I know this is just a fantasy, but I would love to have some sort of requirement for politicians to have spent a number of years in a blue-collar job, as in agriculture or construction or landscaping or plumbing. This would help with being grounded in the world of the common man. I would also like to see a requirement to having to run one's own business successfully - small or large, to keep in touch with how the real world and economy operate. The institution of term limits, being subject to be audited at anytime wihtout notice, and perhaps, having to work for no salary for a specified time, could provide meaningful wasy to stave off the class of mostly parasitic career politicians.
I haven't explored these ideas, so there are likely drawbacks. This is just off the top of my head. It's a great brainstorming exercise.
Excellent requirements proffered, and yet, why do I keep thinking it's too late to turn things around? We have become internationalized. At this point, I think it's soon game over. Though I believe I'm on the right side of this spiritual war, my hope is not learning from history and doing better. I'm resolved to trust in the God of the Bible who gave us past, present and future knowledge and where we're headed after this.
David, do you believe it's as simplistic as that? These puppets with their handlers in office are merely smokescreening assets to keep the Little People™ under the illusion that they need to be led. I don't need to be led. A good leader will become nonessential once he convinces the public to rule themselves. We only need facilitators in positions of service for society to function smoothly, allowing for the rotation of all members to serve short terms. Of course, this would only work in smaller, sovereign cities. Alas, I'm only dreaming :)
Don’t know. Everyone wants to be a chief, nobody wants to be an Indian. Americans are famous for being ungovernable, let’s keep it up. The idea is to provide some system to separate out the worthless. I guess I mostly pointed out differences between then and now. Why do we keep having heads of agencies that have no knowledge of their field? The head of the WHO is not a medical doctor though they call him doctor. He’s a communist.
"The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure" -- Psa 2:2-5 kjv.
no drawbacks that I can see. In a college poly sci class the subject was qualifications for political office. Someone said if there are no qualifications you would end up with a carpenter as potus. It's that kind of arrogant presumptuous thinking that has permeated the political class.
How many politicians are smart enough to be carpenters? Is Bloomberg smart enough to be a farmer? Remember him saying you just dig a hole in plant of seed.
"You can't handle the truth!" And it's true. We can't. We never could and it goes back to the beginning of everything.
Telling the truth got President Kennedy murdered. Telling a lie made Ted Kennedy the Lion of the Senate.
Telling the truth got President Trump idicted. Telling a lie brought President Obama his third term in office. (We can debate whether that is the truth or not).
Our youth were sent into the services for many reasons in my lifetime. The truth was hidden by their leaders and the lie killed millions. But to the young men the truth was that "I served".
Certainly, here in the UK a politician who tells the truth is destroyed by the same people who voted for them. In truth, people are elected to carry on the lie.
But, where did this battle between truth and lies come from?
In my opinion, we open the Bible and right there in Genesis the lies begin.
"...no one should be elected to office who does not shoot straight and speak the truth, though riding is not so much in fashion."
In lot of ways, shooting is less "in fashion" now. Nations should be competing economically for a better standard of living for their citizens, than trying to conquer other nations to increase their own wealth.
"People born into luxury and the upper classes often have fears of falling into the lower classes, as well as a well founded suspicion that they might not actually be superior."
Thomas Sowell, addressing the issue of income inequality among the classes, pointed out that inequality is not really so big a problem, because most Americans actually spend parts of their lives in more than one socioeconomic stratum. Maybe that would be the modern equivalent of the Persian practice. Everyone should spend time trying to live in or near poverty. And learning what is required to produce something that other people really want or need?
I know this is just a fantasy, but I would love to have some sort of requirement for politicians to have spent a number of years in a blue-collar job, as in agriculture or construction or landscaping or plumbing. This would help with being grounded in the world of the common man. I would also like to see a requirement to having to run one's own business successfully - small or large, to keep in touch with how the real world and economy operate. The institution of term limits, being subject to be audited at anytime wihtout notice, and perhaps, having to work for no salary for a specified time, could provide meaningful wasy to stave off the class of mostly parasitic career politicians.
I haven't explored these ideas, so there are likely drawbacks. This is just off the top of my head. It's a great brainstorming exercise.
Of course, enforcement is the problem.
Excellent requirements proffered, and yet, why do I keep thinking it's too late to turn things around? We have become internationalized. At this point, I think it's soon game over. Though I believe I'm on the right side of this spiritual war, my hope is not learning from history and doing better. I'm resolved to trust in the God of the Bible who gave us past, present and future knowledge and where we're headed after this.
Think of it as “how do we keep from having spoiled brats as leaders?”
David, do you believe it's as simplistic as that? These puppets with their handlers in office are merely smokescreening assets to keep the Little People™ under the illusion that they need to be led. I don't need to be led. A good leader will become nonessential once he convinces the public to rule themselves. We only need facilitators in positions of service for society to function smoothly, allowing for the rotation of all members to serve short terms. Of course, this would only work in smaller, sovereign cities. Alas, I'm only dreaming :)
Don’t know. Everyone wants to be a chief, nobody wants to be an Indian. Americans are famous for being ungovernable, let’s keep it up. The idea is to provide some system to separate out the worthless. I guess I mostly pointed out differences between then and now. Why do we keep having heads of agencies that have no knowledge of their field? The head of the WHO is not a medical doctor though they call him doctor. He’s a communist.
Man plans, God laughs. Man proposes, God disposes.
I think it goes like this:
"The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure" -- Psa 2:2-5 kjv.
Those who haven’t seen it might like me essay “Things not taught in school.”
no drawbacks that I can see. In a college poly sci class the subject was qualifications for political office. Someone said if there are no qualifications you would end up with a carpenter as potus. It's that kind of arrogant presumptuous thinking that has permeated the political class.
How many politicians are smart enough to be carpenters? Is Bloomberg smart enough to be a farmer? Remember him saying you just dig a hole in plant of seed.
I remember. Bloomberg self identified forever as an arrogant moron.
"You can't handle the truth!" And it's true. We can't. We never could and it goes back to the beginning of everything.
Telling the truth got President Kennedy murdered. Telling a lie made Ted Kennedy the Lion of the Senate.
Telling the truth got President Trump idicted. Telling a lie brought President Obama his third term in office. (We can debate whether that is the truth or not).
Our youth were sent into the services for many reasons in my lifetime. The truth was hidden by their leaders and the lie killed millions. But to the young men the truth was that "I served".
Certainly, here in the UK a politician who tells the truth is destroyed by the same people who voted for them. In truth, people are elected to carry on the lie.
But, where did this battle between truth and lies come from?
In my opinion, we open the Bible and right there in Genesis the lies begin.
Thought-provoking essay.
"...no one should be elected to office who does not shoot straight and speak the truth, though riding is not so much in fashion."
In lot of ways, shooting is less "in fashion" now. Nations should be competing economically for a better standard of living for their citizens, than trying to conquer other nations to increase their own wealth.
"People born into luxury and the upper classes often have fears of falling into the lower classes, as well as a well founded suspicion that they might not actually be superior."
Thomas Sowell, addressing the issue of income inequality among the classes, pointed out that inequality is not really so big a problem, because most Americans actually spend parts of their lives in more than one socioeconomic stratum. Maybe that would be the modern equivalent of the Persian practice. Everyone should spend time trying to live in or near poverty. And learning what is required to produce something that other people really want or need?
All of Jeff Cooper's books are worth reading. The first one I read was Cooper on Handguns or Fireworks a Gunsite Anthology.
No other country could have produced a Jeff Cooper.
"President Eisenhour famously warned..."
Eisenhower - as you copied with the quotations from him!