How to make "democracy" work

It is quite apparent that corruption is far to common in our democracy (really more of a republic here in the USA).  For some reason people have just gone along with it because "that's just the way things are," or "it's better than X,Y, and Z."  Well this shit is not OK.  Corruption in government leads to nothing but AIDs and fail.  I think this should really be addressed much more seriously than it has been thus far.  Especially when we have a system that attracts all the wrong kinds of people to run for office.

Now, generally speaking, there are two sources for corruption; money and power.  Power of course is part of public office, and there are checks and balances that work most of the time.  But what about money?  Most of the bullshit that happens in Washington is the result of some asshole trying to fatten his wallet, or trying to help out business contacts and special interests.

I think a lot of problems related to corruption could be overcome by making it illegal for anyone in public office to earn ANY income or wealth outside of their elected/appointed position.  Public servants should receive money only for the jobs they were specifically entrusted to.  With jobs of such importance they should be consumed with only that job and nothing else.

There would be absolutely no incentive for congressmen/senators/judges to make a decision that would be profitable for themselves or their business interests.  The only money they would ever see while in office (and for several years after) would be their paycheck.  And taking in any other form of income would be considered treasonous, and punishable with a minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.

Removing ridiculous amounts of profit from public office would also help to attract better people to run for office.  The greediest of fucks would look for work elsewhere, making it easier for people who are actually concerned with making the country better.

Once you fucks determined that the general US public should receive the same quality of education as is commonly found in Sub-Saharan Africa, then your democratic mechanisms broke like dried sticks.  Stupid people can't run a Democracy or a Republic.

>>2
way to stay on topic, fag.

>>3
TOPIC = How to make "democracy" work
SOLUTION = Education
solution applies to topic
Q.E.D.

Do I have to draw a fucking DIAGRAM for you stupid fucks?

You're only proving my case.  It's sad that you don't even REALIZE that.

>>2
You're correct - however, this, in no way changes the fact that you're a flamboyantly homosexual idiot

>>5
Since the topic of this post has nothing to do with the style, sexual preference or intelligence of the poster, everything after "correct" is irrelevant and doesn't even require easy refutation.

The capital should be moved to the center of the US. This will cut corruption by atleast 50% along the West coast and the South.

>>7
I lol'd more than i should have...

>>6
The statement was, in fact, that your sexual preference and intelligence was not relevant, however you went all the way to post that redundant piece, well done.

There are a lot of the influences on them whilst they have office. Most importantly, they have to think about what they will do after they retire from public service. If you look at the careers of many ex-government people, they often go into some highly-paid consultancy or other business positions. They have the contacts, for one, but importantly, they have often worked tirelessly during their political career to further the collective aims of the wealthy elite. This earns them reputations for being their sort of person, a person with a shared vision in terms of political and economic goals, and means that even if they received no money outside their office during their work, there's a motive.

>>2
Listen, faggot, it's very apparent that education needs to be a lot better in the US.  BUT, even if everyone had a fucking amazing education that still wouldn't do much to stop corruption in government.  Educated, intelligent people can still be greedy and devious, so FUCK OFF.

>>11
Educated and intelligent people would KNOW that the rest of the educated, intelligent majority would never let them get away with what politicians commonly get away with now.  DUH.  So the offing of the fuck is something that YOU will have to indulge in.  NAO.

You nihilists are so fucking stupid that it's amazing that you don't get killed in droves every day trying to walk and chew gum at the same fucking time.

>>1
Another method would be to enforce libertarian principles, this will eliminate crony capitalism entirely by not permitting laws which may be corrupt to exist in the first place.

>>12
That's all well and good, faggot, but education won't improve until the corruption in our government is fixed.  If you haven't noticed, the fuckers running things now want to keep people as dumb as possible so they can keep the wool pulled over their eyes.  The quickest way to fixing the problem would be preventing as much as possible the temptation to do underhanded things.

If we simply go along with improving education it will be decades before anything really happens.  It's not like people would be more intelligent over night.  And really we don't have decades to spare.  Shit need to be fixed NOW.  That would be "nao" in faggotspeak.

By doing as you stated, “making it illegal for anyone in public office to earn ANY income or wealth outside of their elected/appointed position” would create more problems than it solves. Our society is based on capitalism; by creating further restrictions on the salaries of politicians the incentive to become an elected official would decrease. This would thus promote the inclusion of unqualified individuals into office, for the qualified officials would seek a “better paying” job.

>>11
If we are all equally greedy can there really be corruption?

depends on the education

if you're throwing the best of merkin education out there, I don't think it will improve shit.

in b4 proletarian dictatorship

As long as there are retarded people, things won't work - I mean, is this >>13 guy going to have an intelligent opinion in anything? No, he is incapable.

>>14
Look, I understand well what you're saying, but our education has to come from a cultural base of self interest.  Have books been banned?  No.  Are there stores and libraries and computer terminals literally EVERYWHERE in the land?  Yes.  So those who WANT an education can still get it.  Each generation is simply letting the next generation slip down, and those without generation oversight are letting THEMSELVES slip down.

It DOES all boil down to the Will of the People.  The People of this nation have to WANT to be educated and intelligent.  Even if the politicians and educators temporarily disagree, the Will of the People to have a real education would soon aright such a listing ship of state.

>>16
Yes, since greed is still associated with self interest.  Greedy people still don't want to be robbed, for instance.

>>18
You have provided no contrast to this alleged lack of intelligent opinion.  FAIL ... by implication.

Also, (chemically) retarded people are supposed to be a tiny minority of any population base.  Hence, it should not be possible for that slim sector to disable the entire system of education.  That was an first-approximation conclusion, YET YOU MISSED IT.  Explain how you did that.

>>19
>Also, (chemically) retarded people are supposed to be a tiny minority of any population base
thanks a lot, captain obvious, that clearly was literal.

also, chemically retarded? lol.

>>20
chemically retarded, you know, people who fail chemistry 101.

>>15
Then you would have to icnrease their salaries so they can compete with the private sector. Though I guess it means those with financial ties to the private sector would have to relinquish them before being allowed to administrate in the state.

Reform the education system to make it free from state manipulation, and reform the media, massively subsidising independent media outlets, rather than supporting monopolising corporate ones. But you need to make a new political party first, which, given the links between private and government power in the US, could probably never compete with the dems and reps. In this kind of situation, the only hope for reform is through independent popular organising. Although apparently, scientology is more important than all this stuff.

>>23
I'm facepalming so hard it hurts. What are you, underage? HAY GUYS, FOURCHAN SHUD DO A REVOLUSHOON BY THE WAY, RON PAWL.

>>24
Shame on you for not posting a logical argument, but I agree. Subsidising media outlets is a waste of tax payers money. You believe the education system should be completely privatised so there is no state influence but then argue that the entire media must be nationalised.

>>25
Logical arguments against every idiot? You must either be new here, or you must have no life.

>>25
I should've made that clearer. I don't mean it should be privatised. By being free of state manipulation, I meant that this would entail giving more independence to the teachers. The state would still fund them, but not have any influence in what is taught.

>>24
What do you want, a 20k word thesis on an ideal society? I thought this was just an internet thread about democracy.

Also, since when has popular organising been the same thing as social revolution? If I'm the idiot, then I've just wasted time arguing against bigger idiots, or trolls... OH, right...

>>26
Welcome to 4chan.

>>28
facepalm.png

man, you're retarded