what is your political preference?

[boot52]

Doesn't matter. In case you missed it, the US is not a democracy. A Princeton University study by Gilens and Page performed a regression analysis on over a thousand public policy decisions, and determined that the effect of public opinion on public policy is nil. That's right, nil. Voting doesn't affect the outcome in any measurable way.

So stop voting and get yourself a crossbow, a first aid kit, and a 55 gallon barrel of beans and rice.

[zolace]

I see politics as business as so far seeing how politicians act
Why do you think what politicians do when they run for candidacy? They treat politics as a business. I mean other than money, since that one is an obvious reason. Do you think there will ever be a politician who doesn't care about how much money he'll make and would actually run to serve the people?

[umair127]

I see politics as business as so far seeing how politicians act
Why do you think what politicians do when they run for candidacy? They treat politics as a business. I mean other than money, since that one is an obvious reason. Do you think there will ever be a politician who doesn't care about how much money he'll make and would actually run to serve the people?

you knoww there are people out there who become politicians just to serve the people, but people of this breed is very rare. even For better or worse, holding political office is still the best way to affect change in the society. This aspect alone is a pull factor for idealists who envision a better country for future generations to become politicians. Unfortunately, due to the power that one might eventually hold as a Minister or whatnot, this path attracts far more people who are self-serving, greedy and ruthless.

[Rigon]

I had see one who became a politician with pure intention to help the citizens and get rid of corruption in the past but he didn't last for more than two years or so. Not other politicians were backing him and supporting his intentions because they themselves were already corrupted before the man became our prime minister.
So I do believe there are some people out there who wants to become a politician with good intentions but if they do then I don't think they would last for long which is very sad.

[noviapriani]

I had see one who became a politician with pure intention to help the citizens and get rid of corruption in the past but he didn't last for more than two years or so. Not other politicians were backing him and supporting his intentions because they themselves were already corrupted before the man became our prime minister.
So I do believe there are some people out there who wants to become a politician with good intentions but if they do then I don't think they would last for long which is very sad.

Some people might enter politics and be attracted by the amount money they can earn, not just for being a politician. There are plenty of money making opportunities for someone in politics. A well known politician might also be paid as a business advisor, an after-dinner speaker, a writer or a broadcaster. That does not include illegal opportunities for taking bribes to support or vote against certain policies.
I don't think anyone enters politics with a view to making large profits, but when they do get into a position of power, they will start to see how their situation can be used to make more money. Many of them will make the most of what they can get out of being in politics.

[Balthazar]

So I do believe there are some people out there who wants to become a politician with good intentions but if they do then I don't think they would last for long which is very sad.

Some were successful enough, see de Gaulle for example.

Anyway, I think that only violent coup d'etat could resolve such issue in deeply corrupt country like UK or USA. And effect wouldn't last for long if coup leaders would try to implement liberal ideology again, because it's a dead end. Liberalism is a corruption itself, it directly converts money into the power.

[acs267]

I've always pondered Anarchism and Libertarianism. Haven't really been able to decide yet.

[etm]

What people shouldn't do is get sucked into ideology and following everything just because they are a democrat or republican.

[zolace]

I had see one who became a politician with pure intention to help the citizens and get rid of corruption in the past but he didn't last for more than two years or so. Not other politicians were backing him and supporting his intentions because they themselves were already corrupted before the man became our prime minister.
So I do believe there are some people out there who wants to become a politician with good intentions but if they do then I don't think they would last for long which is very sad.

Some people might enter politics and be attracted by the amount money they can earn, not just for being a politician. There are plenty of money making opportunities for someone in politics. A well known politician might also be paid as a business advisor, an after-dinner speaker, a writer or a broadcaster. That does not include illegal opportunities for taking bribes to support or vote against certain policies.
I don't think anyone enters politics with a view to making large profits, but when they do get into a position of power, they will start to see how their situation can be used to make more money. Many of them will make the most of what they can get out of being in politics.

here in the US we had a politician like that, he ran for president. his name is Ron Paul. Unfortunately the majority of people rather be dependent on govt than have personal and economic freedom.

