good sounding propaganda until you break it down to what they are really saying - this website does a good job of it http://www.freedom21santacruz.net/site/article.php?sid=3
We have HR 1955 being voted in by the majority of the representatives - the "Thought Police" bill called "Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007"
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-1955 on top of the Patriot Act & doing away with Habeas Corpus (innocent until proven guilty)  They've done away with the "Posse Commitatus" act where now our military can enforce whatever the leaders wish - that includes Blackwater http://www.blackwaterusa.com/ a private army
We have the controlled media http://www.newswithviews.com/Kress/joe27.htm & http://www.newswithviews.com/Kincaid/cliff205.htm on "How the Media Ignores Ron Paul & Picks the Candidates"

Chris, I could go on - there's a bigger agenda here - I don't know if we can reverse what already is quickly rolling downhill.   Then you can take the viewpoint that "it is God's judgment" on a nation that has lost its way... which would require what 2Chronicles 7:14 says:  "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 

I do what I can to alert people to what I see is going on.  I write letters & send faxes to Senate & Congressional leaders & the president, I've even written letters to the editor...  I pray for our country & our leaders (even though I can't stand most of them!) 

But even if we can get people to sign promises to fulfill the mandates of the people, there is such a wide gap of viewpoints - from global warming being the main crises to people who believe it's a farce; from those who believe we should make all illegal aliens citizens to those who think they should all go back to where they came from.  From people who believe in evolution to those who believe in Creationism; those who think it is okay to kill babies in the womb "pro-choice" to those who believe that an unborn child has the same rights as any other person;  those who think we need to "share the wealth" so that we are all equal; from those who believe in a country's sovereignty to those who think that is outdated & we must become party of the global community;  those who think we need to police the world to those who believe in believe in what the founding fathers said about entangling alliances...  from those who believe in the "golden rule" to those who think we have to make pre-emptive strikes to protect ourselves against another faith... I'm sure you get the picture & are already aware of all of this... 
and the bottom line again - is if we get these people on board - what about the corrupt voting machines & voting processes?   

[Sassy]

Another great article from Downsize DC

"I think the world is run by 'C' students."
-- Al McGuire
Subject: Reactive thinking vs. reflective thinking
Thousands of TV hours are devoted to elections, but issues are rarely discussed. We hear a few buzzwords like change, experience, or liberal and conservative, but these words mean so many different things to so many different people that they don't really communicate anything at all.

Elections aren't about issues. Elections are sporting events.

We gravitate to elections for the same reason we watch sports or movies. We like the competition. We like the drama. We like to keep score. We liked to see "good guys" pitted against "bad guys." It's all about the drama. It isn't about philosophy.

So the question must be asked: can elections change minds? Can elections change America's intellectual environment? We think the odds are so stacked against it as to make it almost metaphysically impossible.

Imagine a Yankees fan trying to convince a Red Sox fan that the Yankees aren't evil. The effort would be pointless, because success would remove the drama of the competition. We don't want to hear the other side's case. We want to crush them, dramatically, or if we are crushed instead, then we also want to suffer dramatically, just like we do at a horror movie or a tear jerker.

We are hardwired to love dramatic emotions. Even negative ones. How else could human beings have survived for so long, when for most of our time on Earth life has been nasty, brutal, and short? We are built to endure, and even love, drama.

Sports and movies and electoral campaigns all push the same psychological buttons. They all work on the human mind in exactly the same way. Elections put us in a mode of reactive thinking and dramatic emotion, not sober, reflective consideration.

It doesn't matter that your candidate has compelling reasons for the things he believes, his compelling reasons won't be heard. Those who most need to listen will refuse to do so because your candidate is the "bad guy" in the drama, and plays for the wrong team in the sporting event.

But these psychological factors are hardly the only problem with using an "electoral strategy" to downsize the federal government. There is also the problem of perverse economic incentives. People like Milton Friedman taught us a long time ago that coercive government grows because . . .

