Yup. And there is are only a few ways to release the strangle hold these essentially private corporations have on our political process.

- Term limits first and foremost. Seniority on the Hill allows for the most egregious offenses against us. Seniority is power that can be consolidated for decades with little to no accountability. Seniority also drives party affiliation.

- Once term limits are in effect, hold a lottery for each committee chair position every election cycle, regardless of party affiliation...meaning the majority party has no automatic control over the budget. Got to get along, folks. Creative tension is good.

- No candidate can declare for elected office earlier than six months prior to the vote. If you can't get your message out in six months, you don't have one. This will also serve to lower the cost of running for office once I combine this effort with an absolute cap on spending for an election. I'd make it small and enforce equal access laws.

- Real campaign finance reform, to include zero PAC funding. None. On the other hand, after TL's are in effect, individual donation caps will be eliminated.

- Make voting a prerequisite for renewing a drivers license, or some such onerous task like submitting your taxes or receiving government assistance.. One of the reasons we keep electing dip*****s is because we don't vote in significant numbers. I know that means uninformed voters, but so what. How much worse can it get?

- Eliminate all retirement plans and pensions for elected officials. And, any pay raises must be voted on by us every four years. Take control, folks.

But, as always, I could be wrong.

Those would be an excellent start...

Admittedly I didn't read every response to this thread. But on basis of the thread title, my comment is, there are no simple solutions to complex problems. Its not true in our personal ives so why would it be true of complex social and foreign policy issues involving peoples of a multitude of backgrounds, economic circumstances and political orientations?

Bumper sticker sloganism (whether Right or Left) cannot be public policy. Hence there are no two, ten or twenty things that will surrender to "fixing" and thereby America will be "...all better".

Somehow the point of this thread has been mis-construed. It's not "what two items would you choose to fix." It's "if you fix these two issues, how far does that go towards putting America in good shape?"

It would leave 99 bottles of beer on the wall!;)

Well, I believe your original assertion was that since you consider the threat to the average American citizen from terrorists to be minimal, that prosecuting the war on terror doesn't mean much "big picture". Am I wrong on that?

If that is in fact your assertion, then why do you not understand drawing the comparison between prosecuting murders?

The latest number I could find is from 2005, when almost 17,000 people were murdered in the US. Given that the US population is about 304 million, that comes out to a .006% chance that you will be murdered in any given year. If you assume that a given person knows maybe 250 people personally the chance that someone you know will be murdered in any given year is about 1% per year.

Interesting that you mentioned drunk drivers, about 4,000 people have been killed by drunk drivers so far this year which is just above the 2,996 people killed in one day on September 11th...but hey, it wasn't anyone YOU knew so....

Mule,

Your initial question had more flaws in it than our border security: "but had a grasp on two issues, muslim terrorists & illegal Mexicans".

Not all terrorists are Muslim, not all Mexicans are illegal. Ride the thread wave and STFU:)

thread wave

that's good , but once ashore..


it's Bush's fault

Rika

Bad tax code and unfavorable trade deals.

You are. You forgot to limit (to zero) the financial influence of lobbyists on Congress. Otherwise, an excellent post! :D

As an old redneck once told me, smart is superficial but stupid runs deep. So if you ONLY solved the portion of the terrorism issue related to muslims, and if he ONLY solved the Mexican illegal immigration issue, how good is America looking?

SEAHAWK FOR PRESIDENT!!

I say we start the write in campain now!

I am a pretty well informed guy but I can only name 2 or 3 domestic "terrorists" that were non-Muslim. I can name a dozen Muslim terrorists without thinking very hard.

What about Hispanic street gangs like Mara Salvatrucha 13? Would you consider them terrorists?

To quote William Tecumseh Sherman:

"If drafted, I will not run; if nominated, I will not accept; if elected, I will not serve";)

KaptKaos, one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. Trite but true.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorist_organization

I would also add to the list any group that seeks to hurt innocents to further their political aims outside their country's political process.

Hispanic street gangs? Criminals.

Disagree. Freedom fighters, IMO, don't target non-military.

See my comment above.

Not if they are practicing ethnic cleansing.

And how many of the non-muslim and non-arab groups on that list(which is BS as all of the Arab groups are muslim) would you consider a threat to US interests. Simplistic word games won't even buy you time with me. Bullsheet is bullsheet. & your claim is bullsheet. If you feel the need to claim that murdering muslim terrorists are fighting for anything other than world subjugation, I will point you out as either ignorant or foolish.

Mule,

I've spent almost two years of my life in the Middle East in the military fighting for any number of causes that my civilian leadership deemed appropriate. PM me and I'll give you the details. I am still active duty, btw, an O-6 who has returned many times to the desert over the last three years to ensure the equipment I provide to the Marines and Navy works as I advertised.
Where have you been?
How you morphed anything I posted into an apology for any terrorist group is odd at best.
The only bullsheet I see is that fact that you think Muslims have cornered the market on terrorism, I don't.
I am both ignorant and foolish, Mule. The difference between you and I is that I happen to know why.

I appreciate your service. Never been to the middle east. Never been to the moon either, but I know it ain't made of cream cheese. If your "
Not all terrorists are Muslim, not all Mexicans are illegal. Ride the thread wave and STFU:)" comment was not meant to say that that muslims are not virtually entirely the source of any terrorism the US might face then I hope you are better at flying helicopters than English composition. I could care less what you think you know. But I'm glad you at least know that you are ignorant and foolish. I'm sure that helps.SmileWavy

maybe you should go back on vacation Mule. Thread closed.