congress

How To Fix American Politics

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Enough, already. I’m tired of reading everyone else’s ideas. Here’s mine.

Term Limits? No. Just a Lifetime Limit of 20 years in national, political, elected office. For example, six years as a Representative, six as a Senator, four as a Vice President, and four as President. Then go home. Appointments and State careers do not count. As of 2026, over 95 members of Congress have served over 20 years with 35 over 30 years. And no, the 20 years do not have to be consecutive. It’s cumulative, over a lifetime. Joe Biden would not have been able to run with Obama in 2008, for example, and 2020 and 2024. For the sneaky, snarky, word-conscience and necessary lawyer: No running for office if serving the complete term of your election would take you over the 20 year limit.

Supreme Court Justices must be over the age of 60, have 20 years of judicial experience, and have at least 10 years of civil or criminal trial experience as a prosecutor or defender. Confirmation needs to be 70 votes, with all congressional and court work stopped until all justice are confirmed. Put forth candidates for the entire population not your own party, damn it. There are currently 3 justices under the age of 60. For those legal scholars who make a life in education, keep making your money as a consultant/advisor, but don’t advance to the court. I am okay with raising the age to 65, if everyone agrees. Might generate a lot of Age Discrimination lawsuits, too.

Any congressional politician who votes with their own party over 75 per cent of the time, cannot run for re-election. The 75 percent is for PASSED bills that become legislation. It may lead to a lot of “inconsequential activity” like Public Building Naming Bills but we can work that out later. It’s incomprehensible when an intelligent person gets elected with 51 percent of his constituents votes, then goes to Washington and votes 90 per cent of the time with a “Party Boss” from other states. Is that “representation” for even the 51 percent that voted for the intelligent person? BTW, I’m open to identifying and “outing” congresspeople who do nothing but get re-elected. Legislate congressional voting standards? Ideas?

All congressional votes are “Aye” or “Nay”. “Not Present” and any of the other voting gimmicks are abandoned. Congresspeople currently get plenty of time off so NO ABSENCES when congress is in session. One of the biggest issues we, the public face is getting anything done. Maybe we* pass a law that sets a limit for how much “meaningful” legislation is passed in a congressional term. Then mandate limits are met or ALL politicians involved need to be re-elected before they can return. Would that cause a chaos any worse than the dysfunction  what we already have? Modern congressional activity is setting records for least “activity”.  Google: “How many laws has congress passed in the last 20 years, by year?” And then try to weed out the “inconsequential activity” legislation.

It’s bad enough congress doesn’t do anything but then there is “Rescission”. Rescission is an act of ignoring or reversing properly legislated and approved funding. In plain English, one congress finally does something in 2024 and in 2025 the new congress (and administration) rescinds what the 2024 congress did. At least it’s activity, right? Imagine you telling your home remodeler you want your down-payment back the day after they start working on your house. How idiotic is rescission?

Register all citizens as voters when they turn 18. Default affiliation: Independent. Let them live and decide and maybe they’ll vote more, and with brains instead of feelings. Am I really suggesting young people might make a difference?

Enough self-flagellation. It is what it is. Que sera, sera. Water over the dam, under the bridge, spilt like milk. Let’s all just be happy we live in a true democracy where we all care about each other.

As Dr.** Steven Wright said: “A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking.”

*Isn’t it cute, this “we” stuff? Like we can pass laws. We can make politicians accountable. We can change things.

**Honorary, from my  mythical university since no real university has awarded won, yet.

Stupid, Pointless Observations

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Some things will never change.

Modern politicians spend more time gaining and keeping power than legislating. Ask any of your elected representatives how much time–and money–they spend on redistricting, fund raising, campaigning, and then sitting on their hands in their elected offices. It is a bi-partisan effort but mostly fueled by people who do not believe a central, federal government is of any use to its citizens. Regulatory controls and safety limits are not needed. Let The Moguls be free to make unlimited profits in any way they can.

What better way to make that government useless than by getting elected to a majority and then doing nothing? At least those elected are getting some of their taxes back. Plus the bribes, pay-offs, and future employment from The Moguls.  Do a little research and thinking. This might be the “Five Dimension” chess all the Republicans are talking about.

Voting for a party instead of a person in all elections is the stupidest thing, ever, and the main reason we are in the mess we are in. It’s another bi-partisan effort that has been going on for years, and who started we will never know. But American voters are the problem for letting it happen. The public ends up with government by party leaders* instead of government by the people**. While the fault is with us all, own your vote and fix it next time.*** Vote for the best person to do the job.

You can’t run a civilization like a business. If we were a business, who would you lay off to help control out of control expenditures? And what would you do with them? Start a new, unfunded state for non-citizens? Do you let ailing citizens who can’t work and are near death just…die to save money? Could we hire citizens from another country? Transfer useless citizens to another country? Would we stop elections and hold “investor” meetings? It is really, really stupid to think of America as a business entity. Stupid and pointless. And cruel.

Have politicians and business leaders completely lost the meaning of money? Do all the new zeroes behind personal wealth mean those without the zeroes are doomed? How much a dozen of eggs costs means what to a billionaire? Even a millionaire? Even thousand-aire?

It’s hard to say exactly how many or in what percentage they exist, but there are a lot of people to whom the dozen of eggs means more than just the cost. People who can only afford a little of everything have to give up something when prices rise. Rich people might not know that, or care to know. Maybe a rich person who was poor once, might. Or maybe not.

But it is really stupid and pointless to not consider the plight of poor people. These days, just not being rich makes you poor. Watch advertisements and see how many businesses target poor people. Maybe the pharmaceutical companies…and beer…and unhealthy snacks and fast food…and cigarettes.

And where do the billions of dollars The Moguls have come from? Money trees? Cannibal Capitalism will not work. Google the French Revolution.

Final thought from Mark Twain in 1897: “There is no distinctly American criminal class except congress.” 129 years ago.

*Or in our current world: by the Leader, alone.

**Google party “whips” and see what that job does. Its name reveals all.

***This does NOT mean vote Democratic. But it does suggest voting independent. Note the small “i”.

***Mogul: “a very wealthy, powerful, and influential person.” Among other things. What a great diverse, word, right skiers?