Thread: I know how to get some transparency in government

So I had an idea this morning. Someone should write this sleazeball that owns TMZ.com and suggest to him a new way to make tons of money and add millions of subscribers. Start stalking politicians. True, they are not as attractive as Angelina, Jennifer, Brittney, or Hannah Montana, but think about all the juicy shit you could uncover. And as far as the public, they would eat that shit up. Imagine standing in line at the grocery store and seeing magazines with headlines like "Kay Bailey has coke filled orgy with 2 male strippers all on your tax dollar!" Every time one of these douchebag politicians steps foot on a tax payer provided jet to go to some "conference" in sunny Miami, there our army of papparazi will be, waiting to uncover their dirty little secrets.

I couldn't give two shits what Brangelina is wearing or how many fucking babies Madonna wants to adopt, but I would sure as hell tune in to see what my corrupt politicians are doing. Maybe this would help keep them in line.

Originally Posted by MoufRoof

So I had an idea this morning. Someone should write this sleazeball that owns TMZ.com and suggest to him a new way to make tons of money and add millions of subscribers. Start stalking politicians. True, they are not as attractive as Angelina, Jennifer, Brittney, or Hannah Montana, but think about all the juicy shit you could uncover. And as far as the public, they would eat that shit up. Imagine standing in line at the grocery store and seeing magazines with headlines like "Kay Bailey has coke filled orgy with 2 male strippers all on your tax dollar!" Every time one of these douchebag politicians steps foot on a tax payer provided jet to go to some "conference" in sunny Miami, there our army of papparazi will be, waiting to uncover their dirty little secrets.

I couldn't give two shits what Brangelina is wearing or how many fucking babies Madonna wants to adopt, but I would sure as hell tune in to see what my corrupt politicians are doing. Maybe this would help keep them in line.

Nice idea but here's the problem...the Republican's generally live very unexciting lives outside of the political arena. Yes, there are the occasional freakshows like the gay Congressman from FL (Foley?) who sent the off-color sexual emails to various House pages. But those get broadcast like one of Commissioner Gordon's calls for the Batman. The real freaks are generally on the D side (Ex: Barney Franks gay lover running a gay prostitution biz from the basement) but the main stream media won't cover it with any sustained effort. Fox will, but they lose gas as soon as something else comes along.

And most of the time it wouldn't matter. Politicians would just apologize, spin it, apologize some more, divorce their wives (which many seem to want anyway) and continue to kiss all the right asses, while apologizing and being re-elected because they "are just one of the people". Votes matter less and less as dollars grow.

If you really want to screw over politicians, then go after lobbyists. Since most people vote for whoever has the prettiest commercials, and the greatest number of them (see Obama campaign), the public acts pretty much like a 6 year old being told to eat their vegetables by mommy and daddy. Take away those dollars, and the pretty overly saturated ad space that goes with them, and watch politicians start running based on merit. THEN, their dirty laundry would matter more.

And to add insult to injury, most 'news gathering' organizations are run by people who are prodominantly pro-Dem/Liberal. Which pretty much means the last thing they are going to do is publicly humiliate members of their 'party'. Fox tries to go to bat for the Reps, but they come across as strong-arming and totally biased.

What they should do is come up with a list of "if you do this, and we prove it, you lose your office automatically". No political process, posturing or justification. Just gone. It'd be kind of like a prenuptial agreement with the registered voters. If you can put in a contract that if your wife sleeps around on you, she gets no money in the divorce, then why not give politicians the same sort of contract? If they are really the stand up people they say they are, then they can agree unequivocally and without reservation knowing the consequences. Sounds easy.

Then we know, they know, that we know, what everyone wants to know and will know eventually anyway. Clear?

Doesn't matter.

And we should cut the balls off corrupt politicans. You know, as sort of a final parting gift. Hell, as a taxpayer, I'd even pay for it. It'd get rid of all the sex scandals and testosterone filled rants most politicians make decisions based on anyway.

i say just put lobbists and policians to work at mcdonalds and put real people in office then we might get something done. You take someone making 40000 a year give them 100000. To sit and make desicion based on facts instead of whos putting the must money in there pocket. We might get somethng done.

Either Obama is a lying sack of shite (Mr. Reform), or Bush wasn't that bad after all.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30292790

Originally Posted by David Sobel

"In light of all the fanfare at the highest levels of the administration about a new transparency policy, it's remarkable that not one word of additional material has been released as a result of that new policy," said David Sobel, the foundation's lawyer in the case.

I wouldn't want the paparrazi to just look for sex scandals. I mean follow them everywhere. Report on who they are meeting with, what they are buying, every single activity. I don't want them to fart without someone taking a picture of it. When they realize they are being watched at all times and every single decision is being scrutinized they will learn to get their shit straight. If they are doing what they are supposed to be doing then there will be no interest in following them. Just like celebrities, the public and the paparrazi don't pay attention to the goody goodies.

I agree that there should be some sort of "one strike and you are out" law for politicians. The same could be said for athletes. They make all this money and can't keep from snorting coke or getting in bar fights. Pay me $20 million a year, hell $1 million, and I'll never have a sip of alcohol, smoke a cigarette, speed, change lanes without signaling, nothing. You'd think Jesus himself was playing pro ball.

Of course, my idea with the paparrazi is not to be taken seriously. It was something that popped into my head this morning and I thought I would share it. I know there is no way something like this would work, but it sure would be nice if it could. Somehow we've got to let these fuckers know we mean business and waiting 2 years to vote them out is not good enough.

For sure Mouf. You're preaching to the choir my friend.