I Hate Lifetime Politicians

I Hate Lifetime Politicians

Yes, I said hate.

I don't mean that I hate politicians as people—though I do think several of them are some of the worst people on earth. I hate the concept and current reality of lifetime politicians.

The GOP has been crying for term limits for years, but that's becoming more and more hollow with every instance of opportunism and "political expedience."

The problem is that term limits are only a part of the greater solution. However, they are possibly the best way to bring the current political system in check. The only way term limits for politicians will ever come to pass is if "We the people" force it upon them. Here's how I see it happening:

1. Purposefully and deliberately electing new officials every few years.
2. Restructuring how we bring worthy candidates to the forefront (fundraising, motivation for office, etc.).
3. Instituting a 6 year limit for ALL politicians.
   • Senators and the President get ONE 6-year term ONLY.
     • Senate elections happen every 2 years for 1/3 of the senate.
     • The President will see almost complete legislative turnover during his presidency, forcing a more expedient decision-making process and (hopefully) avoiding some, if not most, of the in-fighting and political posturing that wastes so much time and money.
     • No time wasted on campaigning for reelection.
     • No pressure for politicians to prove their worth by the number of bills they write, but rather are incented to make the best decisions possible because they'll be joining the ranks of "regular citizens" with "normal jobs" in just a few short years.
   • House representatives continue with 2-year terms and a new maximum of 3 terms (6 years) total.
   • The same limits should be levied to all state and local officials as well.
   • No elected official should be allowed to run for any other public office at the same level of government within which they've already served (ex, no house to senate moves), and may only serve once in each level of government ever (city/state/nation).
4. Restructure the appointment of Supreme Court Justices, including:
   • Implementing 12-year service limits
   • Allowing for a special vote of approval/disapproval by the American people after the Presidential appointment, vetting, and Senate confirmation (this needs more thinking through, but I like how it sounds so far...).

I could delve into all the different reasons I think things are all messed up in politics, but as my co-worker and friend so aptly put it in a recent conversation we had on this subject, there's only so much that problem analysis and hypothesizing can do for you. Sometimes the best solution is simply DOING something, even if the particular solution hasn't been fully run through the gamut of mathematical models and detailed vetting by all opinions and angles.

I guess Nike was really onto something. Just Do It.

What are you afraid of?

What are you afraid of?

I'm a firm believer that the vast majority of people (minus verified, clinical phobics) aren't so much afraid of things that could happen to them, or even to those they love. What people are really afraid of is truth — not just some truth or someone else' version of the truth, but all truth, even when the truth is just in the eye of the beholder.

Why?

Because really wanting and accepting truth means constantly having to challenge your beliefs — or at least be willing to challenge them — including beliefs about life, God, politics, and (most importantly) SELF. This ultimately results in cognitive dissonance = a state of consciousness that is so strong and all-encompassing that it forces you into one of two choices:

1) Accept the new truth (hard to do) and change your behaviors to align with the newly accepted truth (harder still).
2) Reject the new truth in favor of previous perceptions of truth — or more correctly because modifying behavior is too difficult or painful — which actually causes a subconscious modification of beliefs and/or behaviors anyway.

• Rejection requires renewed reconciliation with and reinforcement of existing beliefs (typically done subconsciously or mostly subconsciously) so as to drown out any leftover dissonance with the new truth (ex: drugs aren't that bad, global warming really is crap, etc.).
• This idea reinforcement in turn leads to behavioral reinforcement, realized in the deepening of associated behavior patterns (ex: increased drug use, increased activity or affiliation with a political party or ideology, etc.) and/or assimilation of additional behaviors and activities that support the belief (ex: signing a petition, joining a movement, seeking out like-minded friends, etc.); or by ignoring, shunning, or actively fighting against the new truth.

Why then wouldn't I say that people actually fear change?

Because change is just the requirement or end-product of truth, and this because truth is a principle of agency. Sure, someone may say they want to know the truth, but deep down they don't really want to have anything to do with it. They fear the consequences of truth — which is why there are so many counterfeit truths being spun every day, each attempting to confuse, frustrate, pacify, or blind us.

So, the question now is What are you afraid of?

Switched Back to Blogger/Blogspot

Switched Back to Blogger/Blogspot

So my domain renewal came up this year, and the price was five times more than what I paid for it originally. Ripoff...

So I'm back on Blogger and proud of it. Here's to free hosting and domains!

The Blog Is Not Dead!

The Blog Is Not Dead!

I should call this blog post One Great Whole in the Time Line for all the months I've been silent. It's probably typical. Blogging is great when you first start, and then it loses its luster after life reminds you just how little time you had in the first place. Add to that my complete and utter laziness, and the deal is sealed. Well, this is my attempt at reconciliation.

I look at this blog title now after so many months away and realize just how precocious I've been. Assuming that somehow my perspective on life is going to showcase the glorious truths of the universe is down-right cocky and self-righteous (if I do say so myself). What I mean is that I'm feeling quite a bit different about things now, and a little humble pie has helped me put perspective into perspective (is that even possible?).

So, what I intend moving forward is to make this blog a place for my ideas and possibilities, rather than creating assumptive authority on anything within my poorly contrived gospel perspective. In other words, note to self: keep it simple, keep it real, keep it humble.