That's all true, and I might add that the idea never included a permanent political class that would just sit in the same House or Senate seat for decades and then pass that seat on to their heirs or establish political dynasties as though they were nobility. The idea was more along the lines of, go to Congress, represent your people for a term or two, then come back to your old community and do what you did before. In a few years, we might ask you to go back. It was never supposed to be a path to untold wealth and power.
I think that's why there is such a stigma around the "career politician." These days, it really HAS to be your career for you to get anything done, so it doesn't make sense as a smear. However, given that the premise of the original system was that the rep would put his career on HOLD to perform his representation and then return to it, the insult conceptually makes sense. It just doesn't make sense being thrown from one politician at another, which is where I see it most often.
Because the kinds of things normal people do are consider black listed in the political community. So either they are repressed or they are very good at hiding things, neither is a good quality for someone who is supposed to represent people
The only way to change that is to change the national dialogue. People in the public eye need to step up and say, "Yeah, this is me, and I'm a normal person." They need to do it en masse. Otherwise this false standard becomes self-perpetuating because you have to compete with your squeaky clean-looking rivals.
Of course, the populace needs to actually VOTE for those people, too. If you vote for a person who doesn't hide their life, you are part of the solution.
The only way to change that is to change the national dialogue. People in the public eye need to step up and say, "Yeah, this is me, and I'm a normal person." They need to do it en masse. Otherwise this false standard becomes self-perpetuating because you have to compete with your squeaky clean-looking rivals.
Of course, the populace needs to actually VOTE for those people, too. If you vote for a person who doesn't hide their life, you are part of the solution.
Like I said, the populace needs to actually VOTE for those people, too.
Those 3 things shouldn't make someone unelectable. If people keep hiding who they are to get elected, then the system will never change. Only when you force people to see that such eggregious discrimination is happening in elections will there be a movement against it. Right now, the big story is when someone gets outed after being elected, and then it's all about how they lied and hid. We need to make the big story be bigotry in elections so social movements to counteract it can grow.
Why do we still have a representative government? All of these problems seem to be a result of this archaic system.
Propose an alternative that isn't materially inferior.
Oligarchic council of benevolent incorruptible scientific geniuses.
They tried that on the Simpsons, surprise, turns out nerds fight with each other more than anybody else; also Hawking's got a bitch'n helicopter wheelchair.
(Seriously, with today's anti-intellectualism, you'd have a better chance of making the Aflac Duck monarch for life.)
Then the issue isn't whether they're willing to live with the scrutiny or not, is it?
If they have one of those 2 qualities they would be willing to accept the scrutiny, thus I will not trust them
Yes, but the converse is not true. There are people who would be willing to accept scrutiny, but simply would not have that "squeaky clean" image. Chances are they wouldn't get elected, but the point stands that willingness to accept scrutiny is not the issue - the issue is with the image that is expected of them.
It wasn't always quite as extreme as it is now. If FDR was running today there would be endless roundtables asking how his polio (or trade in some other disease that hasn't been cured) effects his chances with soccer moms. Kennedy's sexual escapades would have been plastered on every news channel. It wasn't perfect, but it certainly does feel like things are markedly worse.
There ought to be one with ponies. I guess Fluttershy would make the most sense as the one getting sprayed, right? It might also be good to have tyrant-Celestia in the background, à la Linda Katehi.
The fact that the super committee failed so miserably disheartens me to a very sincere degree. I'd held out hope that we'd see another last-minute agreement to avert crisis, but apparently our politicians really don't care anymore.
I'm torn between being very, very sad and very, very angry. The problem is, I don't really feel like I can do anything productive with this. I'm pretty damn busy keeping myself employed.
At the marina where I keep my boat, we met a couple of incredibly gay men (from Arkansas) who owned a boat called the "Buck Nekkid". They were awesome, and fun to hang out with.
They live on their boat, and since it was small they sold it to someone else and bought a bigger boat.
This man has immediately renamed it to the "John Galt".
Comments
Of course, the populace needs to actually VOTE for those people, too. If you vote for a person who doesn't hide their life, you are part of the solution.
Those 3 things shouldn't make someone unelectable. If people keep hiding who they are to get elected, then the system will never change. Only when you force people to see that such eggregious discrimination is happening in elections will there be a movement against it. Right now, the big story is when someone gets outed after being elected, and then it's all about how they lied and hid. We need to make the big story be bigotry in elections so social movements to counteract it can grow.
(Seriously, with today's anti-intellectualism, you'd have a better chance of making the Aflac Duck monarch for life.)
It might also be good to have tyrant-Celestia in the background, à la Linda Katehi.
Pepper Spray Cop is one more for the Dudebro hypothesis.
Put the cop in Fluttershy's hands and you will have perfection.
I'm torn between being very, very sad and very, very angry. The problem is, I don't really feel like I can do anything productive with this. I'm pretty damn busy keeping myself employed.
At the marina where I keep my boat, we met a couple of incredibly gay men (from Arkansas) who owned a boat called the "Buck Nekkid". They were awesome, and fun to hang out with.
They live on their boat, and since it was small they sold it to someone else and bought a bigger boat.
This man has immediately renamed it to the "John Galt".
I laughed so. Damn. Hard.