Diogenes of Sinope

[Goshin]

A Greek philosopher and mocker of convention, among his other weird habits, Diogenes of Sinope would wander the streets in the daytime with a lit lantern. When asked what he was doing, he'd answer "Looking for an honest man."



At this point, I feel much the same about politics. This ugly, mud-slinging primary has cast doubts on the integrity of every candidate, and splashed across many other politicians for their endorsements of one scoundrel or witch or another.


At this point I wouldn't willingly elect any of them to lead a Girl Scout Troop across the road to sell cookies. I doubt their ability to organize a gang bang in a bordello. I question their ability to even REMEMBER what the "common man" lives like, let alone empathize. I wonder if some of them can find America on a map.



I should be immune by now to that feeling of betrayal and despair when I am again confronted with powerful evidence that our leadership consists almost exclusively of scoundrels and fools, but I am not.



A plague on the lot of them.

 

[chromium]

and yet we've had this problem since diogenes of sinope...how many who ever lived like "common men" to remember what it's like have reached high office in any government? As far as mud-slinging primaries, what ever could top the attack ads of GWB accusing john mccain of having a black love child

voter turnout could fall well below 50%. Yet i would rather have that than the scores of ballot initiatives that have mostly disgraced the country in the 21st century

You know what'd stop the lies is if people *paid attention* to them and held the liars accountable

2 things though really stand out to me this election cycle - the candidates are bought off like never before and are attempting to buy the presidency like never before,

and as the country has serious systemic problems, none of them even pretend to have any serious solutions and instead act like little ****ing children conjuring typical weapons of mass distraction like gay marriage, muslims, and mexicans

but again, if people are unwilling to vote 3rd party so that, for instance, hillary literally buying 400 "superdelegates" wouldn't matter at all, and if they didn't always fall for the diversions and scare tactics...

they'd get a better government cause they'd deserve one at that point

i find it more productive to blame the voters cause only there can anything change. It's futile as hell to expect anything of politicians. They have to be forced to put our interests first, and we aren't forcing them.

I do think that wasn't always the case, and elected leaders actually did lead, but not in my lifetime. Probably have to go back before nixon. It's just that our problems of infrastructure, health care, and wage disparity have gotten worse and that makes political partisanship/corruption and voter impotence more glaringly inexcusable. None really cared much in 1996 because things were good? But the politicians were complete self-serving hacks and voters completely uninformed just as now.

I'd like to say something has to give as the problems worsen, but then i look at brazil and...no, things won't magically improve

and i'm done rambling

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

A Greek philosopher and mocker of convention, among his other weird habits, Diogenes of Sinope would wander the streets in the daytime with a lit lantern. When asked what he was doing, he'd answer "Looking for an honest man."



At this point, I feel much the same about politics. This ugly, mud-slinging primary has cast doubts on the integrity of every candidate, and splashed across many other politicians for their endorsements of one scoundrel or witch or another.


At this point I wouldn't willingly elect any of them to lead a Girl Scout Troop across the road to sell cookies. I doubt their ability to organize a gang bang in a bordello. I question their ability to even REMEMBER what the "common man" lives like, let alone empathize. I wonder if some of them can find America on a map.



I should be immune by now to that feeling of betrayal and despair when I am again confronted with powerful evidence that our leadership consists almost exclusively of scoundrels and fools, but I am not.



A plague on the lot of them.

It's how it's always been and will be, for the foreseeable future.
I mean, after all Diogenes lived in times like these as well.

Just be comforted by the fact, that an aspect of yourself could possibly live long enough, for man to become truly enlightened.

