Monday, July 16, 2007



I usually think writing to elected representatives is a waste of time. There is no way even a million of us will affect the folks in the Senate and House more than the massive checks from big corps. That said, short of taking up a gun and joining a revolution, what else can a constitution loving liberal like myself do in times like these? So- in the interest of not being an apathetic person- I just shot this off to Babs Boxer, a great senator from California. Sure it won't do a hill of beans, but at least I tried. Thought I'd share:



+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I would like to know your views on impeachment hearings for Dick Cheney and George W. Bush.

I think it is time for our elected representatives to get to the bottom of what many of us feel are the current administration's lies to the people and disrespect for our constitution. If the hearings do not bear this out, then so be it. Good for us as a nation.

If the hearings do prove what many of us feel- that it is time for the corrupt administration in the White House to go- then good for us as a nation. It will mean our elected officials have put the fear of not being elected again aside and protected our constitution with the same bravery and courage shown by our troops who are dying daily in Iraq.

Please search your heart and look into this matter. Like any job that you love, it must be scary to risk losing it. I can appreciate this. But please do not let your love for your job come before the love for your country.

Thanks for all you've done for our state,

David Jaffe

++++++++++++++++++++

NOW we'll start seeing some fucking changers around here!!!

...errr.....yeah.


:)

David

42 comments:

Anonymous said...

Right on, fight the power... by using the power of mail! sort of. Let's get those bastards out of there.

Unknown said...

Yeah, Bush is doing a bad job on things for sure. Conservatives even can't stand him because he's giving them a bad name. they'll be changes, its only like 1.5 years until we get a new president. Hopefully the new one will be a constitution lover.

I personally would love to get someone in there with libertarian views to kick some ass and give us our damn freedom. Get rid of the IRS and instill the fair tax plan. Hell yes.

David Jaffe said...

He needs to be impeached Jeff.

Allowing him to get away with what he has will only make future adminitrations- democrat or republican- feel they can do what they want and the American people will sit by.

Impeaching him is right because he deserves to be impeached. It's also right because it sends a message to future presidents: don't fuck with the American people. You work for us.

Just my 25 cents :)

David

Rob Zepeda said...

Its too late for an impeachment. I don't even think the current administration cares too much, because they basically accomplished everything they planned to do.

An impeachment at this point would be merely a symbolic thing.

Believe I think Bush is a terrible president, but I have felt this way for years. Iraq, Oil grubbing, Patriot Act, and Homeland Security are all things that Bush gets to add to his list of 'accomplishments' and I think he was put into power to get those things done.

Anonymous said...

No disrespect to you personaly Dave but a pic like that looks more what would be created by a kid in school. No one would take is as a serious argument...I hope sarcasm was your intent because that's all it represents.

I'm not here to defend Bush but he is only one man...there is a whole political machine that drives the nation and that is run by the all mighty dollar paid for by large corperations.

The system needs to be flushed out for sure but people need to start where they can effect the most change...the ballot box. Start paying attention to the cogs that drive the wheel. Elect people who will fight the good fight rather than bend with the wind and just follow the rest of the constituants.

I am very politicaly involved and active in my local and national government. I have recieved letters from both the senate and house of representatives acknowlaging my contributions on issues I have represented and I didn't recieve them by emailing them photoshopped pics, I recieved them, by formulating a well thought out letter explaining my position, how I expect my elected officials to contribute, and the benifits to people for doing so.

I personaly don't see any benefit to the county spending millions of dollars and judicial time on a system that will only be in place for a few more months. Even if it all came about they would only blame some underling for not providing the proper information and they would all get a pardon once the new election is over.

David Jaffe said...

No Fear:

a- that was a pic I found on the net. I did not send it with my letter to Senator Boxer. I just thought it was a funny and appropriate pic for the post.

b- I disagree 100% that we should just let these guys ride out the term. We are supposed to be the greatest country in the fucking world, man. What does it say about us and our sense of justice and fair play if we let this group get away with what they have? And what message does it send to whoever gets in office afterwards? It's not about being pardoned or not. Nixon was pardoned but he was punished for breaking the very laws that the fuck was elected to protect and promote. If we let them get away with this, it sends a message to the world that America is a land of 'get away with whatever you can, no one will mind cause it's too much trouble to deal with it'.

c- The electoral process is broken in a major way. I vote every 2 and 4 years and do what I can BUT the reality is, the corps run the machine and they are too powerful at this point to do anything about. This is not a government for and by the people anymore. It's a government for the rich and powerful and the rest of us are being sold a bill of goods in order to keep us quiet and uneducated.

