4 ms·

The claim is that civil servants are the bad guys and yet somehow people we make into civil servants would somehow "fight for us" - its the same line of bullshi

by hobs 5y ago

The claim is that civil servants are the bad guys and yet somehow people we make into civil servants would somehow "fight for us" - its the same line of bullshit that politicians have been hawking for decades in America. I'm an outsider! They yell, as they have private meetings for billions. Pelosi has been in office for 18 terms... so how hasn't she been able to "fix the system"?

throwaway6734 5y ago
Because one individual rep has limited power? This is a positive thing and not a negative
- tharne 5y ago
  Pelosi is the Speaker, not some backbencher with one vote. She has enormous power, perhaps only second to the President.
  - dariusj18 5y ago
    It depends on what you mean by power. She has only as much power as her caucus will afford her. The role of Speaker has it's limits, and she's not really popular enough in party politics to sway the zeitgeist.
dariusj18 5y ago
No, the claim is that civil servants are not directly responsible to the constituency. Like it or not, Representatives are elected every two years by their constituents. Representatives get to do what they want as long as their constituency is ok with it (within the bounds of their own body's rules, which they get to vote on)
- bumby 5y ago
  That implies what, though? That the people get the government they deserve due to their unwillingness to learn and vote people out of office?
  - dariusj18 5y ago
    Or they get the government they want, or they don't get the government that they don't want. The later seems more often to be the way people vote.
- hobs 5y ago
  Gerrymandered districts and two party politics where the other guy is the worse guy conspires pretty well to make sure this never happens.
  - dariusj18 5y ago
    Gerrymandering is an issue, but it's actually the solution to greater problems. Gerrymandering itself is performed by elected officials who, again, are responsible to their constituency. The practice can be seem undemocratic, but the two party system is an eventuality, if one party starts gaining too much power and popularity then people will just start joining that party which will create a schism which will in turn create another party. We cannot guard against a two party system.

by hobs 5y ago

throwaway6734 5y ago

Because one individual rep has limited power? This is a positive thing and not a negative

tharne 5y ago
Pelosi is the Speaker, not some backbencher with one vote. She has enormous power, perhaps only second to the President.
- dariusj18 5y ago
  It depends on what you mean by power. She has only as much power as her caucus will afford her. The role of Speaker has it's limits, and she's not really popular enough in party politics to sway the zeitgeist.

dariusj18 5y ago

No, the claim is that civil servants are not directly responsible to the constituency. Like it or not, Representatives are elected every two years by their constituents. Representatives get to do what they want as long as their constituency is ok with it (within the bounds of their own body's rules, which they get to vote on)

bumby 5y ago
That implies what, though? That the people get the government they deserve due to their unwillingness to learn and vote people out of office?
- dariusj18 5y ago
  Or they get the government they want, or they don't get the government that they don't want. The later seems more often to be the way people vote.
hobs 5y ago
Gerrymandered districts and two party politics where the other guy is the worse guy conspires pretty well to make sure this never happens.
- dariusj18 5y ago
  Gerrymandering is an issue, but it's actually the solution to greater problems. Gerrymandering itself is performed by elected officials who, again, are responsible to their constituency. The practice can be seem undemocratic, but the two party system is an eventuality, if one party starts gaining too much power and popularity then people will just start joining that party which will create a schism which will in turn create another party. We cannot guard against a two party system.