 

[_Sal]

and yet we've had this problem since diogenes of sinope...how many who ever lived like "common men" to remember what it's like have reached high office in any government? As far as mud-slinging primaries, what ever could top the attack ads of GWB accusing john mccain of having a black love child

voter turnout could fall well below 50%. Yet i would rather have that than the scores of ballot initiatives that have mostly disgraced the country in the 21st century

You know what'd stop the lies is if people *paid attention* to them and held the liars accountable

2 things though really stand out to me this election cycle - the candidates are bought off like never before and are attempting to buy the presidency like never before,

and as the country has serious systemic problems, none of them even pretend to have any serious solutions and instead act like little ****ing children conjuring typical weapons of mass distraction like gay marriage, muslims, and mexicans

but again, if people are unwilling to vote 3rd party so that, for instance, hillary literally buying 400 "superdelegates" wouldn't matter at all, and if they didn't always fall for the diversions and scare tactics...

they'd get a better government cause they'd deserve one at that point

i find it more productive to blame the voters cause only there can anything change. It's futile as hell to expect anything of politicians. They have to be forced to put our interests first, and we aren't forcing them.

I do think that wasn't always the case, and elected leaders actually did lead, but not in my lifetime. Probably have to go back before nixon. It's just that our problems of infrastructure, health care, and wage disparity have gotten worse and that makes political partisanship/corruption and voter impotence more glaringly inexcusable. None really cared much in 1996 because things were good? But the politicians were complete self-serving hacks and voters completely uninformed just as now.

I'd like to say something has to give as the problems worsen, but then i look at brazil and...no, things won't magically improve

and i'm done rambling

it was a good ramble/read :thumbs:

 

[_Sal]

A Greek philosopher and mocker of convention, among his other weird habits, Diogenes of Sinope would wander the streets in the daytime with a lit lantern. When asked what he was doing, he'd answer "Looking for an honest man."



At this point, I feel much the same about politics. This ugly, mud-slinging primary has cast doubts on the integrity of every candidate, and splashed across many other politicians for their endorsements of one scoundrel or witch or another.


At this point I wouldn't willingly elect any of them to lead a Girl Scout Troop across the road to sell cookies. I doubt their ability to organize a gang bang in a bordello. I question their ability to even REMEMBER what the "common man" lives like, let alone empathize. I wonder if some of them can find America on a map.



I should be immune by now to that feeling of betrayal and despair when I am again confronted with powerful evidence that our leadership consists almost exclusively of scoundrels and fools, but I am not.



A plague on the lot of them.

disturbing in the extreme...I was saying the same thing during our election...the good thing is, after the election they settle in and try to do something positive (I guess)

old age is making me cynical

 

[Thoreau72]

Yes, on its best day, politics is a fairly shameful process.

Diogenes will find an honest man here and there, even in politics, but the honest ones are marginalized by the system.

To vote or not to vote is the question, as raised by another poster.

Bernie is only human, but he is the only candidate talking about things that could restore this country and government to one "of the People".

If he is nominated, I'll vote for him. If not, I'll vote for Gary Johnson and feel good the next morning when I wake up.

 

[Mithrae]

2 things though really stand out to me this election cycle - the candidates are bought off like never before and are attempting to buy the presidency like never before,

Isn't Sanders running his campaign primarily off individual donations, rather than from organized groups and corporations?

Not sure about Trump, but I would have assumed that his campaign was more self-funded than previous GOP front-runners too. Is "bought off like never before" really an accurate description?

 

[PoS]

At this point I wouldn't willingly elect any of them to lead a Girl Scout Troop across the road to sell cookies. I doubt their ability to organize a gang bang in a bordello. I question their ability to even REMEMBER what the "common man" lives like, let alone empathize. I wonder if some of them can find America on a map.

Brilliant! You get a like just for these funny metaphors. :lamo

 

[chromium]

Isn't Sanders running his campaign primarily off individual donations, rather than from organized groups and corporations?

Not sure about Trump, but I would have assumed that his campaign was more self-funded than previous GOP front-runners too. Is "bought off like never before" really an accurate description?

yeah and obama did the same in '08, and it changed nothing because all of congress is bought off. Nonetheless, sanders has no chance at the nomination precisely because hillary bought off 400 superdelegates before the campaign even started. This at least is something new