The only thing we have to fear is ... our own government.

[Cyrano]

Is your health care plan as good as the one your congressperson and senators get free? Does your salary even approach that of your congressperson or senator? Do you have a pension plan backed by the U.S. treasury like that of your congressperson and senators? Do you have people seeing to your personal security day and night? Do you have limos at your disposal? Can you take "fact-finding" trips anywhere in the world you feel like going? Can you make a list of all the personal perks you can take advantage of on a daily basis? Are you surrounded by people who's job it is to take care of your every whim?

Well, what the hell. If you're answer to all of the above is "no," it's because our elected representatives are "serving our country." You are not.

The majority of those who "represent" us, are so far removed from our daily life experiences they might as well be living in a different universe. Most of us worry about our next paycheck, social security check, or disability check. Our representatives worry about the next election and whether or not they are doing enough to earn the mega-checks from their big contributors.

It's been said ad nauseum that "democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others." Perhaps that's true. Too bad we haven't tried much democracy lately.

It seems to me that the citizens of all the world's other democracies, from the western European countries, to Canada, to Japan, seem to care more about their citizens than does our current Uncle Sam (read George Bush, Dick Cheney and the entire Republican Party, as well as quite a few blue and yellow dog Dems and the corporations that own them all).

Most of us know we are being screwed every hour of every day. So when do we collectively wake up, rise up, revolt against the tyranny of the privileged, and decide we will no longer settle for the crumbs being thrown to us. Just what the hell is it going to take for us to reach out and rip our basic human rights from the bloody claws of those who are oppressing us?

If we truly had a democracy, do you think we'd be in Iraq? Do you think we'd be without universal health care? Do you think corporations and the super rich could call all the shots while ignoring our existence? Does anyone really believe that we'd have a minority of religious freaks and a wingnut-dominated Supreme Court telling us all what kind of country we are going to live in?

Okay, that's the end of my (super pissed off) rant of the day. If only I had the talent/intelligence to channel my rage into changing the world -- or even the small part of the world with which I come into contact.

[robinlynne]

1. I think the problem is that we want to elect people who will act on our behalf, and

that is not working. We are counting on elections, which are, themselves, corrupted. Then we hope for the next election.

[Rambis]

4. Have you seen this?

The president of Bolivia on John Stewart- pay close attention to minutes 2:05- 2:25 very enlightening.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zIk7YhPTgg

[robinlynne]

6. Spectacular! This deserves it's own thread.

[Cyrano]

7. Outstanding, and I agree. The tape deserves it's own thread.

[bdamomma]

11. we need everyone to VOTE not only 40% of the population

that is disgusting.

[robinlynne]

12. The higher the number of voters, the more dems take office.

which is why the repubs go to such great lengths to keep people from voting.

[Bitwit1234]

2. You got that right and

it seems bush is not the only one lying to us. All our politic ans are.

[Zandor]

3. We have a democracy

Though I can't say I always agree with the choices of the electorate.

Let's put the blame where it belongs - on voters that support Bush.

[Cyrano]

5. He never had enough supporters to put him in office. Read Greg Palast's books

on how both the 2000 and 2004 elections were stolen. They are well documented with provable facts, not opinion.

There are lots of crazies in this country, but not nearly enough to put this horrible specimen of the human species, named George W. Bush, into a position in which he had one iota of power over anyone or anything.

[Zandor]

8. There are a lot of opinions on that

I agree 2000 was stolen by the Supremes. But the major problem is Bush supporters. Let's not pretend we have a big plurality that constantly gets negated by election irregularities.

Remember the Reagan landslides?

[Cyrano]

9. The Republicans have been stealing elections by a whole range of tactics.

Living in Palm Beach County, FL, I watched first-hand as they stole the 2000 election. The "hanging chads" were but a small part of the whole picture.

Tens of thousands had already been removed from the voting rolls by the minions of Jeb Bush. A private company had been hired to find felons and "others with one kind of problem or another" who should not be on the voting registration lists.

Of course, most of the names turned out to be black, hispanic, and anyone who happened to have the same or similar names as felons.

There were also police cruisers in minority neighborhoods who were parked near polling places stopping people for no reason other than intimidation, and then misdirecting them to other, wrong polling places.

And then, during the recounts, all those mobs you saw on TV outside of the "recount rooms" were Tom DeLay staff members who were sent here for the sole purpose of disrupting any possible recounts. (Most of them have been identified on tape by others who work in congress.)

And, oh yeah, Palm Beach soldiers whose absentee ballots were never counted.

Much the same thing happened in Ohio in 2002. And much of the country is still brain-dead regarding how, when and where our country has been stolen from us.

[robinlynne]

10. No there aren't. There are 2 opinions on that. Massive election fraud,and

your position that people voted him in. which also happens to be the rihgt wing republican position.(BEcuse even moderate republicans are now admitting the election fraud, and some even fight it.) watch dan rathers' report on election 2004. watch clint curtis' testimony in front of congress, end of 2004. Gather some facts and real info. oh yes, and first read greg palasts' book as the other poster recommended.

[Imagevision]

13. Bushco, is outsourcing the jobs and doing nothing about illegal's

from coming in to do the jobs "we all don't want" - yeah, I'd say there is reason for being aware of what this government is doing to it's people.