"In God we Trust"

[Yankyal]

I doubt this will pass, by the way.

It did. 396 to 8.

[Celson]

396 to 8? Hahaha. What a joke.

[DarkTrinity]

Faith in humanity..... lowered yet again.

[Lingus]

You know, I don't think it really matters how the vote went to be honest. The fact that this was even put up for vote in the first place and they wasted any time on it means we've all lost. And by the way, I'm sure this isn't the least of the nonsense congress wastes its time on.

The educated and intelligent are a minority in America. Congress doing this will get them a ton of idiots and religious people alike in votes for their next elections. All they care about is getting more votes and staying in congress. Until all the people who know what the !@#$ is going on start voting, this will not change. People who refuse to vote are not justified in complaining.

This is the same reason for the corporate dicksucking that is also going on. VOTE PEOPLE. Show them that they can't just votemonger and break fundamental constitutional principles to keep their power. I doubt this will pass, by the way.

I have to say, I don't particularly agree with you here. I personally think voting is essentially a waste. It's similar to voting on whether to reaffirm the nation's motto. It doesn't matter one way or the other. Think of all the people who run for congress. They're all essentially the same. They're all going to vote on stupid nonsense and waste everyone's time. Why does it matter who I pick to sit on their ass doing nothing?

[Scotty]

I have to say, I don't particularly agree with you here. I personally think voting is essentially a waste. It's similar to voting on whether to reaffirm the nation's motto. It doesn't matter one way or the other. Think of all the people who run for congress. They're all essentially the same. They're all going to vote on stupid nonsense and waste everyone's time. Why does it matter who I pick to sit on their ass doing nothing?

I hate to be rash, but that has to be one of the most pessimistic and depressing justifications for not voting.  That said, I can understand how it would be easy to assume that mindset.  Congress can't agree on anything, the wealthiest are getting wealthier, Congress is still getting their full pensions after their terms are up, who the eff is driving this clown car right?  You are.  So is the intelligent voter to your left who does his research and is set in his ways for who he wants in office and for what reasons, as well as the dumbass voter to your right that didn't read anything about anyone, he just knows that he wants that damn President out of office because he lost his job and is willing to vote for the opposing side, whoever that might be (he wouldn't know until he steps into the booth and reads the card).

Think about it, the United States was built upon the idea of having the majority vote for who runs the country.  You and I decide that.  Now what happens when we don't vote because "the government is doing !@#$ all right about now."  Now we're in an even worse position.  Not only are we not electing people who could very well show promise when in office, but we are leaving the decisions up to people who base their vote off of who had the better advert jab at the opposing side during last night's evening news, or vote on whoever that Republican guy is because that Liberal President What's-his-nuts can't get me a job!  You see where I'm going?  Sure, the best way to sum up our current Congress is by using the term "Partisan" where it seems like Senate and House votes are based off nothing more than spite rather than best interest, but it's peeps like you and I who have to ensure that we do our part to get someone in who's gonna actually do their job and not just vote against the guy sitting next to them because he has an annoying comb-over.  I understand too that what they say on the campaign trail isn't necessarily who they are when in office, God knows the current President is having a hard time upholding the 500+ promises he made on the campaign trail, but that's beside the point.  You did what you thought was best for your country.  If they go back on their word, well that's their fault, and they'll have a hard time at the polls next go around.  You did your best.

I highly encourage people to vote intelligently.  It isn't hard to read up on who's your best choice for office, heck a lot of sites will break it down into simple diagrams that show each member's position on the several dozen hot topics.  Make sure that when you vote though, that you are an intelligent voter.  Don't vote based off what you saw on an advertisement during a Beavis and Butthead marathon or which robo-call sounded the sexiest, try and do a bit of research.  You'll be glad you did, and then you will have a right to bitch should things not work out in the end.  You did your part.

[Lingus]

To be completely honest, yea it is pessimistic. But I feel it's the truth. What it comes down to is, the way the government is being run right now, and the people who are in politics (in other words, people who will be running for government positions in the forseeable future) all act the same way. It just seems like all that is focused on is the "hot topics". I really could give a crap less about the particulars. That's our biggest problem right now. The bi-partisan nature of the government. Decisions aren't being made because they're hung up on getting their own way. I want people to do their freaking job.

I guess that's really why I don't vote. All you get to know about the politicians is what their position is on this or that. I don't really care. One way or the other, just decide what we're going to do and get it done. Make shit work. Figure it out. That's what they were hired to do, what they're being paid for.

But to go further, it's not any one particular person. It's really the whole culture of politics. And as long as we're voting politicians to fill the job, they're gonna do the same things any other politician would have done. Drag their feet, argue over nonsense, and generally not get anything meaningful accomplished.

So really, unless politicians as a whole can get their heads out of their asses, doesn't matter how many educated voters you have.

In my opinion, rather than the voting process, we need a better accountability process. For individual politicians, sections of the government, and the government as a whole. The crisis we're in right now is just unacceptable. If our government were a private corporation, it would have been fired, bankrupt, and shut down.

[Jake]

Good point Lingus. Politicians are politicians because they generally want power. The best politicians are the people that don't want to be them.

[Yankyal]

Good point Lingus. Politicians are politicians because they generally want power. The best politicians are the people that don't want to be them.

Douglas Adams thought this too. He said the people who should be leaders don't want to become one, and the people who are able to become leaders shouldn't be a leader in the first place.