SNIP
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>I really don't want to change the system as it has worked pretty well for most of history. It just gets really frustrating that only the filthy rich, well connected, corrupt guys can get on the ballot and as a result, we have only the lessor of the 2 or 3 evils to choose from. It might get better if voters took more interest and really checked out what each of the candidates are really like. Unfortunately it seems that too many voters have the intellect of a peanut, will believe or can be easily swayed by preaching fear or pandering to their hot button issues and can't seem remember past what they had for breakfast this morning.

Hi Elmer,
Your system definitely has served the country well, for the most part.
But I think that times are very different today.

Today the media has strong interests and protects them jealously but most still disguise themselves as impartial "news" sources. All the while they are emphasizing certain stories and ignoring others. All the while they paint any union as bad - which corporation has any love for a union?? All the while they portray dissenters as anarchists and rabble-rousers who no longer have a place in society - which corporation wants its comfortable world upturned?? All the while they pay lip-service to other viewpoints but continually push and press the views that serve themselves most. All the while they cover certain candidates in a positive light and others negatively and they really only cover the two big parties.

Today it takes big $$$ to get into politics and once you're in the lobbyists make sure you have the wherewithal to be re-elected. The media colludes fully in this priocess. Politicians make token gestures to give the illusion of taking care of their electorate while really greasing the skids for the interest groups feeding them big $$$. It is unimaginable to me that your recent discount drug plan forbids the government from negotiating bulk purchase deals with drug makers, as a simple example.

The two big parties set the rules to assure that they will forever be in power. That was not so bad until recent times, but by now they have found that their reach is near endless and they have taken advantage of that to make rules that were really unimaginable just a generation ago. Sure, they let people pretend that there are 25+ "other parties" but the big two have assured that these all exist on the very margins. And the media perpetuates this state of affairs.

As an outsider I'd say that "the system" - and I really mean more than just the political system, is broken down and needs a serious overhaul. But there is virtually no chance of that ever occurring because the media will ensure that things continue to favour themselves and, by extension, all of the people who currently benefit hugely from the way things are.

cheers