[Ron~Popeil]

I had see one who became a politician with pure intention to help the citizens and get rid of corruption in the past but he didn't last for more than two years or so. Not other politicians were backing him and supporting his intentions because they themselves were already corrupted before the man became our prime minister.
So I do believe there are some people out there who wants to become a politician with good intentions but if they do then I don't think they would last for long which is very sad.

Some people might enter politics and be attracted by the amount money they can earn, not just for being a politician. There are plenty of money making opportunities for someone in politics. A well known politician might also be paid as a business advisor, an after-dinner speaker, a writer or a broadcaster. That does not include illegal opportunities for taking bribes to support or vote against certain policies.
I don't think anyone enters politics with a view to making large profits, but when they do get into a position of power, they will start to see how their situation can be used to make more money. Many of them will make the most of what they can get out of being in politics.

here in the US we had a politician like that, he ran for president. his name is Ron Paul. Unfortunately the majority of people rather be dependent on govt than have personal and economic freedom.

I am hoping his son can finish what he started. Ron brought a lot of attention to the liberty movement but his foreign policy was a little scary at times.

[peeveepee]

I had see one who became a politician with pure intention to help the citizens and get rid of corruption in the past but he didn't last for more than two years or so. Not other politicians were backing him and supporting his intentions because they themselves were already corrupted before the man became our prime minister.
So I do believe there are some people out there who wants to become a politician with good intentions but if they do then I don't think they would last for long which is very sad.

Some people might enter politics and be attracted by the amount money they can earn, not just for being a politician. There are plenty of money making opportunities for someone in politics. A well known politician might also be paid as a business advisor, an after-dinner speaker, a writer or a broadcaster. That does not include illegal opportunities for taking bribes to support or vote against certain policies.
I don't think anyone enters politics with a view to making large profits, but when they do get into a position of power, they will start to see how their situation can be used to make more money. Many of them will make the most of what they can get out of being in politics.

Think it already happen more than 2 decades ago. The 2008 financial crisis just speed things up and government can no longer hide the problems.

[Balthazar]

Doesn't matter. In case you missed it, the US is not a democracy. A Princeton University study by Gilens and Page performed a regression analysis on over a thousand public policy decisions, and determined that the effect of public opinion on public policy is nil. That's right, nil. Voting doesn't affect the outcome in any measurable way.

So stop voting and get yourself a crossbow, a first aid kit, and a 55 gallon barrel of beans and rice.

Who cares about USA and their "democracy"? I think that Platon and Aristotle already have told enough about the democracy.

[u9y42]

So I do believe there are some people out there who wants to become a politician with good intentions but if they do then I don't think they would last for long which is very sad.

Some were successful enough, see de Gaulle for example.

Anyway, I think that only violent coup d'etat could resolve such issue in deeply corrupt country like UK or USA. And effect wouldn't last for long if coup leaders would try to implement liberal ideology again, because it's a dead end. Liberalism is a corruption itself, it directly converts money into the power.

I'm not so sure an armed revolt is the best way to go about it. A few months back there was an interview with Chris Hedges on The Real News Network in which they were speaking of the likely possibility of a revolution in the US. And one of the points they were making was that chances are that such a coup could easily turn the country further to the right, given the absence of progressive left leaning forces, extremely weakened unions, very divided and distracted population, and so on.

I'll try to find the video, and edit this later with a link if I do...

EDIT: here we go: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ff-G0DPkBv8.

[practicaldreamer]

A few months back there was an interview with Chris Hedges on The Real News Network in which they were speaking of the likely possibility of a revolution in the US. And one of the points they were making was that chances are that such a coup could easily turn the country further to the right, given the absence of progressive left leaning forces, extremely weakened unions, very divided and distracted population, and so on.

I'll try to find the video, and edit this later with a link if I do...

EDIT: here we go: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ff-G0DPkBv8.

