The reality check

[jpgray]

[Beearewhyain]

1. Ambition, Greed et al. All I got to say is

Madison; Federalist #51

[leftofthedial]

2. politics and capitalism are a deadly combination

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

3. The whole concept of "illustrious" government with "noble ideals"

is rather elitist. We do not want to be ruled by kings, philosophers or otherwise. It's about representation of people's interests.

[starroute]

4. It was bad then, but it's worse now

The old political machines may have been corrupt, but they got the job done. They didn't bleed the country dry.

As late as the 1960's, elections were decided at the grass roots, and people actually cared about the campaigns. It wasn't all a matter of television and of big money buying tv ads.

There were a heck of a lot more newspapers, and they didn't all have the same editorial viewpoint.


I agree there was never a golden age of purity and honor. If there were a graph of political virtue it would look like a sine wave, oscillating above and below the main axis. But even by that standard, we are down at the bottom of a trough right now, and things are as bad as they've been in my lifetime.