Welcome to the millionaire's club, aka 'How America's laws are passed'.

2015-08-09T17:33:11-04:00

Do our elected officials vote their conscience or their checkbooks? When you have millions in the bank and are used to a lavish lifestyle, do you see laws being passed for anything other than for the benefit of those controlling the vote? I love this badass country and spent a lifetime defending it, but we need real change.....not more rhetoric. There are lots of political threads on here and it looks like members are dividing into their camps, but count me out. I'll cast my votes when the time comes, but unfortunately I feel like elections have become having to choose between the lesser of two evils. If anyone else feels the same as I do, what can we do about it? By the way, since all the media outlets are owned by the mega-rich, good luck getting our ideas for change heard. What can we demand as the little people? Who works for whom anyway?

http://time.com/373/congress-is-now-mostly-a-millionaires-club/

Congress Is Now Mostly A Millionaires’ Club

For the first time, more than half of congressional lawmakers are worth at least $1 million

Response by Cpl Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 9 at 2015 5:45 PM

2015-08-09T17:45:05-04:00

Considering several don't have a clue how their constituents live their daily lives... They've forgotten the purpose of a representative republic.

My congressman at least has town hall meetings. Unfortunately, he is a coward and he doesn't have the balls to stand up for his constituents when the majority of us are all yelling that John Boehner needs to go.

Response by 1LT David Moeglein made Aug 9 at 2015 5:46 PM

2015-08-09T17:46:58-04:00

Sorry for the duplicate posts. Having computer problems.

Response by 1LT David Moeglein made Aug 9 at 2015 5:48 PM

2015-08-09T17:48:36-04:00

Sorry for the duplicate posts. Having computer problems.

Response by 1LT David Moeglein made Aug 9 at 2015 5:49 PM

2015-08-09T17:49:39-04:00

We have the best congress that money can buy!

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Aug 9 at 2015 5:58 PM

2015-08-09T17:58:07-04:00

I know this sounds wrong, but there is nothing wrong with "self interest." There is something wrong with Self interest at someone else's expense.

I want my Senators voting "Self Interest." I want them voting for the self interest of the State. I don't want them voting for the "good of the country." Screw that. I don't want them voting for the good of California or NY or RI, etc. That's not why they are there. Now, if there is common ground, or alliances to be made... that changes things.

The same with my Congressman in the House. Vote Self Interest. Vote what's good for the district. fight what's bad for the district.

Now... are our Reps disproportionately different enough from us to where THEIR Self Interest does not align with OUR Self Interest? That's the real question. As I have talked about whenever we speak of Friends & Foes or Enemies & Allies is brought up, there is no such thing. There are only those who have Interests who "mutually align." It's like a business partnership, between two businesses. You can only trust them as long as it is to BOTH of your benefit. When it is more advantage to screw you over than to work with you... guess who's getting a knife in the back?

As for what we can do. Read the rules of the game. Remember who works for who. Remember it's not a two party system, unless we make it a two party system. The more people who believe it's not, the more the rules change.

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Aug 9 at 2015 6:43 PM

2015-08-09T18:43:13-04:00

Rich Buggers and ALEC. Hell of a system. Not that it was much different in our past even from our early days. Our Founding Fathers for the most part were very successful people too but I don't think that Economic Disparity between Legislators and those their laws affect has been as Drastic as it is now.

Response by SFC Everett Oliver made Aug 9 at 2015 8:27 PM

2015-08-09T20:27:09-04:00

Tis a sad state of affairs when a man can buy an election.

Response by LTC John Shaw made Aug 9 at 2015 9:58 PM

2015-08-09T21:58:23-04:00

SFC Mark Merino If someone earned it before Congress then good for them and I am happy they pay taxes. I just wonder how many were millionaires before they arrived or just 'got that way' on the back of their years in Congress.

Response by MSgt Curtis Ellis made Aug 10 at 2015 12:42 PM

2015-08-10T12:42:26-04:00

Like you, I feel like elections are reduced to having to elect the the lesser of two evils, who both win in the end, financially, anyway; and as far as what can we do about it? Sadly, not a whole lot, unless you have the funding to make a difference. Even if the most qualified & experienced someone among us wanted to run, the cost is so ridiculous, who, among us, can even afford it? American politics is a rich mans game, and its the financial gain that win's votes and decides policy... That issue with Planned Parenthood is a good example as there are quite a few congressmen getting a little pocket change from it's operations, then they plead stupidity because of society and fast track a bill that will still knowingly fund it, waiting for it to blow over in 6 months or so, so that everything will continue as before; and we, the American people, will allow it as the media will focus on something "pretty" to draw us away to something else... As far as American politics goes, it's one more piece of Americana that we will never be able to afford, and even if we could, you would have to be just as corrupt to play along...