IT'S A MESS!

Subject: IT'S A MESS! Sun Apr 27, 2008 8:18 am

So much is happening at once. Is there a connection?

The problems with the environment - Global warming
The War in Iraq
The devaluation of the dollar
The price of oil/gas skyrocketing
A world food shortage
Our economy in turmoil

Seeking alternative fuels has resulted in using food grains contributing to a shortage in food.
Cutting down the rain forest to make room to plant grains for alternative fuels is increasing the problem of global warming. It is also displacing people in the process.

The economy suffers from the burden of the war in Iraq that has caused extensive borrowing and devaluation of the dollar.
The war and threats of new invasions that would affect the supply of oil/gas has caused prices to skyrocket.

Instead of cutting back on consumption of fuels, we work to continue the glut that has created many of our problems and in the process we are creating new problems.

Right now there is an election in process. I’m trying to determine which candidate, if any, will be able to solve any of these problems.
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"To Beirut and Back"
http://www.freewebs.com/abemarch

Subject: Re: IT'S A MESS! Sun Apr 27, 2008 2:02 pm

Abe, I fear that it will take much more than the efforts of any one person to fix all the woes we face. Unfortuntely, I don't see any one candidate who has my faith that they can do it. It will probably take a global effort for many of the problems to at least be lessened.
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Zada Connaway
Mother's Journals: parts 1, 2 and 3 ISBN # 1-4241-6969-0

http://www.zadaconnaway.com/

Subject: Re: IT'S A MESS! Sun Apr 27, 2008 2:40 pm

I think the short answer is that one candidate is not going to solve all of those problems; partly because as you aptly point out Abe, these are global problems. Global problems take discussion across cultures and between people. Given that some of the popular American candidates are ready to scrap NAFTA I don't know how they think they will manage globally. Oh right, they won't. And we've all seen what happens when one or two independently seeming governments try to take the upper hand and influence what is happening globally.
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Pam Robertson

http://andthebandplayedonmylawn.blogspot.com

Subject: Re: IT'S A MESS! Sun Apr 27, 2008 4:11 pm

Charlton Heston could have sorted it all out in about 103 minutes.
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Subject: Re: IT'S A MESS! Sun Apr 27, 2008 4:17 pm

Love the way you think, lin!! I was a great fan of his.
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Zada Connaway
Mother's Journals: parts 1, 2 and 3 ISBN # 1-4241-6969-0

http://www.zadaconnaway.com/

Subject: Re: IT'S A MESS! Sun Apr 27, 2008 5:31 pm

Yeah before Charlton Heston got kinda weird I loved him too. But in all seriousness, there is no answer. We're so out of touch that to be in touch is, well, not happening in our life times. It's like the clip Shelagh sent about this great poem that sums what and who we are quite nicely... http://www.ernestcline.com/spokenword/dance.htm
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Pam Robertson

http://andthebandplayedonmylawn.blogspot.com

Subject: Re: IT'S A MESS! Sun Apr 27, 2008 5:46 pm

Yeah Pam, everytime I saw that chariot race in Ben Hur, I kept waiting for the wheel to come off. Eventually it did.

Zada, Pam, Lin,
Why is it that we can recognize the problem and those who can do something about it, don't?

Let's suppose that a presidential candidate would be required to honor all the things that he/she promised during the campaign. And that they would be required to show that there was progress on at least 50% of what they promised during the first two years of their administration. If not, they would be required to resign.
If we could find a way to wipe out all the BS and evaluate a candidate on what could honestly be expected of them, it would make a big difference in our votes.
_________________
"To Beirut and Back"
http://www.freewebs.com/abemarch

Subject: Re: IT'S A MESS! Sun Apr 27, 2008 6:14 pm

I think it's a lot more doable and simple than that.

Outlaw spending money on campaign advertising. The electoral district issues a handbook with candidate's statements and background, debates are sponsored at grass-roots level, the press picks everybody apart.

And we don't end up with people whose qualifications are that they can finance a campaign and beholden to the people who paid for their run.
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Subject: Re: IT'S A MESS! Sun Apr 27, 2008 6:15 pm

Abe on the surface that appears to be a damned good idea - a report card so that we can honestly measure what the goobers are up to. Is it possible?
In Canada we have a similar system for investment brokers. Checks and balances in place to look after the little guys cheques and balances. Unfortunately the system was funded by the banks. That meant that the brokers got very wealthy, lots of clients became very broke, and nobody seems to be able to do a damned thing about it.
Can the American electoral system be fixed? Who's gonna look after it? I don't ask the question rhetorically or looking for trite answers. I really mean..."who's gonna look after it?"
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Pam Robertson

http://andthebandplayedonmylawn.blogspot.com

Subject: Re: IT'S A MESS! Sun Apr 27, 2008 6:21 pm

Personlly, I prefer a more radical plan. Actually, a plan A and plan B.

Both predicated on my theory that anybody who wants to be president of the US should not be allowed to. They are obviously either nuts or dangerous megalomaniacs.

Plan A -- a draft. We take the names of people who have actually proven they are not crooks and idiots and can run something successfully in the real world and put them in a hat.
It continually amazes me that a country that produce Ted Turners and Lee Iacoccas and Bill Gateses and Colin Powells ends up with presidents you wouldn't trust to walk your dog.

So we get all these qualified guys and give them numbers and have a big national drawing with door prizes and stuff and whoever gets picked has to be prez for 4 years for a dollar a year and if they screw up or lose money they go to jail.

If you can do it to nineteen year old boys, why not 60 year old dudes?

Plan B -- Central casting. You just have auditions and hire somebody who looks presidential and is a good, inspirational figurehead. That's what presidents are for anyway, actually. They aren't supposed to be out picking wars and stuff.
They are supposed to be radiating confidence and bringing a crowd to its feel clapping and sobbing by sticking their right fist in the air or smiling.

So we end up with presidents like Heston or Warren Beatty (remember I said they don't have any actual political power? kind of like the Queen) or Tom Cruise or James Earl Jones...people we can BELEIVE IN.
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Subject: Re: IT'S A MESS! Sun Apr 27, 2008 6:24 pm

I really mean..."who's gonna look after it?"

Well, I'm kind of expensive and picky, but I CAN be had.
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Subject: Re: IT'S A MESS! Sun Apr 27, 2008 6:40 pm

Lin,
I like Plan A.
If people didn't have to "run" for president, put themselves up for ridicule, disgrace themselves, etc., you would find good qualified people to be president.
_________________
"To Beirut and Back"
http://www.freewebs.com/abemarch

Subject: Re: IT'S A MESS! Sun Apr 27, 2008 6:43 pm

Abe, I truly believe that we can see it because we aren't the ones being paid to NOT see it!!
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Zada Connaway
Mother's Journals: parts 1, 2 and 3 ISBN # 1-4241-6969-0

http://www.zadaconnaway.com/

Subject: Re: IT'S A MESS! Sun Apr 27, 2008 6:49 pm

Who wants to admit they inhaled? Be picked apart by the media? Admit to being not exactly saint material? That is why so few run who are actually capable.
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Zada Connaway
Mother's Journals: parts 1, 2 and 3 ISBN # 1-4241-6969-0

http://www.zadaconnaway.com/

Subject: Re: IT'S A MESS! Sun Apr 27, 2008 7:02 pm

Plan A works for me, although without the dollar a year. A living wage is fine, and reasonable.

Lin I'm not sure I can nominate a skull and sombrero, but I too can be had...especially where there are good door prizes involved. Cool

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Pam Robertson

http://andthebandplayedonmylawn.blogspot.com