FWIS3

Republicans Running in Reverse

Meanwhile, Republican congressmen are getting special tutoring on how to talk with women, particularly on the campaign trail. “Some of our members just aren’t as sensitive as they ought to be,” the House speaker, John Boehner, told reporters last week.

O.K., that one is not necessarily all that heartening. “Remedial classes on how not to say things is not progress,” said former Republican Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine in a phone interview.

To use one of Yosh's favorite expressions: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

Some of your members are not as attached to reality as they should be... wonder when the training for that starts?

Yet I bet almost all are married. Go figure.

What the hell are they married to? Stepford Wives?

Sigma_Orionis wrote:What the hell are they married to? Stepford Wives?

Usually they are trophy wives who know they are key to helping their man get elected. Or they are like Ann Romney. Willing to do anything to help their man. Even lie about how rough they had it in college. Why, they had to sell stock to pay for tuition you know. It was a very difficult time for them and gave them the basis for understanding what the average person has to go through in this country today.

SciFiFisher wrote:

Sigma_Orionis wrote:What the hell are they married to? Stepford Wives?

Usually they are trophy wives who know they are key to helping their man get elected.

Newt Gingrich has been married three times. He left one of them when she got cancer. I think the current one is actually a Barbie doll, not a Stepford Wife.

I've never understood why so many pedophiles get into politics.

Because Politics favor psychopaths?

FZR1KG wrote:I've never understood why so many pedophiles get into politics.

Slightly more serious take than that, but I have heard the argument that the reason so many politicians/celebrities are messed up is because they know something is messed up in their lives and the fame and fortune and power is the way to solve it. So if you hate your dad because he treated you awfully, you think "I'll go get power and that will show him!" even though most only learn later it's way easier to just confront why they hate their dad (assuming they ever do).

Makes sense because why the hell would most people go for these jobs anyway, right?

Rommie wrote:Makes sense because why the hell would most people go for these jobs anyway, right?

Dedicated public servants?

Nah, that's not it.

geonuc wrote:

Rommie wrote:Makes sense because why the hell would most people go for these jobs anyway, right?

Dedicated public servants?

Nah, that's not it.

I think they used to exist- and a large number still likely do.

But seriously, I think the majority of people who look at public office these days when it comes to stuff like Congress would steer clear of it- seems like an exercise in pain if you want to.

Rommie wrote:

geonuc wrote:

Rommie wrote:Makes sense because why the hell would most people go for these jobs anyway, right?

Dedicated public servants?

Nah, that's not it.

I think they used to exist- and a large number still likely do.

But seriously, I think the majority of people who look at public office these days when it comes to stuff like Congress would steer clear of it- seems like an exercise in pain if you want to.

Especially given the pay, I wouldn't do it, even though I do have a strong sense of public service. Maybe US senator ...

So, yeah, the ones who run for congress and who stay there mostly are in it for something other than service to their country. And perhaps that captures too large a subset of folks you really don't want in office.

Pay is pretty good when you take into account all the pay and benefits you get unofficially, be that legally or not, immoral or not.
How many times do we read about some unfavorable legislation passed and the person leaves politics to a handy dandy high paying job that just happens to be for a company that benefited from said legislation?

From my POV anyway, the whole concept of lobbying is the premise that an outside party can win favour with the policy makers by giving them money. Everywhere else I know of, this is called bribery.
If it's not seen as bribery here in the USA then is there any wonder that the system is corrupted?

The leaders of the country should be setting examples of what to do an what not to do.
That is one major down falling of both the parties here in the USA.
Lobbying can only be seen as a person with money buying influence from a person with power.
If it sits at the highest levels of government in plain view and protected by the laws of the land, how can anyone expect that similar things won't happen at lower levels of government.
The mechanism is the same. Only the payoff figure varies.

I do tend to agree with Rommie's view as to why people some people get into politics.
I personally would like to have a test done on politicians to see if they are sociopaths.
If they are they should not be allowed in politics or positions of power at all.
My argument there is someone who has no sense of ethics or ability to put themselves in someone else's shoes cannot legitimately represent the people.
By people I mean voters of the country in a political sense and share holders in an economic one.
As far as I know it is impossible by definition for them to have the ability to do so.

