Fred Thompson quoted Burke

18th century Irish political philosopher Edmund Burke: “Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays instead of serving you if he sacrifices it to your opinion.”

That's what Fred said when a constituent complained about a vote on a controversial issue in which his vote was contrary to popular opinion.

A consummate actor, Fred knows how to deliver his lines. Nonetheless, the "powers that be (PTB)" supporting Fred are getting some political room in which to work. In this case it may be only to offset the mix of the group. However, each candidate has an agenda, much like a television script, from which to read...delicately prioritized, guided and constructed by a PTB or two. The question becomes, not that an action would be dictated by a PTB or whether their candidate is truly expressing the desired opinion of a PTB that you've become comfortable with (under the guise of whatever candidate you select). The question is, when a matter is significant requiring action which opposes the view of the populace as well as the PTB, will the candidate have the judgement and conviction to do what is best.

If the image portrayed by a PTB is pleasing to your opinions...

is it because you know and agree with them
OR
is it because the PTB knows the right buttons to push and you have not questioned the implications or details?
IF the same viewpoints expressed by the PTB's candidate, were expressed by say a Don Knotts, would you find it equally pleasing?

Maybe we should change our electoral college system, to be selected well before campaigns begin with the agreement enforced that they would not VIEW any candidate in any medium during the process but would thoroughly study,read and listen to the candidates...and strongly consider public opinion as fickle, ignorant, apathetic and easily manipulated.

Hmmmm. As I study the candidates' views on major issues I wonder just what qualifications and experience the candidates truly have to resolve issues that have yet to arrive...even the priorities of PTB's change. The more I study the more I am amazed to discover I seem to agree most with a candidate who also has the best credentials, from another party...who is ugly and hasn't a chance. Based on my current assessment...he would make the best president. And since I have revealed exclusion of one candidate simply because I said HE. So in fairness I will exclude Fred Thompson as well.

But I could be wrong.

Let me begin by denoting this is an "American/English" biased issue that might well apply to other peoples and should be considered in that fashion. Just substitute your own nation/language(s) into the logic.

I stumbled upon the DoNotCall register regarding the FTC's online process and registered my phone with the government's program. While there, I noted a special section for those who required their information En Español.

Although I have no negative feelings about Spanish or those who speak it, I am gobsmacked by the lack of equal opportunity. Here's what I think:

For those of you who do not speak English or Spanish, PLEASE complain to your congressman that you are not receiving equal opportunity as the English/Spanish speaking and want all government communication presented in your language of choice as well. Since there are over 750 languages in daily use, you can imagine the instruction "press 749 for Aragonese." Since Aragonese is spoken in Aragon Spain, not even all Spanish peoples are satisfied with "press 2 for Spanish."

For those of you who think the idea of the U.S. Government trying to speak in tongues...(as if they weren't incomprehensible already) is a silly irony...but see a need for translation at times, let me introduce you to a free online translator of text and even websites:

http://babelfish.altavista.com/

Try it! Also if you didn't know AltaVista, just know that AltaVista developed the first search able, full-text database on the World Wide Web in 1995 and was THE search engine of its day. (otherwise you'd have no search capability via Yahoo, Google, AskJeeves, AllTheWeb, etc.)
Gemmelsmerch!

And for those of you who are innovative, imagine that instead of spending millions reproducing information in Spanish (and whatever language comes after that ad infinitum) , our government instead funded a project to build a universal translator for the world...much like GPS serves the world.

Oh, one more thing. Spanish speaking people have some of the richest cultures on this planet and their inclusion is essential.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The rant is finished :
se acaba el rant; rant is beëindigd; le rant est fini; das rant wird beendet; το rant είναι τελειωμένο; il rant è rifinito; o rant é terminado ; rant закончено ; oh the heck with this - where is that universal translator. Just searching the options to find your language is exhausting.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong.

A Crucial Time

Never before has their been such a need for advanced citizenship in the United States directed towards our political system and the selection of leaders.
Please go here and become knowlegable:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21116732/

Remember to consult the enternet for what 'real people' think versus what the media tells us what we think. The source above is a media center but the video clips are "straight from the horse's mouth."