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Electing a representative who simply does what the people want


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2023 Feb 25, 11:27pm   407 views  12 comments

by Patrick   ➕follow (60)   💰tip   ignore  

https://joshketry.substack.com/p/the-world-needs-courageous-leaders


The place that our current system fails us is with representation. This arrangement used to work but it has been corrupted. Today, representatives don’t know (or care) what their constituents want, let alone how to be courageous enough to stand up for them.

Once in power, politicians vote on bills they never read written by corporations and special interest groups that don’t have the people’s best interests in mind. They also make promises to the people that are never kept. For all of this there is no accountability. They tell YOU what issues you should care about (in a top-down fashion), and they almost never care about the harm the aftermath of their policies create. They only actually pretend to listen once every few years when it comes time for elections.

But there exists another way - a way to game our system back and give the voice back to the people like it was originally intended. And since the current status quo of politicians don’t want to sit down to listen and work with their constituents, we propose a foundational change to what we demand of our representatives.

Sure, there might be some good-natured politicians who see this as a way to accentuate their honest efforts - and that’s great. But most politicians will hate it, especially the corrupt ones. It will be the perfect litmus test to see which one of these representatives are actually on the side of the people, and which ones are only about themselves or the special interests that have corrupted them. ...

Imagine:

Lindsey Brown (a fictional character for our story) is running for office. What she is about to do is going to change the paradigm of what is expected of representation moving forward. It really wouldn’t matter who Lindsey Brown is or what party she runs under. All that matters about her is this:

1) She is willing to decentralize her own leadership.

That’s it. She literally doesn’t need to know anything about politics. She won’t be doing anything on her own, as We The People will all be there guiding her as she intentionally decentralizes her role back to the people.

Imagine she takes office, turns around and tells her constituents, “You are all in control now. I am just a figurehead. A representative. I will make suggestions, but otherwise your voice is going to be my voice. Your actions, my actions. Tell me what you want to see done, and I will work with you and we will do it together.” ...

First, we build a new, transparent, decentralized, trustworthy platform that we all agree to use to create this enhanced representative relationship. This platform would be separate from the government and 100% controlled and built by the people (like we described here, here, and here). Instead of telling her constituents what she is going to do, she uses this new technology to create a “listening society,” one that includes the constituents in on the policy making. ...

If we can find politicians and other leaders willing to decentralize their own positions - or, better yet - if we can find a way to unify and demand this type of leadership - this could catch on like wildfire and soon be the norm.

”I am not the leader,” is what a good leader should say, “we all are.”

Imagine if our candidate, Lindsey Brown, refuses to accept any campaign finances.

Then, she takes office. ...

Picture it almost being like an interactive reality TV show. We would get to see how the government actually works behind closed doors. All the snags she hits will be snags we can experience and overcome together. We will get to see the horrible sea of red tape needed to enact policies. All contracts, all policies, and all bills will be run by the platform and constituents first.

Imagine hearing all sides of the debate - piece by piece - instead of just being told what we should be in favor of based on divided partisan lines.

If the media attacks her for her decisions, they would actually be attacking us, because we would be directly part of the decisions. When she speaks, she will always be speaking for the people directly.

In other words, a real representative democracy.




Comments 1 - 12 of 12        Search these comments

1   Patrick   2023 Feb 25, 11:31pm  

https://joshketry.substack.com/p/lets-build-a-4th-branch-of-government


The time is ripe to take ownership for this concept, and work together to create something brand new. Something transparent and trustworthy. Something decentralized, aligned, organized, and powerful. Something that government itself has no say in or control over - including how it is built and how we evolve and engage with it.

As we have written about many times, our biggest problem in the world today is that our systems have been corrupted by colluding actors who do not have the best interest of We The People in mind.

If we can find a way to unify - even temporarily - and set down our arms against each other (over the hot button issues, politics, etc.), we can stand against the people doing the corrupting. It is the most important thing we can do as citizens. It is also what the powerful people who are doing the corrupting fear most.
2   GreaterNYCDude   2023 Feb 26, 5:20am  

The word decentralized is a red flag for me. Sure enough this article was a backdoor sales pitch for crypto as much as it was enlightening about ways We The People can hold our government to account.

A far as a "tell me what you want me to do" representative. That's a case of good in theory, horrible in reality. The general public isn't the best arbiter of what is prudent for for long term interests. Add to that that he who yells the loudest generally gets heard. Look at the internet. It's a modern day echo chamber. True rational discussion is rare. Even here at Patnet it's less frequent than it once was.

