 |
The World's Largest Coalition of Nontheists and Nontheist Communities!
Change Congress : the one fight to rule them all
I took the pledge at http://change-congress.org/ . The pledge is to not donate to any federal candidate unless they embrace campaign finance reform. This is becoming my one and only political cause. From here the battle looks impossible to win. However, other worthy and critical fights now won, once appeared as bleak.
The US has many enormous political challenges to face. We have many critical decisions to make. If not our future then our children's future depend on us making some hard choices as a nation. All of the battles that must be fought, all of the challenges we face, all of the decisions that we must make maturely and rationally are connected by a single thread, Congress.
Every issue that each one of us care deeply about in the US must go through a congress that sits at the trough of moneyed interest groups. Congress need only give lip service to the idea of representation. People can scream and shout at town hall meetings all they want. Money gets what money wants.
We can not come to an unadulterated solution to Health Care, Deficit Spending, Taxation, Financial policy, Medicare, Social Security, Military policy, name your cause.... until we change congress. The problem we have cannot be blamed on Democrats or Republicans. The institution has become corrupt. As part of a democracy it is our fault that this is allowed to continue.
Thank you for allowing me this moment of unapologetic advocacy. What do you think? Am I being overly cynical? Do you think this can actually be done?
The US has many enormous political challenges to face. We have many critical decisions to make. If not our future then our children's future depend on us making some hard choices as a nation. All of the battles that must be fought, all of the challenges we face, all of the decisions that we must make maturely and rationally are connected by a single thread, Congress.
Every issue that each one of us care deeply about in the US must go through a congress that sits at the trough of moneyed interest groups. Congress need only give lip service to the idea of representation. People can scream and shout at town hall meetings all they want. Money gets what money wants.
We can not come to an unadulterated solution to Health Care, Deficit Spending, Taxation, Financial policy, Medicare, Social Security, Military policy, name your cause.... until we change congress. The problem we have cannot be blamed on Democrats or Republicans. The institution has become corrupt. As part of a democracy it is our fault that this is allowed to continue.
Thank you for allowing me this moment of unapologetic advocacy. What do you think? Am I being overly cynical? Do you think this can actually be done?
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Caveman on -
Exactly. This is the core of our problems at the national and state levels. I'm not a liberal. I'm not a conservative. I believe in solving problems logically. But we can't solve anything when all of the politicians are bought off.
-
Permalink Reply by Louis on -
To be honest, I don't think you're being cynical enough.
Even if we do vote in a brand new Congress, there's still no reason for them to enact campaign finance reform. If anything there will be even less reason for them to do that once they get in.
Aside from hitting the big reset button in the sky there are only a few things that can be done as of now.
1. Overturn Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad that created the precedence of Corporate Personhood
2. Challenge the concept of money as speech
3. A state level referendum to start campaign finance reform
-
Permalink Reply by Mike Harvison on -
Wow, thanks everyone.
Jack, your citation in no. 1 is impressive. Total agreement on all 3 points. On no 2:
Speech is Speech, Money is influence.
-
Permalink Reply by FreeThinker on -
I think all Political Action Committees (PACs), corporate donations, and third-party donations should be outlawed.
Here in Kentucky, Rand Paul, the son of Congressman Ron Paul, is running for Congress. He shares most of the viewpoints of his father and I'd like to see him win, if only for his views on fiscal policy.
CONNECT WITH ATHEIST NEXUS
Latest Activity
- Top News
- Everything
Teresita Mattox posted a blog postBest Free Online Dating Sites
Free Online Dating Site - Whereloveisfound.comFalling in love might feel closer to a daydream than possible for many with busy lives. But it is possible and the WhereLoveIsFound team have created a dating experience "100 percent dedicated to the community and providing a place for people to find genuine love and happiness." Below they explain why loveless singles should try their site.What inspired WhereLoveIsFound?Whereloveisfound.com was inspired by love, building a community for people all…See More
Loren Miller replied to Loren Miller's discussion Latest Activity?"After a bit of thought, I've come up with a list of the basic items which used to be found on a member's profile page and whether they are currently present in the new profile, at least as it is displayed on mine:
Member's name &…"
Loren Miller commented on John Hutcheson's blog post Are the media too giddy over the Pope?"Wouldn't know, really. The last couple days, the US news media has been focused (for good or ill) on this EF-5 tornado which wiped out a considerable portion of Moore, Oklahoma. When you only have half an hour to report national and…"
Loren Miller replied to Loren Miller's discussion Latest Activity?"For that matter, when the upgrade was originally applied, I had my photo slide show on my profile as with the old layout. Now I don't. SOMETHING got tripped over!"
Debra Stevenson replied to matthew greenberg's discussion Pope Francis says even Atheists go to Heaven"I wish the RCC would reform itself along with the main branch of the LDS church, the SDA's and the JW's ( they desperately need reform , none of the eighty something splinter groups can be called liberal in all actuality). …"
© 2013 Atheist Nexus. All rights reserved. Admin: Richard Haynes.
