I just spent a day watching C-SPAN...

[Feliks]

And subsequently I have lost all faith in government.

That's right, I've spent the last 10 hours or so watching live footage from the House of Representatives, and what I saw was not comforting.

I mean, you'd expect them to get something done, or at least debate immigration reform, ethics reform, healthcare or social security. Nope. All we got today, ladies and gentlemen, is pork.

You hardly need to dedicate a good half hour speaking for an act that would "Recognize the Accomplishments of the Arizona State University's Womans 'Wildcats' Softball Team" when a) who cares? b) they have much better things to do and c) no one is going to vote against the bloody thing! You can just purpose these things, you don't need to build a case for them!

Then it was an act to "Recognize the Accomplishments..." of some 1950's television host known as "Dr. Wizard". You'd think there wasn't a war on.

Then something good came along, they were going to pass an act for the United States to confront Iran at the UN about their President's call for the destruction if Israel, something about him breaking a restriction against calling for a genocide. But, as it appears, it would degenerate into a translation and entomology debate over the "common middle-eastern usages" of terms in his speech.

I think the only substantial vote passed today was on an act "For the Recognition of the 200 Year Sovereignty of Lichtenstein and an Expression of Support for the Advancement of US-Lichtenstein Relations"

Oh wait, did I say substantial?

I guess the point I'm trying to make is, this Congress thing, it's just not working. Is this why they continually give Presidents blank-checks? To free up more time to ensure their re-election through pork-barreling?

[invictus]

You mean to say you actually had faith in the government? I always thought that was a lie people said out of fear of the fbi or cia. But if that is what really happened in those 10 hours.... then we truly need better leaders. -Leon

[Chaigidel]

it aint pretty feliks-- they need to remove private money from politics and all that **** would change.

[William the Bastard]

Ever seen how we do it in Blighty? PMQs is bloody great to watch (sometimes).

[Chaigidel]

yes I do like all the guffaws and boos that happen in british meetings

[Erik]

yes I do like all the guffaws and boos that happen in british meetings

Parliament is the only place on Earth where the Brits feel no need to behave civilized.
Quite funny to watch once in a while, but if I had to do that for a job I'd go mad.

I watch the live footage from the Dutch parliament sometimes.
There is no shouting, but the actual debates are quite interesting sometimes.

There are some silly/useless debates in Dutch parliament sometimes.
For example: a couple of weeks ago there was a whole debate about a television game show where candidates, who all suffered from a kidney disease, could win a kidney from a cancer patient who had less than two years to live.
Some MP's were stupid enough to propose the show should be banned because it was extremely bad taste. (something that isn't even possible without changing the law, because we have no censorship in my country)
The show turned out to be a hoax, making the politicians who called for the ban look even more stupid than they are.

But I'd say at least 80% of the debates are about real issues.

[Hunter Makoy]

Parliament is the only place on Earth where the Brits feel no need to behave civilized.
Quite funny to watch once in a while, but if I had to do that for a job I'd go mad.

I watch the live footage from the Dutch parliament sometimes.
There is no shouting, but the actual debates are quite interesting sometimes.

There are some silly/useless debates in Dutch parliament sometimes.
For example: a couple of weeks ago there was a whole debate about a television game show where candidates, who all suffered from a kidney disease, could win a kidney from a cancer patient who had less than two years to live.
Some MP's were stupid enough to propose the show should be banned because it was extremely bad taste. (something that isn't even possible without changing the law, because we have no censorship in my country)
The show turned out to be a hoax, making the politicians who called for the ban look even more stupid than they are.

But I'd say at least 80% of the debates are about real issues.

well the show was in bad taste, taste, thats not the sort of thing that should be televised. and when the show turns out to be a hoax, it makes the people who created the show look more stupid and like even lower forms of life, not the politicians that stood up against it.

[LSJ]

Everytime I watch CPAC I see actual debates going on in parliament. They are discussing bills and pointing out problems and solutions to things related to the government.
Odd in comparison with what you said the people on C-SPAN were "discussing". Maybe the Congress is just full of sucky politicians right now. Or is it like that often?

[Feliks]

You know, there goes my solution. I was hoping that one day political campaign ads would be banned from television, thereby lowering the cost of running a campaign and decreasing the influence of lobbyists. I thought that perhaps then people would put some thought into the elections and read up on the candidates, particularly their speeches and debates. But I bet it would just make them step-up their pork-barreling.

