[Mike]

Originally Posted by pgardn

So why did Obama vote for it?

I wonder about this, too. Ron Paul is against the "bailout", "rescue" plan. I never took Economics, and can't pretend to understand the issue at hand. But, my sense is(and the view of many others) is that this system that has caused this is either broken or corrupt(or both). To try to solve the problem staying with this system(Wall Street) is fundamentally wrong.

Apparently, this $7 billion could be put into a different fund for creditors:

Once again, we have been shown just how ineffective and useless our federal government has become.

The founding fathers set up our present system with the thought that our legislature would be a citizen legislature, comprised of ordinary citizens who would take some time out of their jobs to come to Washington, legislate and then go home again.

Unfortunately what we have has become a separate class of professional politicians. Thomas Jefferson once wrote, "Whenever a man has cast a longing eye on them (offices), a rottenness begins in his conduct." And what we have is 535 rotten apples running our country.

Anyone who has paid any attention to anything that is going on cannot help but to become aware that politicians on all levels, particularly on the federal level, once elected, devote virtually all of their time and efforts on getting reelected. And why not? They get great pay, the best medical plan in existence, and a retirement plan that's obscene. This has led to a system that is broken down.

Take Medicare, for instance. All indications are that it will be bankrupt in less than 10 years. Have our "representatives" done anything about it? What about Social Security, which will be bankrupt in 30 to 40 years? Will anything be done about it?

The answer to both the questions is a big no. Why? Because our lily-livered professional politicians are afraid to
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offend any of their constituents in the short term, disregarding the fact that in the long term they are dooming us and our descendants. Instead they will do the same thing they are doing now during the financial crush. They will wait until the last moment and try to jerry-rig some nonsensical plan which, once again, may work in the short term, but not for the long haul.

So what's the answer? Well, term limits might be an idea, but these jokers will figure out some ways around this.

I think it's time we think about what I have been talking up for years. We need a revolution. Jefferson said, "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure."

Now I'm not necessarily talking about taking to the streets and spilling blood, but it might come to that. There are, however, less violent ways to change things. Personally, I think the easiest and best solution is to change our form of government to a parliamentary system. That way multiple parties could be represented, coalitions could be formed, and when the government screws-up like it always does, there could be a no-confidence vote and we could throw the rascals out and bring in a new bunch of rascals.

But, there is little to no doubt in my mind that continuing along our present course will bring us nothing but disaster after disaster.

Bob Fagelson,

Brattleboro, Oct. 1

Truth and reconciliation