Thanks for sharing that - just watched it - never heard of the guy before but what a lot of sense he spoke.

I must say, the chances of an "uprising" in the US being led by the (far) right/soveriegn individual types/Bundy militia etc. seems much more probable to me than any other scenario. Reading the pages of BitcoinTalk over the last 8 months has convinced me of that.

The dollar is hit by China/Russia refusing to play ball anymore > hyperinflation > Weimar Republic. Doesn't seem too far fetched to me.



The left needs to start organising itself. Its exactly the same in the UK. There's a whole swathe of the populace who are not so much under-represented - they aren't being represented at all.

Maybe the internet/ anonymity may make the social organisation of the unrepresented more likely. Certainly, traditional workplace organisations and the unions have both been compromised and usurped.
  The "liberal elite" are pissing on the shoes of the poor - and telling them its raining. 

[Benjig]

Social scientists find many questions about values and lifestyle that have no obvious connection to politics can be used to predict a person’s ideology. Even a decision as trivial as which browser you’re using to read  is imbued with clues about your personality. Are you on a mac or pc? Did you use the default program that came with the computer or install a new one? hehe , regards

[u9y42]

Thanks for sharing that - just watched it - never heard of the guy before but what a lot of sense he spoke.

If you liked that and if have the extra time, I recommend the whole thing (that was only part 5 of 7 total).

Here's the full list:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1JF94vovww - Urban Poverty in America Made Me Question Everything
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XR0oGJ2yrmc - Journalism Should Be About Truth, Not Career
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vWcyetC3CI - We Must Grasp Reality to Build Effective Resistance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCjMdOo7KkY - "America is a Tinderbox"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ff-G0DPkBv8 - The Liberal Elite has Betrayed the People They Claim to Defend
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OX6n861Gu6Q - As a Socialist, I Have No Voice in the Mainstream
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNm_GAIXOWw - Chris Hedges Answers Questions from Viewers

[...]

The left needs to start organising itself. Its exactly the same in the UK. There's a whole swathe of the populace who are not so much under-represented - they aren't being represented at all.

Maybe the internet/ anonymity may make the social organisation of the unrepresented more likely. Certainly, traditional workplace organisations and the unions have both been compromised and usurped.
  The "liberal elite" are pissing on the shoes of the poor - and telling them its raining. 

That's not just in the US and UK though; much of Europe is moving in the same direction, and particularly faster in the periphery. If the internet can help mitigate this in any meaningful way, I don't know; it certainly helps people organize all the better, but who is organizing and what they do with it is another story.

[NewLiberty]

Think it already happen more than 2 decades ago. The 2008 financial crisis just speed things up and government can no longer hide the problems.

The next failure may be bigger than government.
Banking is more centralized now and more complex than it was in '08
More by % are in the too big to fail category.

[Kiki112]

I'm right winged but I would still legalize weed and prostitution

[wachtwoord]

Libertarian. I'd wish the preference of the global population in my area would reflect the outcome of this poll

[TheButterZone]

I had see one who became a politician with pure intention to help the citizens and get rid of corruption in the past but he didn't last for more than two years or so. Not other politicians were backing him and supporting his intentions because they themselves were already corrupted before the man became our prime minister.
So I do believe there are some people out there who wants to become a politician with good intentions but if they do then I don't think they would last for long which is very sad.

Some people might enter politics and be attracted by the amount money they can earn, not just for being a politician. There are plenty of money making opportunities for someone in politics. A well known politician might also be paid as a business advisor, an after-dinner speaker, a writer or a broadcaster. That does not include illegal opportunities for taking bribes to support or vote against certain policies.
I don't think anyone enters politics with a view to making large profits, but when they do get into a position of power, they will start to see how their situation can be used to make more money. Many of them will make the most of what they can get out of being in politics.

here in the US we had a politician like that, he ran for president. his name is Ron Paul. Unfortunately the majority of people rather be dependent on govt than have personal and economic freedom.

Elections are decided by who counts the votes, not who votes.