[NaptownKnight]

You must have been bored out of your mind. Did someone force you to watch it? Did they tie you down? lol All kidding aside I already knew this, I mean it would take a few days worth of debating to come up with some kind of plan to solve our current problems, but no politician has the balls to propose anything because he may loose the money support for his re-election bid. I think an elimination of money, not campaign ads would solve this problem, but hey what am I gonna do about it. Even if I were to try such a thing I would not have the resources to conduct a successful campaign, as none would back me because they would be set to loose all of their wealth. So in conclusion I think we're ****ed.

[morteduzionism]

[QUOTE]

I mean it would take a few days worth of debating to come up with some kind of plan to solve our current problems, but no politician has the balls to propose anything because he may loose the money support for his re-election bid. [/quote]

I agree. I don't blame politicians I blame the voters. If voters/people weren't so...flaky more substantial things could get done.

Is it hard to imagine that one of the parents of a player on that softball team wouldn't wage political jihad against a politician simply because he DIDN'T propose this legislation?

Too much of the public only see their own interests or the immediate interests of their community/special interest group. i.e. Anti-abortion people who seem like they'd vote for Satan himself as long as he promised to pick judges who'd overturn Roe v Wade.

Politicians (Reps/Senators) aren't elected with the good of the "country" in mind they're elected to serve the interests of their districts/state...

[Rhinosaur]

Don't diss Mr. Wizard, he pwns pwned all scientists everywhere for all time. I just read that he died, bummer too, because I used to watch his show as a kid. Mr. Wizard was a patriot and a scientist and a teacher to many people, and deserved an honorable mention if anybody ever has.

On topic: Yeah, someone compared government to the making of sausages. It's almost a fair comparison, except that there's more pigs in government than sausage factories. There's a method to the madness though, and some good gets done, so It's one of those things we all have to deal with.

[NaptownKnight]

Don't diss Mr. Wizard, he pwns pwned all scientists everywhere for all time. I just read that he died, bummer too, because I used to watch his show as a kid. Mr. Wizard was a patriot and a scientist and a teacher to many people, and deserved an honorable mention if anybody ever has.

On topic: Yeah, someone compared government to the making of sausages. It's almost a fair comparison, except that there's more pigs in government than sausage factories. There's a method to the madness though, and some good gets done, so It's one of those things we all have to deal with.

He doesn't have anything on Bill Nye the Science Guy!!!!!!!!!

[Matty_P]

He doesn't have anything on Bill Nye the Science Guy!!!!!!!!!

Bingo, Bill is rockin'!

[Rhinosaur]

He doesn't have anything on Bill Nye the Science Guy!!!!!!!!!

I heard when Mr. Wizard died he was balls deep in Bill Nye's wife. Mrs. Nye must have wanted a real science man.

[JCeasar_911]

I heard when Mr. Wizard died he was balls deep in Bill Nye's wife. Mrs. Nye must have wanted a real science man.

LMAO!!!

[therussian]

On topic: Yeah, someone compared government to the making of sausages. It's almost a fair comparison, except that there's more pigs in government than sausage factories. There's a method to the madness though, and some good gets done, so It's one of those things we all have to deal with.

Otto von Bismarck

"Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made."

[mrmouth]

I love c-span, and my girlfriend thinks Ive gone and lost it.

Watching any house or senate programming is downright maddening, but often there is something good on either c-span or c-span2. I watch the British Parliment programming often, its entertaining, they often yell at each other.

[Matty_P]

I watch the British Parliment programming often, its entertaining, they often yell at each other.

Oh, hell yeah! And I love to watch how they stand up to support each other after someone finishes addressing the Parliament. It's so dignified!

[RusskiSoldat]

If they did only important work in the house, people would be complaining that they don't do anything.
Honestly, the immigration bill is going to be introduced, loaded with compromises to the point where it means nothing, and then rejected until the next elections fundamentally change the composition of the house.
That's why the Democrats got most of their policies passed within 100 hours of taking control of the house and senate, you only need so many people.
Anything that has the slightest gray area (meaning so much as one person from the party supporting it defects), it's unpassable by present standards.