Robert Heinlein had it right when he said that the problem with the system is that the only people we get to elect to power are those people who want power. The rest of us don't run. Maybe his idea of dragging a random person kicking and screaming into the presidency (or Prime Ministery) who will just do the job and get out as soon as his/her term is up, really is a better way to go.

Alan

>>Imagine no crisis:
>>1) Defense and Security Vendors will get back to building the machines to save the world and travel us to the stars.
>>2) Energy prices tumble - now industry can afford to invest in emission scrubbers, health and community services
>>3) Alternative energies would be developed, fossil reserves would be relegated to plastics. Plastic studs in buildings? Plastic cars? Plastic pets?
>>4) Eventually the world is saved, wealth is knowledge - knowledge is free - and our global hive marches into the future.
>>5) Then, we die, with a smile, cause we know our descendants, and the descendents of the rest of the hive will live humane, satisfying and healthy lives!
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>I'd like to see that, too.
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>>We need to create a market for tolerance. We need to make the clerks we hire [elect] to manage the details of our operation understand that emphasizing a shared humanity, rather than theft through corruption, destruction and privatization would be in their best interests!
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>As long as you have the election system where big money has more rights than the people, there's no way to fix the rest of the system. Very few public servants get elected because they will do the best job for the people. They get elected because they get the most money for their campaigns. Ergo, the criteria for a successful politician is not what are they able to do for the people, but how much money can one attract.