David

Anonymous said...

IRT da criminal...

a) You are right it is funny and does fit your piece so my sarcasm theory was appropriate. gg

b) I accept your opinion with all due respect. I just feel that after the millions of tax monies are spend with all the lawyers, investigators, inquiries and hearings will we get what we feel is a fair and just government with people being held accountable or will we get a scape goat to pin it on while the real criminals skip out of town. I would love to see justice served but I just think it’s too late in the game…and I don’t want to go into extra innings on this one.

c) I agree 100% but I don't think it should to stop me or you from trying, nor do I think it will.

Keep on rocking Dave

Chris said...

Wait, Boxer a "great" Senator? I'm sure it would make an interesting conversation amongst the THREE people that were online when I wanted to play a little Calling all Cars the other night.

David Jaffe said...

As Senator's go, she's- to me- the one who reps most of the liberal thoughts in my head. Certainly a hell of a lot more than Feinstein does. I would love to hear that conversation if those are liberal folks as I always assumed the more lefty folks like me dug her about 75% of the time.

paul said...

Bush fucked the US over for years to come. Its gonna be really hard for the new president to pull out of Iraq without looking like a total pussy. Once youre in, its really hard to just get out so my best wishes to our next president. But hey, the only way to go is up.

Anonymous said...

IRT paul

Tru Dat!

We have a huge mess to dig our selves out of and it will take years. We also have other global issues to deal with that were ignored under the current administration and I would rather see money spent on that rather than thrown at a kangaroo court.

Our nation and planet needs healing, let the new administration cast the blame where it lies, but also let the new yong ones coming into this new administation do so without the blight and scurge of complete political turmoil. Because wheather or not anything is done about the current system they will still have the same difficult task ahead of them and I would rahter have them get right to it.

Thanks

Anonymous said...

Dear Dave,

I just wanted to throw my thoughts into this little discussion, because politics is one of the enjoyable things there is to debate, at least in my opinion. I can totally understand where your argument and reasoning is coming from. But as “no fear” alluded to in the 5th post, it is the machinery of American politics that seemingly is the problem. As other people have already stated so far, I’m not hear to defend Bush. I feel that his stubbornness is definitely hurting the country, but it’s the machinery that needs to be fixed, not just one person. The overall problem of American democracy is that it is held captive by the political theory of elitism. This theory argues that it is not the regular people who control the power and make the decisions, but it is a small group of elites who hold the power and make only the decisions that benefit themselves, and others who hold their same interests. In short, the elites practice self-preservation, as does any entity trying to justify its existence, such as a bureaucracy. I think the last election in 2004 was a great example of how elitist American government really is. On one ticket you had Bush, who was the son of a former CIA director and was a former oil man and partner of a multi-million dollar professional baseball organization. You had Cheney, who was a former Secretary of Defense who made millions through energy corporations like Halliburton. On the other ticket you had John Kerry, whose wife had an estimated net worth of around 750 million dollars. You also had John Edwards, who was a former multi-million dollar trial lawyer. Even going back to earlier elections you had Bill Clinton, a former Rhodes scholar, and Al Gore, the son of a U.S. Senator, who then became a U.S. Senator himself, and then became Vice President. I’m not arguing that any of these men should be ashamed of the type of life that they have had. I just find it incredibly ironic that during the last several elections it was men like these that were trying to convince the American people that they were just average, humble people, trying to do what’s best for the country. These men were running for the power, and nothing else, expect maybe for a chance to be remembered in the history books.

The theory of elitism can be seen elsewhere as well. Take for instance campaign finance. In 2000, Bush outspent Gore by about 66 million dollars, and in 2004 Bush outspent Kerry by about 35 million dollars. In Illinois during the 2006 mid-term election, 17 of the 19 districts up for grabs were won by the person who raised and spent more money than their opponent. