Give up with Sturd, his only goal is to piss you off. Usually his responses arent even his true thoughts or beliefs!
As for the political garbage...
My view has finally come to the point where I have realized the government will find a way to do what it wants regardless of my vote. Obama isnt the first one to prove that point but certainly one of the greats. I now have found that my day is much less stressful if I avoid politics entirely. So I stopped reading this after 2 posts ( also because Jarrett types too much). My blood pressure was rising and its healthier not to get involved.
Not to pick on Dave with his post, BUT (there's always a but, doncha know), apathy towards our political process and our duties as citizens of a representative republic (not a democracy as many believe we are) has become a major impediment in people being/or wanting to be, informed of what is happening in all levels of government from local to national.
I know many people that are confused/don't care/are intimidated by their lack of knowledge/self-centered/disgusted, etc. with politics and choose to disconnect from it so as not to be bothered by it. I get it. But that only perpetuates our problems.
The best and brightest are no longer the people we get to chose from on election day. We now have a system where the most connected/most wealthy/most persuasive/best campaign slogans, etc. are the choices we have now.
Like my original (rambling) post, we need to have term limits and thereby set expectations for our elected officials that we are voting for them to be effective and make positive changes while in office. NOT to put them there to only position and campaign for the next election or many more after that. By limiting their need to be a career politician as their "employment" via our votes, we will find people that are truly invested in our future. Or, at least, we can more easily identify those that are there for "us" or for "them".
"Billions" are spent on ad campaigns, TV adverts, bumper stickers etc. on elections. The President makes $400K a year. Why did his campaign spend $750M plus to get elected? Do you see the dichotomy in spend versus earn here? Not just the last few election cycles am I referring to, but for decades before as well.
"Follow the money" was used in an old movie titled "All the President's Men". Still holds true 40 years later.