tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6821288.post115461254652174343..comments2023-11-05T04:01:05.199-05:00Comments on Phil Wilson's Blog: The Wilson Theory of PoliticsPhilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11540149196113374329noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6821288.post-1155122370718471162006-08-09T07:19:00.000-04:002006-08-09T07:19:00.000-04:00Phil, I is interesting that some of your commen...Phil, <BR/> I is interesting that some of your commenters like others remark "I didn't vote because....", or "we need to be like...". These are my favorite lines because they bring to mind that these people have not studied their constitution. <BR/> It really bothers me to hear people state that they don't vote because...when I saw people line up and risk their lives to vote (Iraq). <BR/> If you don't like the political system, then go run for office and work at it. <BR/> We don't need to change the government, just the people in it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6821288.post-1154699370211854252006-08-04T09:49:00.000-04:002006-08-04T09:49:00.000-04:00Jeff, I reluctantly accept the nomination. Please ...Jeff, I reluctantly accept the nomination. Please bring financial tributes to me... now.<BR/><BR/>Justin, much of the post was obviously tongue in cheek. Picking names out of a hat is patently unrepresentative. And like I said, the dream would be for it to happen naturally each time. Of course, people can be woefully uninformed when it comes to their elected officials and even willfully blind (see: Barry, Marion).<BR/><BR/>The saddest thing is that people DO have to vote the "lesser of two evils." In a dream world (or is that the first two seasons of the West Wing?), both parties would have an honest debate about the issues from their perspectives. 100% of the voters would watch the debates between two well-informed candidates. And then there would be debate among the citizens about the issues, who would then go out and vote, being well-versed and the issues and thinking out why they are voting the way they are.<BR/><BR/>Instead, we have handlers chosing the nominee based on Q rating and "electability." Debates that are more two people having separate conversations about whatever they really want to talk about. People who get elected with no more concern for the people who elected them than for a stray cat; in fact, more concern for getting re-elected (staying in power and the associated accoutrements) than for doing real governing. And those that really want to govern get burnt out from fighting the system. And the voters get cynical and uninterested. And the education system gets underfunded, so we have barely literate people deciding the people who will decide the policy issues, while Big Brother, American Idol, and sports/entertainment numb us to the problems of our brothers and sisters 10 miles away from us.<BR/><BR/>I try not to be cynical, but it's hard not to be.Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11540149196113374329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6821288.post-1154641472855726892006-08-03T17:44:00.000-04:002006-08-03T17:44:00.000-04:00I think you're on to something, Phil(and not to ge...I think you're on to something, Phil(and not to get picky - but I am an auditor at heart - we don't really even have a democracy where everyone votes to make the decisions, we have a republic form of government where the elected officials are the ones that make all the decisions). However, I've said that we should move to a constitutional monarchy like the UK. That way you'd have a prime minister and parliament to run the government, but have the king and/or queen in the background with more bloodline affiliation than political party affiliation.<BR/><BR/>I nominate you to be the king.Jeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00594387404856908452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6821288.post-1154613676595313952006-08-03T10:01:00.000-04:002006-08-03T10:01:00.000-04:00When I got back from my semester in London I watch...When I got back from my semester in London I watched Tony Blair and Parliament on C-SPAN on several occasions. You're right - it's really entertaining. Perhaps I'll set the TiVo...Jennifer Thompsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17529281437677066034noreply@blogger.com