    * Those who receive government favors have a huge incentive to fight for their preservation, while . . .

    * The cost of those favors is spread among all taxpayers, in small amounts, giving taxpayers little incentive to fight against them

These natural incentives create an environment that favors expansive, coercive government. These incentives permeate everything, influencing what people think, how politicians behave, what government schools teach, and even what the establishment media broadcasts.

The candidate who opposes expansive, coercive government must shout above this roar, but even if he can accomplish that feat, no one will listen, because he is prejudged to be the "bad guy" in the drama, playing for the wrong team in the sporting event.

But people still try. Then the votes come in, the results are low, and everyone, especially the media, cites them as evidence that the candidate's ideas must be wrong, or even crazy, because no one supports them.

But the truth is . . .

The result was predetermined by the nature of the vehicle used to communicate the ideas. Ideas communicated by a candidate provoke reactive emotion, not reflective thought.

It really doesn't matter if there are marginal exceptions to this. Of course there are exceptions. There are always exceptions. But marginal exceptions do not establish rules. Rules are established by the bulk of the evidence. And the verdict is clear . . .

The candidate you support will not convince others to accept your ideas. Rather, convincing people to accept your ideas will lead people to support the candidates you want. The ideas must be sold first, outside the context of an electoral contest, before candidates who favor those ideas will win elections.

Indeed, if you sell your ideas broadly, to everyone, everywhere, every day, in a less reactive setting, then the candidates you want will be everywhere too, eager to march in front of the parade you have created.

But this strategic vision is itself difficult to sell, because it too may provoke reactive emotion rather than reflective thought. No one wants to hear that the electoral contest/drama/sporting event, about which they care so much, has deep inherent flaws. You may even feel this way. So how do we counter this?

All we can do is make our strategic case, and ask that you not react emotionally. Instead . . .

Reflect upon what we are saying. And learn more, because many points relative to our case cannot be made in the space we have here.
  http://www.downsizedc.org

[cbc58]

yeah... i know it's a big mess.  half of me wants to just let everything implode and the other half wants to try and salvage what there is.   I don't know what the answer is.  what is scary is how few people actually understand what is going on.

after starting this posting I was thinking of how to get more people involved in the political process and I came up with an idea for educating and mobilizing voters.  I am calling it "Ballot Storm"  www.ballotstorm.com
I'd like to see what you'all think and if it is something you would sign up for.

the concept is to create a service where you sign up and indicate where you live, your age, what is important to you (via some selects) and then it notifies you of proposed or pending legislation that is important to you (federal, state, local ) It could also help identify candidates that fit your beliefs.  It is called "ballot storm" because it would have the abiltiy to mobilize a large number of voters to act in unison on issues.  A key part of this is would be that your information is kept confidential so you wouldn't have to worry about getting hounded by fundraisers and the like.

would you join something like that?   any other suggestions for it? 

[Sassy]

That sounds like it would be a useful & helpful website...  would be lots of work to manage it...  I'm glad that you are taking the initiative...  I don't know how old you are - we have 5 kids & 8 grandkids & one on the way & are concerned with what type of world they'll live in...  but ultimately, it is eternity I'm concerned with - in the meantime, I will keep trying to educate or inform people of what is happening & hopefully in some small way, make a difference... 

It seems most people on this forum have really good outlooks on life & have found ways to help their fellow man...   

[Sassy]

Here's another great site - rather than re-inventing the wheel - just work with these organizations & spread the word
http://www.givemeliberty.org/

[cbc58]

Tks.  I visited that site and it appears they are being sued for promoting tax evation...

I am trying to create something more centrist that everybody can relate to as to not alienate large groups of people who may be turned off by so-called radical thinking.  I'm working on it in my part time and we shall see if anything comes of it.  I hope so.

Chris

[glenn kangiser]

I think someone has stumbled upon the answer.

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Quirks/2008/03/19/homeland_security_office_filled_with_feces/9759/