As a further argument, I note that to be President one must be a born citizen. That rule was placed for a reason, to try to ensure the leader of the nation has loyalties to both the nation and it's people.
The far better way is to limit sociopaths from office as it makes no difference if they are native born or not, they will have no loyalties to anything but themselves.

I have the nagging suspicion that the reason politics favor psychopaths, is because psychopaths make good politicians.

SciFiFisher wrote:Usually they are trophy wives who know they are key to helping their man get elected. Or they are like Ann Romney. Willing to do anything to help their man. Even lie about how rough they had it in college. Why, they had to sell stock to pay for tuition you know. It was a very difficult time for them and gave them the basis for understanding what the average person has to go through in this country today.

they're not lying. they truly believe that it was quite a struggle. despite the safety net that they had while playing ordinary college student. it speaks directly to swift's point about detachment from reality.

We need someone to do a randomized study of the percentage of narcissists and sociopaths across various fields.
I'm betting high odds on a greater amount in positions of power like government and upper management in companies.

I believe I posted something on the old forum about how some banks are actively seeking out sociopaths for certain positions... Scary stuff.

Gullible Jones wrote:I believe I posted something on the old forum about how some banks are actively seeking out sociopaths for certain positions... Scary stuff.

Deliberately hiring someone based on their inability to empathize, feel for another person and have the ability to do totally immoral acts then lie about it like its nothing.
Yum, yeah. That's called fucked up. I'd be investigating their business with a fine toothed comb.
Actually I'd probably shoot the people proposing the plan, but, that would be in an idea world.

Ok, here's an example of what I'm talking about at the basic level, it's happening right here in the Shenandoah valley.

One company who shall be unnamed is pretty much the richest company in the valley, and is owned by one of the richest families in the valley.

Now the valley is poor. Funding is scarce. Getting things funded like a shelter for victims of domestic violence has a hard time getting funded so they do regular charity events. That's one example but there are plenty of others as there really is plenty of things here that need some charity to improve the lives of people in hard times.

They can't get funding because funding is short.

Here's the fucked part though.
That rich family that owns the biggest company here gets grants to fix their personal barn.
Cool eh?

The richest family that owns the biggest company is begging for funding from the tax payers and gets it while the legitimate charities don't.

And why is that exactly?

The answer is multipronged.
1) They feel they are entitled to charity even though they are richer than anyone here.
2) Grants for funding were originally for helping the needy but have become so difficult only the rich can afford the time to understand the process.

Combine those two things and what we get is the rich receiving charity meant for the poor because they think they are entitled to it and they can fund themselves enough to learn to negotiate the paper work nightmare required to get grants approved.

Fan fucking tastic.
Fucking awesome example of how people with a huge disconnect in reality get to money for free for things everyone else would pay for out of their own pocket and at the same time take the funding from the poor to give it to the rich.

So there you have it, tax payers giving money to the rich.
There really does exist a system of wealth distribution in this country and it flows from the poor to the rich.
If it didn't, there wouldn't be such a huge disparity between wealth and that difference keeps on growing even while the general public sit there screaming about the possibility of wealth distribution to the poor, oblivious to the fact there is a huge problem with it already where its going to the rich.

But who the fuck cares about that.
There is a war on Christmas happening and Christmas needs defending!

Mindless dumb assed fucking moron drones of rhetoric infest this place.

FZR1KG wrote:Combine those two things and what we get is the rich receiving charity meant for the poor because they think they are entitled to it and they can fund themselves enough to learn to negotiate the paper work nightmare required to get grants approved.

It's worse than that. Why is the paperwork a nightmare? Because a bunch of rich politicians decided that they needed to create hurdles to keep "fake" applicants from taking the grants meant for "real" needy people. Can't have freeloaders and moochers taking government money, right?

Opposite effect, of course.

What I find worst is most people's attitudes.
A poor person begging for work and food is frowned upon and condemned.
A rich person begging to use other peoples money for his own gain is considered a shrewd businessman and is revered.

i'd burn the barn...