We need people with values. Thoes who have firm positions and clear ideals and won't bend on principle, be it for money or for popular opinion.

Frankly @Patrick - You should step up and run for office.
3   komputodo   2023 Feb 26, 7:55am  

GreaterNYCDude says

We need people with values. Thoes who have firm positions and clear ideals and won't bend on principle, be it for money or for popular opinion.

We have wookieman running for office. That could be a game changer.
4   RayAmerica   2023 Feb 26, 8:48am  

A little background info:

I grew up in politics. My father held office in a then major city. Although I was the youngest, I was the only one that he would take to 'closed door' meetings, allowing me to observe the behind the scenes political maneuverings. It was quite an education. He also told me stories about crooked politicians in our city and how big businesses and the banks corrupted practically everyone. He once told me that there was far more theft going on at the Board of Education than anywhere else. The kickbacks to the voting board members came from the contractors who were awarded multi-million dollar contracts, often for projects and materials that weren't even needed. All of this was too much for my father. After running unopposed in his last two elections, to everyone's astonishment, he simply walked away.

Later, for 9 years, I worked for several politicians, one that went on to become a two term Governor & two term U. S. Senator. I saw first hand how big time politics really works, and it wasn't pretty. But, because you are on the 'inside,' you're able to justify a lot of things. However, towards the end of my political career, as a young adult, I became a Christian and the conflicts began to become ever more stark. Morality, convictions and politics just do not mix, and my unwillingness to continue to do the political 'to get along, you have go along,' not surprisingly, cost me my job. Although this happened during a deep recession, I was relieved to be out of the cess pool of politics.

I can say this with total conviction; politicians KNOW that the voting public is generally gullible and uninformed. They know that most voters don't have a clue about real issues, and, that they are easily swayed by what they (the politicians) SAY. Most voters vote for candidates for two basic reasons; name recognition and party affiliation. Plus, voters are influenced by the never ending campaign, sound-bite, extremely costly political propaganda that they are inundated with every election season. And who is it that provides the money for that political propaganda? The very people that the politicians are REALLY beholden to.

Back when I worked in politics, I knew several younger guys that felt the same way that I did. We used to say 'if the people only knew what we knew, there would be a revolt.' We knew that big money controls politicians along with the political process. That's why they hated Trump so much, because he was not part of the 'system.' He didn't need their money, and was able to bypass them. The problem that Trump ran into was that the Deep State had far more power than he did, and their power even extended to being able to successfully remove him from office by stealing the 2020 election. Incidentally, if Trump wins the GOP nomination, what makes you think that they won't be able to steal that election as well?
5   HeadSet   2023 Feb 26, 9:10am  

RayAmerica says

We used to say 'if the people only knew what we knew, there would be a revolt.'

Nope. The public is just as dishonest as the politicians. If the Public cared about integrity, they would primary out the grifters and liars.
6   Patrick   2023 Feb 26, 9:18am  

GreaterNYCDude says

Frankly Patrick - You should step up and run for office.


Thanks @GreaterNYCDude

If patrick.net ever gets really popular, I might consider it, because it would give me a direct platform I could use to talk to voters instead of being dependent on some corporation.
7   RayAmerica   2023 Feb 26, 9:24am  

HeadSet says


Nope. The public is just as dishonest as the politicians. If the Public cared about integrity, they would primary out the grifters and liars.

Keep in mind, that was merely an observation made many years ago, by idealistic young men. I came to realize later that public leaders are, more or less, really nothing other than a reflection of the people. Just one example: back in 1964, Nelson Rockefeller was the heavy favorite to win the GOP nomination for President. Prior to the election season, Rockefeller divorced his wife, and immediately he dropped in the polls like a rock falling from the sky. Why? Because an outraged public refused THEN to support a divorced man.

Flash forward ... flunky mayor of a small, failed town Pete Buttigieg ran for President as a candidate that was 'married' to another 'man.' He was considered to be a serious candidate, something unimaginable just a few years prior. The popular 'morals' of modern America make it a real possibility that a practicing sodomite very well might become POTUS. If the 'morality' of the American public can accept a sodomite, what else are they willing to accept?
8   RayAmerica   2023 Feb 26, 9:53am  

Patrick says

If patrick.net ever gets really popular, I might consider it, because it would give me a direct platform I could use to talk to voters instead of being dependent on some corporation.

Here's the real world of politics, which is incredibly dirty. IF somehow you got elected as an outsider, you would be treated accordingly.

