Unemployment, and so on

[kandrathe]

Our government for the most part does suck...

Ideally, no. I do think our structure is for the most part sound. Certain unchecked power grabs by the Executive Branch, too many reams of really bad legislation, and some horrendous Supreme Court decisions have tipped the balance of power away from the people. But, all in all, it's not too bad.

... and does not represent the people as they were elected to do so.

And that is the rub for me.

...nothing will change until we take some power away from the organizations who PULL THE STRINGS of government: the corporations.

I disagree. We won't change anything until we eliminate the strings entirely. As long as there are puppets, there will always be someone new willing to step in and pull the strings. We need to eliminate the ability of politicians to act as puppets, and this is something we can control.

At the end of the day, politicians want to keep their power and get re-elected. This is why I think the American public needs to be much more politically astute and participate more. If they did, I think this would make the politicians more responsive to their will and needs. I hate blaming the people, but at the end of the day, it is on US TO make it happen. Until we do, the government will only be responsive to those who have the loudest voices: those with great wealth, political clout or otherwise some type of prestige.

All well and good, but we can't make them. We need to deal with the reality of what we have. I happen to live in one of those States that has 75% plus participation, which is really very good.

That would be great for us if the Fed were less powerful. I don't believe it was meant to be this way, and I feel the electoral structure was built for a weak federal government and strong State governments. It was our Civil war, and WWII that mucked it up. My State is not as bad off as some of the smaller states, but still our lives and livelihoods are controlled by the big states and their representatives. Six states (New York 29, California 53, Texas 32, Florida 25, Michigan 15, and Illinois 19) control about 40% of the House.

If you want my opinion, I say all of us, next year, should vote for someone who is running outside the Republican or Democratic parties. This would make a huge statement. The two party system has to go. Would be awesome if neither Obama or one of the Republican runners got a single vote

Ok, back to reality.

... but I would rather see this problem than millions be impoverished, die, or otherwise distressed by the social and economic disparities created by the division of labor in capitalism.

I don't really see impoverished people dying around here... It's economically bad, but still, we're along way from the tar paper shacks, and soup kitchens of the last depression. I'm worried about young people, say 20 to 30, finding meaningful careers, but we're really not suffering. But, then again, much of this lack of pain may be due to our borrowing 40% of our federal spending. Were we to raise taxes to cover our deficit, then I fear we'd feel some real pain.

On my way to work today I was listening to PJ O'Rourke briefly on the radio today. He was talking about things he's been witness to in his life as a journalist, and one of the most striking for him has been how billions of people around Asia and Africa have been lifted out of real poverty and misery. It's not Capitalism that has done that to them, but rather the ravages of Colonialism, and neglect by super powers who've been more interested in a chess game of puppet dictators, and geopolitical influence. That is not to say that there has not also been predatory exploitation by 1st world corporations... My studies of starvation in Africa show it to be more related to political strife, rather than deprivation at the hands of the wealthy. If anything, the wealthy are guilty of sins of omission (not doing enough), rather than commission.

When my great-grandmother came to America in 1880's, she lived in a sod house out on the Great Plains, which was mostly a hole in the ground. I don't have it that bad really.