Not mine, but a nice rant.

Post #313,468 by hnick 9/3/09 8:50:25 AM Reply	Not mine, but a nice rant. I'm not ranting any more. I'm just trying to figure out what to do. While I never believed in one side being "good guys" and the other being "bad guys", I never really considered that everybody involved was totally corrupt. It appears that they are. It seems inevitable that eventually 99% of the populace will be functional serfs of the 1% who control all the wealth or there will be a revolution that devolves into civil war. The question is when. In about 3 weeks, I will be pasturized (or whatever they are calling being put out to pasture.) It was either take early retirement or be laid off in the next wave, probably in the next 6 months. After the last reorg, they seem to want younger engineers that have more of a future or some such twaddle. I'm currently trying to figure out if I should liquidate everything we have and try to start over in a civilized country, or stick it out. I don't really have the sense of humor to rant any more. It was a nice rant though...
Post #313,469 by boxley 9/3/09 9:14:33 AM Reply	know that feeling, I vest on dec 31 2009 Wondering lately about issues like that.
Post #313,472 by beepster 9/3/09 9:33:49 AM Reply	Welcome to the dark side... I never really considered that everybody involved was totally corrupt. It appears that they are. Politics 101. I will choose a path that's clear. I will choose freewill.
Post #313,473 by jay 9/3/09 10:18:48 AM Reply	That's not true I never really considered that everybody involved was totally corrupt That is not true. There are some that are totally buffoons, who only got elected because they have the right last name, are rich and/or look good on television. Many of these guys are too ignorant to be corrupt. And there are a chunk that are ideological fanatics, who are often more dangerous then the corrupt ones even when they are honest. Of course, a significant chunk overlap all three categories in a way that makes it hard to separate. Jay
Post #313,475 by drook 9/3/09 11:04:58 AM Reply	Remember Ender's Game? One of the sequels, actually. The "ruthless" brother ended up being the best political leader, because he had a long view, and knew that if he improved the whole society there was more for him to skim off. As with much of that series, more than a little wish-fulfillment going on there. -- Drew
Post #313,497 by static 9/3/09 11:03:17 PM Reply	The Hegemon. It is a curse of modern western political systems. The US Presidential race is often held up as a really good example: those most able to get themselves elected are rarely the most able to actually preside. That was arguably Clinton's problem and definitely Dubya's problem. Australians saw it a number of years ago in Victoria. Premier (approximately the same as a US State Governor) Jeff Kennett deeply divided the electorate for doing things like building much-needed city freeways including electronic tolling, and making big upgrades to the tram and train system that the unions hated because it cut staff. But the state of Victoria and Melbourne in particular are now much better for it. Politicians are often accused of only looking to the next election. Unfortunately, the nature of the election system encourages it. Sydney desparately needs another visionary like John Bradfield - he created not only our CBD rail system but also got the harbour bridge built - but there's no-one in Macquarie Street who will do. Even our Lord Mayor doesn't measure up, though she's probably the best we've got at the moment. And I'm appalled I just typed that... Wade. Q:Is it proper to eat cheeseburgers with your fingers? A:No, the fingers should be eaten separately.
Post #313,485 by hnick 9/3/09 5:05:01 PM Reply	Broadly that may be the case but it doesn't change my point They ALL take bribes from Corporate America. They call it donations to their re-election fund. They are still taking money and doing what they are told. Some do it more than others. If you only whore on Saturdays or if you work at it all week, you're still a whore. There is no issue of degree. Corrupt is a boolean, not a comparison. Taking donations from individuals who believe you will further their hopes is not particularly corrupt. However, taking from individual voters and corporations and then doing what the corporations say because they out bid the indies, is corrupt. As far as I can tell, they all do it.

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