"Mode Than Just Musings" #17

TRIBES AND SUB-TRIBES

Tribal leaders are not absolute. Most of the time elections leave the tribes, Democrats or Republicans, with a small margin. Within the tribes, sub-tribes (The Freedom Caucus or the "the far left") take root with ten to fifteen percent of the tribes. Their power is in extorting the tribal leaders for their essential votes. With these votes the tribal leaders in the majority do not have to negotiate and compromise with members across the aisle to control the agenda and pass legislation. Without the sub-tribes votes and with the unacceptability of "reaching crossing the aisle," Congress becomes non-deliberative and non-productive.

Two tribes occupy one territory, one controls the water and the other has all the cashew production. All members of both tribes have a genetic defect that requires water and cashews, and both tribes recognize the need to work out a fair solution. In the process a sub-tribe demands that the accordion become the national instrument but a sub-tribe from the other tribe opposes this demand and proposes the harmonica. Everything stops to iron out this issue and they settle on the piccolo. (A hundred years later a contestant on a quiz show is asked to name our nation instrument and responds "We have a national instrument?" When told it is the piccolo, says "Really, what's a piccolo?")

Work on the cashew/water bill begins anew, but is again delayed to settle the issue of Ugs or Rockport Walkers as the national footwear. Months go by before barefoot becomes the "people's choice." (Like prohibition, the law is ignored.) Meanwhile, all legislation to fund and solve the nation's problems -- security, infrastructure, education, health care, etc. dies in committee, never making the floor. All to the joy of the lobbyists and their patrons who just might have had a hand in the accordion and Rockport Walkers.

The solution to the problem is to take the power away from the lobbyist with serious campaign finance reform and from the tribes by promoting transparency, eliminating gerrymandering, scrapping the electoral college, requiring a sixty-vote majority for lifetime appointments, and encouraging and protecting voter rights. All will encourage open-minded bipartisan candidates, inspire citizen participation, depoliticize the Supreme Court, and ban "legal bribery."

The 28th Amendment to the Constitution is a good place to start.

Contact: Jim Hamm at... 1776 yourunclesam@gmail.com

Contact your Representative-- House.gov-- Senate.Gov ......Proposed 28 Ademendent

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