Comments on: Those who do not learn from history… http://www.thirdworldcounty.us/?p=3490 "In a democracy ('rule by mob'), those who refuse to learn from history are in the majority and dictate that everyone else suffer for their ignorance."-third world county's corollary to Santayana's Axiom Thu, 09 Sep 2010 21:21:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: hth http://www.thirdworldcounty.us/?p=3490&cpage=1#comment-205604 hth Fri, 02 May 2008 01:15:08 +0000 http://www.thirdworldcounty.us/?p=3490#comment-205604 LomaAlta, Good read! Thanks! LomaAlta,

Good read! Thanks!

]]> By: LomaAlta http://www.thirdworldcounty.us/?p=3490&cpage=1#comment-205602 LomaAlta Fri, 02 May 2008 00:50:19 +0000 http://www.thirdworldcounty.us/?p=3490#comment-205602 Nice post and discussion. Instead of being disturbed by the Communist and Illegal Alien/amnesty context of May 1. Lets remember the Alamo! Please stop by for a short article on the Battle of San Jacinto. Just 18 minutes of battle, must be a world record of some sort. Nice post and discussion.
Instead of being disturbed by the Communist and Illegal Alien/amnesty context of May 1. Lets remember the Alamo!

Please stop by for a short article on the Battle of San Jacinto. Just 18 minutes of battle, must be a world record of some sort.

]]> By: hth http://www.thirdworldcounty.us/?p=3490&cpage=1#comment-205598 hth Thu, 01 May 2008 21:18:40 +0000 http://www.thirdworldcounty.us/?p=3490#comment-205598 There is one other change that would be miraculous! However, I do not expect to see it short of another revolution. Does that also qualify as despair? Generally I don't care for more constitutional amendments. There is one I'd love to see added to the U.S. & ALL state constitutions, though. Only allow business people to serve in ALL legislative bodies. AND, I mean ALL -- school boards, city/county councils, state legislatures, & the U.S congress (both houses. Ban lawyers, insurance agents, & college professors from serving in a legislative body. Such people could be hired for staff functionary positions, but not elected to the body itself. This ban would also apply to executive branches & cabinet level positions! What cha think boys 'n girls? ;) There is one other change that would be miraculous! However, I do not expect to see it short of another revolution. Does that also qualify as despair?

Generally I don’t care for more constitutional amendments. There is one I’d love to see added to the U.S. & ALL state constitutions, though. Only allow business people to serve in ALL legislative bodies. AND, I mean ALL — school boards, city/county councils, state legislatures, & the U.S congress (both houses. Ban lawyers, insurance agents, & college professors from serving in a legislative body.

Such people could be hired for staff functionary positions, but not elected to the body itself. This ban would also apply to executive branches & cabinet level positions!

What cha think boys ‘n girls? ;)

]]> By: David http://www.thirdworldcounty.us/?p=3490&cpage=1#comment-205593 David Thu, 01 May 2008 14:28:23 +0000 http://www.thirdworldcounty.us/?p=3490#comment-205593 @DL: Careful. I have to caution myself frequently that despair is a deadly sin. ;-) @Debbie: Revamp our election system? Some things I have advocated for years would do the trick, even were the primary system left intact (which it ought not to be, granted): 1. Each and every STATE needs to amend its constitution to require that for every elective office on the ballot, None of the Above must be added; further, that whenever NOTA wins a plurality of the vote, all <i>other</i> candidates on the ballot for that office are thereafter forbidden to run for that office. Period. Then a fresh election for that office must be held. 2. State and federal constitutions that hold (as has been the case since the 1830s, with special notes in fedgov amendments of blacks and women later) that just being a citizen of the U.S. confers the right to vote for representation must be reverted to the Framers' views that <i>property owners</i> are those best suited to deliberating concerns of government. That is, kick all the folks who have no business being on the voting rolls OFF. Sure, some who would vote responsibly would thereby lose the franchise and some who would retain it would not deserve the priviledge, but I believe the Founders were onto something: the stability that comes with being responsible for real property is a steadying influence the electorate needs. Could these two things be accomplished? Yes. Will they? Probably not. (Although I hold out more hope for #1 than for #2.) @DL: Careful. I have to caution myself frequently that despair is a deadly sin. ;-)

@Debbie: Revamp our election system? Some things I have advocated for years would do the trick, even were the primary system left intact (which it ought not to be, granted):

1. Each and every STATE needs to amend its constitution to require that for every elective office on the ballot, None of the Above must be added; further, that whenever NOTA wins a plurality of the vote, all other candidates on the ballot for that office are thereafter forbidden to run for that office. Period. Then a fresh election for that office must be held.

2. State and federal constitutions that hold (as has been the case since the 1830s, with special notes in fedgov amendments of blacks and women later) that just being a citizen of the U.S. confers the right to vote for representation must be reverted to the Framers’ views that property owners are those best suited to deliberating concerns of government. That is, kick all the folks who have no business being on the voting rolls OFF. Sure, some who would vote responsibly would thereby lose the franchise and some who would retain it would not deserve the priviledge, but I believe the Founders were onto something: the stability that comes with being responsible for real property is a steadying influence the electorate needs.

Could these two things be accomplished? Yes. Will they? Probably not. (Although I hold out more hope for #1 than for #2.)

]]> By: Debbie http://www.thirdworldcounty.us/?p=3490&cpage=1#comment-205591 Debbie Thu, 01 May 2008 14:11:44 +0000 http://www.thirdworldcounty.us/?p=3490#comment-205591 I agree with DragonLady completely. We need the entire election system revamped so that we don't get stuck with someone like McCain again. The race was over before the majority of Americans even got the chance to vote. That's just wrong. I agree with DragonLady completely. We need the entire election system revamped so that we don’t get stuck with someone like McCain again. The race was over before the majority of Americans even got the chance to vote. That’s just wrong.

]]> By: DragonLady http://www.thirdworldcounty.us/?p=3490&cpage=1#comment-205589 DragonLady Thu, 01 May 2008 13:41:45 +0000 http://www.thirdworldcounty.us/?p=3490#comment-205589 "none of the current crop of candidates for president could stand up to such questioning, I fear" Because all three are coming out of the Senate, and both houses exist these days for Senator and Representative self-importance. They work only for their re-election, not for their constituents. They are enabled by the self-appointed 4th branch, the media, whose self-importance surpasses that of the elected. We are doomed. “none of the current crop of candidates for president could stand up to such questioning, I fear”
Because all three are coming out of the Senate, and both houses exist these days for Senator and Representative self-importance. They work only for their re-election, not for their constituents. They are enabled by the self-appointed 4th branch, the media, whose self-importance surpasses that of the elected.

We are doomed.

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