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Where a person was complaining about taxes how the money got spent and feeling as though that person had absolutely no voice.
I posted this in response:
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You have what is often referred to as a "representative form of government."
That means you elect representatives who are supposed to "represent you." Of course there are problems with this.
The problem with such a thing begins with the fact that your reps are humans just like you and they have flaws and weaknesses just like you. Another problem is that there are a whole lot of "you" and trying to sort out all of the many many "yous" out there and distill all their bleating whining demands into some articulated focused mandate is - - well - - it's a lot of work.
And of course once you put the Reps in office they will tend to try to use that office to make themselves more powerful and wealthy and to defend those things as well as they can. They are, after all, only human.
Then there is the problem of others not in government who accrete power wanting more. They are the special interests (SI) who trade favors with your reps. There are all kinds of SIs from corporate to NGO - you name it. The SIs have money and they have individuals who belong to the SIs. Those individuals donate money through PACs run by the SIs. Those individual contributions are collected in large funds and the SIs use these funds to bend the Reps ( your Reps) to their will. They get to be the voices the Reps hear almost exclusively because they are the ones with the access and the clearly articulated focused voices. They also have all the money.
So the Reps give them things to keep them coming back with their money and demands. Your reps make special interest pandering laws and produce ear marks. A nice big PAC can accrete a staggering lot of money. It's perfectly legal as each contributor is donating their own small sum and the PAC presents it as exactly that - individual sums - except they are all in one big beautiful bundle.
You ( the individual) on the other hand are just one whimpering, whiny, impetuous, unfocused, tangential, inarticulate, very small voice and you never - ever - get heard.
"But But But" you complain "they are supposed to be my representatives." "MINE~!!"
Yah you are correct they are supposed to be. However, they are also the reps for those persons who belong to the SIs and donate to the PACs. Those people are smarter than you. They did something you have not done:
1.) They organized.
2.) They focused their interest into a single well articulated easy to understand voice.
3.) They made sure they had access by putting their money together in a large pool and waved it in front of their Reps..
4.) They demanded that their Reps ( they do see them as their Reps and they are correct ) pay close attention and meet their demands BEFORE making all that lovely money available.
5.) Then they donated it.
What have you done~? The SIs haven't done anything you can't do. The only difference is that they actually did something.
Look at all those stupid spoiled snot-nosed morons who protest and march and stamp about screaming all manner of stupid shit (protesters they are called). Who the hell wants to be associated with those run-a-muck fools~? Those dirty screaming brats? Certainly not an educated sophisticated person who troubled themselves to get elected~!! No wonder they don't get heard.
The Elected Legislators prefer to listen to those among the SIs who are also sophisticated and present as educated who come bearing lovely gifts, using reasoned tones, and know which fork to use & when.
What if instead of engaging in destructive noisy pointless pity parties in the streets as the snot-nose morons do waving their inane signs signs and banners and howling stupid infantile slogans and chants - - what if they put all that effort into organizing and developing a SI and a PAC and did it right? What if they hired a real lobbyist with an education and some personal class to present their demands along with that ever necessary bag of money all dependent on a sure promise of all due attention?? Do you think they might have a voice then?
The only problem with this is that you the individual are still not going to get heard. Not as a single person anyway. You need to prioritize you interests.
***************************************************
And of course it's all true. Money talks everything else walks.
I have a little Activist Tribe called "LEGALIZE IT" It's dedicated to the legalization of marijuana. Ya might want to check it out.
Along that vein, I'd like to form a NJ specific PAC ( yah a Special Interest group) that can present to our legislators with the erudition and sophistication of an educated well financed entity with the ever necessary big bag of money designed to bend the will of the politician to legalizing marijuana.
To do that I need people. People who are willing to prioritize their interests along that path.
I need people who will do grass roots recruiting and gather donations and signatures.
If you are similarly inclined you might want to contact me.
I bring a Doctorate and a NJ law license to the party.
I posted this in response:
****************************************************************
You have what is often referred to as a "representative form of government."
That means you elect representatives who are supposed to "represent you." Of course there are problems with this.
The problem with such a thing begins with the fact that your reps are humans just like you and they have flaws and weaknesses just like you. Another problem is that there are a whole lot of "you" and trying to sort out all of the many many "yous" out there and distill all their bleating whining demands into some articulated focused mandate is - - well - - it's a lot of work.
And of course once you put the Reps in office they will tend to try to use that office to make themselves more powerful and wealthy and to defend those things as well as they can. They are, after all, only human.
Then there is the problem of others not in government who accrete power wanting more. They are the special interests (SI) who trade favors with your reps. There are all kinds of SIs from corporate to NGO - you name it. The SIs have money and they have individuals who belong to the SIs. Those individuals donate money through PACs run by the SIs. Those individual contributions are collected in large funds and the SIs use these funds to bend the Reps ( your Reps) to their will. They get to be the voices the Reps hear almost exclusively because they are the ones with the access and the clearly articulated focused voices. They also have all the money.
So the Reps give them things to keep them coming back with their money and demands. Your reps make special interest pandering laws and produce ear marks. A nice big PAC can accrete a staggering lot of money. It's perfectly legal as each contributor is donating their own small sum and the PAC presents it as exactly that - individual sums - except they are all in one big beautiful bundle.
You ( the individual) on the other hand are just one whimpering, whiny, impetuous, unfocused, tangential, inarticulate, very small voice and you never - ever - get heard.
"But But But" you complain "they are supposed to be my representatives." "MINE~!!"
Yah you are correct they are supposed to be. However, they are also the reps for those persons who belong to the SIs and donate to the PACs. Those people are smarter than you. They did something you have not done:
1.) They organized.
2.) They focused their interest into a single well articulated easy to understand voice.
3.) They made sure they had access by putting their money together in a large pool and waved it in front of their Reps..
4.) They demanded that their Reps ( they do see them as their Reps and they are correct ) pay close attention and meet their demands BEFORE making all that lovely money available.
5.) Then they donated it.
What have you done~? The SIs haven't done anything you can't do. The only difference is that they actually did something.
Look at all those stupid spoiled snot-nosed morons who protest and march and stamp about screaming all manner of stupid shit (protesters they are called). Who the hell wants to be associated with those run-a-muck fools~? Those dirty screaming brats? Certainly not an educated sophisticated person who troubled themselves to get elected~!! No wonder they don't get heard.
The Elected Legislators prefer to listen to those among the SIs who are also sophisticated and present as educated who come bearing lovely gifts, using reasoned tones, and know which fork to use & when.
What if instead of engaging in destructive noisy pointless pity parties in the streets as the snot-nose morons do waving their inane signs signs and banners and howling stupid infantile slogans and chants - - what if they put all that effort into organizing and developing a SI and a PAC and did it right? What if they hired a real lobbyist with an education and some personal class to present their demands along with that ever necessary bag of money all dependent on a sure promise of all due attention?? Do you think they might have a voice then?
The only problem with this is that you the individual are still not going to get heard. Not as a single person anyway. You need to prioritize you interests.
***************************************************
And of course it's all true. Money talks everything else walks.
I have a little Activist Tribe called "LEGALIZE IT" It's dedicated to the legalization of marijuana. Ya might want to check it out.
Along that vein, I'd like to form a NJ specific PAC ( yah a Special Interest group) that can present to our legislators with the erudition and sophistication of an educated well financed entity with the ever necessary big bag of money designed to bend the will of the politician to legalizing marijuana.
To do that I need people. People who are willing to prioritize their interests along that path.
I need people who will do grass roots recruiting and gather donations and signatures.
If you are similarly inclined you might want to contact me.
I bring a Doctorate and a NJ law license to the party.
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