Politics: The Art of Convincing People that Your Shit is Indeed Made of Gold.

     During my forced retirement I've thought about dabbling in politics. I talk about it all the time and have always taken an interest in how political campaigns are ran. Then I came to realize that I am ill suited for such things. I lack the tact and patience to endure a grueling campaign. Also begging for money isn't my thing. Thanks to our current campaign finance laws instead of me asking a couple of rich people to give me money, I have to beg like a common whore so I can have a large group of people support my campaign. And on top of that I am basically beholden to these people who donated to my campaign and they will expect me to always create special privileges for them. I can't do that. It goes against everything I believe in with respect to the government and it's role. Last but not least, I would lose.

    I live in Chicago which has been a Democratic Party stronghold since forever so that would ruin my chances of actually winning. Secondly, my platform would not be as dazzling as Obama's or Clinton's. I would have, " You Could Do A Hell of A Lot Worse," as my campaign slogan. But if people could you look past that I would seriously advocate to decriminalize illegal drugs and instead of putting people in jail for addiction, I would treat drug use a public health issue. As for Obamacare, I would repeal the shit out of it. Not because I am heartless towards the sick and the poor but because it does nothing to lower health care costs. Yay, everyone has insurance but the costs keep on rising and now everyone is on the hook for the rise in costs. This right here would probably make me a pariah and thus handing my opponent an easy win.

     I like to be honest and I hate bullshitting people. I wouldn't be the guy who say that the rich aren't paying their fair share and thus we take a crapload of money from them to fund X,Y, and Z program. That's fucking infantile thinking and I would call it that. Good way of alienating potential supporters. I would simplify the tax code, so corporations, private partnerships, and sole proprietors won't have to hire a shit ton of lawyers and accountants to see how they can navigate through the tax system. Capital Gains and Dividend taxes would be zero and federal corporate taxes would be 20 percent. It's only that high so the progressives won't crucify me. But then I would be accused of being a patsy for the corporate elite. Elizabeth Warren would go on a fucking hunger strike until I am thrown out of office. In all fairness though, I would probably get angry and call her a statist c-word. Using the c-word would alienate the feminists but shit, they wouldn't vote for me anyway after I publicly tell Sandra Fluke to fuck off. It's on my bucket list.

And the gays can get married, so that would probably alienate the GOP voters.

I am shitty at this politics thing.

The Introdution

"… Already long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man, the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions — everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses."

This is possibly one of the best quotes I have come across in a long time. Roman satirist and poet, Juvenal realized that the people all but abdicated their duties as citizens and were only appeased through spectacles and grain. The government at the time knew that if they appeased the people and catered to their baser instincts, they could accumulate power. The mob held the keys to power and if you displeased them, they could and usually did replace you with someone who would promise them the world while providing entertainment. Witnessing the 2012 elections or watching any of the 24 hour news networks, one could sympathize with Juvenal. It's nothing new of course and like the former glorious Roman Empire it will lead us to ruin. When you have a society where leaders tell the people that the government will give them everything they need, while on top of that saying that some wealthy person will pay for all this, you will probably be elected. Alongside ripping your competitor apart through the use of slander and caving in to the baser needs of people, your power will remain unchallenged until of course some other person can do a better job at bullshitting.
I will be the first to admit that I am a fucking dogmatic individual  I have my beliefs and until you can fully convince me (which is rare) I will hold on to such beliefs. That doesn't mean that I won't to listen to other's opinions. One thing I learned in college is when you only associate with people who shares your views but yet refuse to be around those who will challenge your views and assumptions, you lose out on so much. My hope for this blog is that this will open up dialogue. This will at the very least let people see other's points of views. It will lead us down a path of discovery. Even if I don't convert anyone to my way of thinking, at the very least I want people to think.
Don't worry though. Politics and economics won't be the only thing that will be discussed on this forum. Fashion, education, sex, popular culture, the Wire, relationships, and all things considered serious and absurd will be discussed. There's no hold's barred on what will be talked about. Anyway, welcome and as always I want some feedback.
Gerald