We hear complaints about "deregulation" and complaints about "too much regulation". McCain has recently been criticized for his deregulation record in light of irresponsible practices in the finance sector.

I can't believe that "deregulation" means NO regulation. Regulation or deregulation is not an "all or nothing" event. Congress is the body that chooses how much to regulate. Obviously they have been regulating the wrong things OR despite the regulations, the regulators have had other priorities besides regulating effectively.

My own experience in local government taught me that, despite regulations being in place, special interests can get so ingrained in the psyche of the regulators that the regulators become impotent - they don't do their job because of political influence, aka "intimidation." Self-serving greed-induced political influence was and is pandemic - it cut across all levels and sectors of our government and private sectors. It was the weakness of human nature run amok.

Bottom line: Get the right regulation in place and let the regulators do an effective job regulating without outside influence and interference. Don't adopt laws that you don't want the regulators doing an effective job enforcing.

gfmucci, well stated.

i guess my question is how we proceed with getting effective policies in place in light of all the self serving special interest groups and those with the money and influence to determine things.
as far as not adopting laws that we don't want....look at the present bailout, the war in Iraq, things a large majority of people at some point have voiced disagreement with. seems the political machine runs amok in spite of what we want at times.
just wondering how we get enough momentum to get somewhere without the pollution of beuracrats etc.??

Originally Posted by serenityseeker

gfmucci, well stated.

i guess my question is how we proceed with getting effective policies in place in light of all the self serving special interest groups and those with the money and influence to determine things.
as far as not adopting laws that we don't want....look at the present bailout, the war in Iraq, things a large majority of people at some point have voiced disagreement with. seems the political machine runs amok in spite of what we want at times.
just wondering how we get enough momentum to get somewhere without the pollution of beuracrats etc.??

To get less government as I think you are suggesting, in this election at least that is an easy call but even with that...not enough !!!

I would love to see middle of the road Dems and Repubs in congress and the WH....too much from both sides of the radical scale !

I'm not sure that choice is so clear.

opps...hit enter too quick...
I guess I am saying the government involvement that is present needs to be more realistic and effective.
I whole heartedly agree about middle of the road folks coming together...I am so sick of partisan c@#p that I could vomit. Just look at the hundreds of items added to this present bailout bill...it is disgusting from both sides. Thats politics I guess....would love to see some change though.

They have have good years and bad years. The smart ones survived the less than smart are no longer around. The industry sorts itself out.
People are still flying......now why does it work for this industry?

Deregulation has only become ominous in our recent years of say anything, do anything, permissive pacifist society....then forgive them or bail them out.

I subscribe to the survival of the fittest. If you can't make it....you don't deserve to.......too many today with their hand out....and too many with their heart on their sleeve willing to give the store away to help them.

It does not mean the winner is on their own and the loser gets help because they couldn't hack it.

An industry that purges itself is a much stronger one than trying to keep the losers alive....like we do today!

BTK

Originally Posted by Guest

An industry that purges itself is a much stronger one than trying to keep the losers alive....like we do today!

BTK

The same applies to governments that purge themselves. They, too, are rejuvinated and become stronger. To the extent they can do this without becoming disruptive to the rest of society is good, e.g. no violence in the streets and minimal loss to our retirement savings.

From all that I've read, what we seem to be experiencing is the product of a legislative branch that were aware of the problems and potential damage, but chose not to do anything for political reasons. There's adequate evidence that both regulators and members of Congress "predicted" the financial failure recently experienced, but chose to do nothing even when the political power existed to do so. That was combined with an executive branch which was devious and surreptitious in purposefully weakening regulations and regulators by changing regulations where possible and reducing or reassigning the number of regulators. Like the lawmakers, there's adequate evidence that much of this was done at the behest of moneyed special interests.

It doesn't seem to me that you can do much about the executive branch except elect those you think can be trusted and encourage the transparency of an active media. Choosing the legislative/oversight branch presents a different problem. That branch of government seems to have become so politicized and polarized and inured with personal self-interest in recent years that they simply can't be trusted to place the public interest over their own.

That's an awful indictment of our democratic system and there doesn't appear to be any ready, quick answer to changing it. Fear of transparency of what Congress does doesn't seem to have worked, even in the dire financial crisis just experienced. Even though the resolution of the crisis was clearly in the public's best interest, too many lawmakers took the opportunity to tack on expensive amendments to serve themselves and special interests, or to satisfy the idealogical interests of their political leaders. They knew that there was no time or inclination to give any of those amendments and earmarks the debate and attention they so clearly needed. Members of Congress apparently feel immune to the press coverage of their distasteful and irresponsible actions. They clearly feel that the public either doesn't care or is too dumb to understand what they do.

A couple of possible solutions to this mess would be term limits for Congress and the elimination of the private financing of political campaigns and parties in favor of limited public financing.

I'm not holding my breath that the Congress will take action on either. For my part, all I can do is NEVER VOTE FOR AN INCUMBENT. I have done that for a few years now. Regardless of party, record, platform or personality, I simply vote for the non-incumbent with the hope that maybe they might go to Washington and act in the public interest.

Villages Kahuna

Exactly my sentiments.

well stated Kahuna

Although I don't agree with you on some things Kahuna, I agree with you on the never re-elect anyone thought. We have a congress that is doing nothing for the voters and do everything for the special interest groups. They are arrogant enough to believe they will continue to be re-elected and we the voters continue to do so in the hope that things will change. The time has come to throw all the bums out and start over. When this idea is followed we, the voters, will be represented in the way that we expect and deserve.

Originally Posted by union1

Although I don't agree with you on some things Kahuna, I agree with you on the never re-elect anyone thought. We have a congress that is doing nothing for the voters and do everything for the special interest groups. They are arrogant enough to believe they will continue to be re-elected and we the voters continue to do so in the hope that things will change. The time has come to throw all the bums out and start over. When this idea is followed we, the voters, will be represented in the way that we expect and deserve.

Good post...and to your comment "....everything for the special interest groups." just wait .......!!!!