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Originally Posted by Villages Kahuna
This forum contains threads which "report" on all sorts of rumors and mis-interpretations of statements by the candidates. There are too many threads started that are simply one member railing and ranting against other members who may be supporting the other candidate. Some draw flurries of angry and strident back-and-forth responses from the partisans of both candidates here in TOTV. But with this thread, I tried to present a real issue--one that will almost certainly impact on our pocketbooks, regardless of which candidate is elected. The result...nothing, nada, zippo...hardly any discussion at all. Does that mean no interest?
C'mon folks, let's discuss the issues...not what the campaign committees present in their efforts to win the daily 24-hour news cycle. They'll keep doing that as long as they can distract all of us from asking some questions about the important issues facing the country. And it's been proven that a lot of what is being said by the campaign committees on both sides is either plainly incorrect or an aggressive parsing of words and facts to distort the truth.
Why are so many of us willing to be complicit in these distractions? Can't we see that the candidates "people" will say and advertise just about anything--true or false--just to get their man elected?
Again...comments anyone?
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Agree completely.
There have been several attempts (a couple have actually been somewhat successsful) to initiate discussion on specific issues. Unfortunately, the most common threads delve into insults, tittilating prying and patter about internal family matters (as if we're all so perfect!) and "National Inquirer" type gossip-mongering.
The very nature of those insults-and-gossip threads indicate to me that perhaps we have in our Congress (for 20-30-40 years at a time) and historically in the Executive Branch exactly what "we" want - a temporary "royal family" which can be followed, photo'd and sound-bit similar to what the monarchies of the world accept each day.
If "we" want pseudo rock stars, celebrities, and folk heroes who speak well good, look good and smile a lot to be our "leaders of government," then it IS a waste of time to discuss issues. Why would a candidate want to present a detailed and substantive dissertation on problems-and-solutions (e.g.,
issues) when joking with David Letterman or Jay Leno, or being on the cover of Rolling Stone gets more attention and exposure - and public acceptance and adoration.
We do not have to agree on the solutions, but we have no chance in understanding the effects of the solutions finally to occur without respectful rapport among ourselves on what really are the problems, what fixes may work and why, and will the fixes lead us into paths we have already as a society walked as documented in our history.
However, if the "I sure look good, don't I?" is all you want out of the Chief Executive of the nation, don't complain when the mortgage companies go belly-up and banks fail because of poor decision-making by executives who look good in their picture within the annual repor, but can't seem to add-and-subtract worth a #*%@.