On Sat, 15 Aug 2009 16:19:51 -0700, pyotr filipivich
wrote:

Let the Record show that "Richard W." on or about
Sat, 15 Aug 2009 09:24:42 -0700 did write/type or cause to appear in
rec.crafts.metalworking the following:

Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.

They, and they alone, have the power.

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are
their bosses.

And when you shoot the Congress of the United states, who will
replace them? Or a better question: who will be choosing their
replacements?
Or are you of the belief that the several states, and three
commonwealths, have conservative Republicans as Governors? I don't
know about your home state, but here in the Soviet of Washington,
Queen Gregoire would appoint "centrists" to replace our delegation.
Yes, centrists, others like her from the center of the left wing of
the Democrat.
-
pyotr filipivich
===========

Pyotr and others:

Given the grand conjunction of social, economic, cultural,
ethical and political problems now facing the country, combined
with total gridlock at all levels of governance, [California, New
Jersey, New York and several other states are just as close to
socio-economic collapse as is the Federal government], and the
rapidly increasing citizen polarization/alienation and tendency
to violent political statements, it is now necessary to resurrect
a cold war phrase "it is now time to think the unthinkable."

By this I am not suggesting violent revolution (which history
suggests solves nothing other than changing the names of the
players), but rather the size and composition of the United
States has changed so drastically that the existing governmental
structures/organizations, originally designed in 1787 and
ratified in 1788, for a much smaller and more homogeneous
country, can no longer cope, or even evolve to cope, with the
demands and requirements of a gigantic global empire on one hand
and/or the end of the nation-state and the rise of the sovereign
corporation on the other hand.

If this is indeed the case, it is futile to simply change the
"gang of 545" (by what ever means), as anyone in those positions
will have to cope with the same intractable problems. It may
well be that the organization and structure of the United States
governments have become so large and complicated that it is
beyond human capability to manage.

FWIW -- this does not appear to be unique to "government" but to
all gigantic human organizations such as GM and now Boeing, with
their problems with their new Dreamliner, when ever they are
stressed with excessive problems outside their experience and/or
their old magic spells and incantations no longer work because of
drastically changed circumstances.

It is therefore suggested that the foundational and fundamental
problem is "can any nation as big and complex as the United
States continue to exist [or even expand] and prosper in the
long-term, and if not what changes are required," not how do we
replace the existing bums.

One of the first things necessary is to establish a list of
perhaps the ten most critical problems in the form of simple
single declarative sentences, prioritize this list, and then ask
what can and will be done. It the answer is nothing, then
fundamental and foundational change is clearly necessary, not
simple personnel/personality changes.


Unka' George [George McDuffee]
-------------------------------------------
He that will not apply new remedies,
must expect new evils:
for Time is the greatest innovator: and
if Time, of course, alter things to the worse,
and wisdom and counsel shall not alter them to the better,
what shall be the end?

Francis Bacon (1561-1626), English philosopher, essayist, statesman.
Essays, "Of Innovations" (1597-1625).