Are we being gamed by the political system?

I'm a firm believer we're played. And it's the big money and power behind the curtains pulling the strings who decides the elections. This year is a good case in point. Both Dem and Rep had some fantastic people running. And yet the ones with the best ideas, most practical way of handling things and such were ousted and we were left with the choice we got.

Put your money to the Red Cross, the United Way, your local religious charity or charities that help victims worldwide instead of some PAC that gets money from corporations already. Here is the list from the Canadian and US governments. I always vote no on my tax return when Im asked about the Presidential Campaign Fund selection.
1. We have had severe flooding in Texas
2. Fires in many states.
3. 80k Canadians displaced from Fort McMurray Forest Fire and 20% of the city was burned to the ground and many of you saw the fires on tv.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9rdkR4BlpY
A.Chairities Listing by Canadian Government: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/chrts-gvng/lstngs/menu-eng.html
B.IRS listing of Charities: https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/organizations-eligible-to-receive-tax-deductible-charitable-contributions

COL Mikel J. Burroughs COL John Cole SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" SSG Derrick L. Lewis MBA, C-HRM SSG Roger Ayscue CPT Pedro Meza CPT Jack Durish MAJ (Join to see) SrA Edward Vong SrA Christopher Wright PFC Talal Al-Tunsi LTC Stephen F. SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL SFC William Farrell

I think we are being gamed by a defective educational system that leads us to selecting people like the current crop of candidates.
How did it come to pass that the two least liked politicians in either Party were chosen in the primaries?

Yes we are and we have been for a very long time. We underestimate the part the media plays in it also. Imagine how many would be unemployed in all forms of media if they strictly reported the facts and allowed us to arrive at our own conclusions. Instead they massage and spin it until only the most ardent can determine what the real story is. Many have claimed that 6 corporations hold 90% of media but that is debatable. It's not debatable that this handful do have a huge impact on molding public opinion in ways that are good for their corporate interests.

http://memepoliceman.com/corporate-media-control/

SPC David S. I think our political system has been playing the average American System for a long time now. It's big money, big business, big power, and big relationships that lead to big favors. Now some might say that is how we get things done, but what about all the people living on entitlements instead of working to make this country strong, what about all the homeless, what about the poverty stricken, what about the starving children and families, what about families that use to be able to afford healthcare and can't now because of politics and backroom deals, what about those that still don't have healthcare, what about the problems in our inner cities with violence and gangs, and what about those that can't find work because our big businesses have moved their plants overseas for cheaper labor costs and lessor safety conditions. We've been played and will continued to be played under this current form of government. I'm not saying that we change the framework of our government. I believe that our forefathers of this nation really cared and had a purpose, but we need to overhaul it "big time" and clean out the corruption, the power hungry, the greedy, those that only care about themselves, the election systems, and put the people back at the forefront of deciding who is charge, not some system that only feeds the wealthy and pwoerful;

**so it's a "Government of the people, by the people, for the people, that shall not perish from the Earth."**

Over the years I have come to believe that getting rich through graft, illegal contributions etc is not the main purpose for getting into politics. At one point we had the mayor of Chicago who was later shown to be pretty crooked, but you don't hear so much of that anymore. I feel that nowadays the main abuse of political figures is the accumulation and misuse of power to implement their own ideological agenda. Having so much stroke must be like a drug. In TX Rick Perry was gov for 12 years and wielded immense power through running the executive branch, appointments to boards, commissions, universities and agencies, all with toadies to implement his political ideas. He didn't amount to much outside of TX but was a big influence around here.

Some people are falling for the Bull that comes out of Washington but if people are having a hard time seeing clearly the danger of Big Government. Dems have become to far left and are Anti-American.

The political machinery in this country has morphed a thousand times over the centuries as singular individuals have put their mark on it, directly or indirectly. As I have studied political science over the years, I, and thousands more, have rightfully concluded that, since the advent of FDR, the entity known as Washington has been continually invaded by people of great wealth and social influence seeking public office and turning it into a lifelong career. With that has the kind of morale corruption and decadence not seen before Congress or the White House. An evermore technologically advanced and an evermore liberally skewed Media has created the Perfect Storm we now see and, most of America, reviles. Are we being gamed? Damn right we are, and we let it happen, consciously or sub-consciously. It is time to invoke Article V of our Constitution. NOW. Tomorrow will be years too late.

There was nothing in that stat-dump that indicated where any increase in wealth came from. I think cynicism is an underrated virtue, but it's ill-placed here. Congresspeople can't take money directly from lobbyists or campaign funds, not legally anyway, so attributing all those increases in income to lobbyists or campaign financing is basically saying they are all criminals. Some of them might in fact be criminals, but increases in income are not proof of it.

Nobody is intentionally dividing us on issues. We divide ourselves on issues.

SPC David S. great read and share!