Years ago, I knew a young man that had just been elected to the State House as a Representative. We were at a party when we sat down in a corner of the room and had a long talk. I asked him 'are you going down there as a maverick or as a go along?' He told me emphatically that he was going to be a maverick. I told him the following: "Here's what you are going to face. You will be given no seat on any meaningful committee. You'll be given a dingy office in the basement that isn't much bigger than a broom closet. If you introduce legislation, it will never go beyond the committee process for a vote on the floor. If it's popular legislation that the power structure wants, in time, they will change the wording, rework it, and reintroduce it through one of their lackeys with a lot of publicity. By doing that, you will never get any credit. In short, if you don't 'go along,' they're going to cut your legs out from under you, and they may even work to primary you out."

He went down to the State House and I was able to discern quickly that he was in fact 'playing the game.' A few years later, the powers to be got behind him and ran him for an open seat for a retiring Congressman. He won. After about 3 or 4 terms in Congress, he walked away and (SURPRISE!) became a LOBBYIST. Apparently, the lure of money was far more attractive than being a lowly backbencher.

It was Lord Acton that said: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men…"

The problem is that the system is corrupt, and, it tends to attract easily corruptible people. Often, well intentioned people get elected, but are soon overwhelmed by the 'system,' so they decide that they can't fight it and just 'go along in order to get along.'
9   GreaterNYCDude   2023 Feb 26, 10:00am  

Patrick says


GreaterNYCDude says


Frankly Patrick - You should step up and run for office.


Thanks GreaterNYCDude

If patrick.net ever gets really popular, I might consider it, because it would give me a direct platform I could use to talk to voters instead of being dependent on some corporation.


Flip it. If you run and get your name out there (literally) the site will be your messaging platform, and it WILL get more traffic. Go for it!
10   WookieMan   2023 Feb 26, 10:09am  

RayAmerica says

He once told me that there was far more theft going on at the Board of Education than anywhere else. The kickbacks to the voting board members came from the contractors who were awarded multi-million dollar contracts, often for projects and materials that weren't even needed.

School boards are full of theft. I've dealt with it. Was at an event last night for our PTO and the outgoing superintendent was there. It was on private property. I legit wanted to punch his fucking face. Calmed the anger and enjoyed what ended up being a ridiculous night like a college party.

He wasted $400k of taxpayer money on an athletic field (don't want to dox as a basic search would find it). They didn't report minutes and no one shows up for board meetings from the public. I brought this to the attention of the States Attorney in the county. They said it was illegal, but they weren't doing anything about it. Local media did report it, so the shenanigans are known in the community.

Attorneys have waaaaaaaay too much authority over how things work. $400k of taxpayer money, they admit it wasn't legal, and nothing. No recourse. No jobs lost. I think attorney generals at all levels are at fault really with government corruption. The officials that are there to investigate government officials don't investigate. They'll lose their job. So there's no point in going after corruption. Our judicial system is the weakest link in government accountability. Media sometimes works, but they also need ad revenue so they make up shit to get your clicks and eyes on the TV screen.
11   DhammaStep   2023 Feb 26, 1:22pm  

"A representative that does what the people want?" Fuck that. The people around me wanted me thrown into camps or dead because I didn't want to mask up or get an experimental jab. Frankly, fuck the people.
12   WookieMan   2023 Feb 26, 1:39pm  

DhammaStep says

"A representative that does what the people want?" Fuck that. The people around me wanted me thrown into camps or dead because I didn't want to mask up or get an experimental jab. Frankly, fuck the people.

Valid point, but who made the people think like that? That would lay at the feet of Fauci in my opinion with regard to covid. People are easily brainwashed. 1% of the population gets bullied but then somehow established a loud voice over the majority. Gay, trans, etc. With all forms of media today, it's easily to fuck with people's minds. That's why I tend to rely on anecdotal evidence.

Outside of traumatic injury that's obvious, and some other health ailments, I trust no one. I went to a doctor and physical therapy over 5 months. Multiple X-rays. Obviously the first visit. They probably got $4k is my guess, maybe more. I only needed the first visit in hindsight. Physical therapy actually was nice. Didn't think I was a foot guy but getting a foot massage 3 times a week was nice. Didn't heal the bone any faster though. Still hurts to this day. They then just throw pills at you if it still hurts. I just deal.

Have a hip flexor issue currently and it's fucking up the entire left side of my body. I need physical therapy, but I'm only doing it if it's a cute female therapist. lol. I need to start shopping.

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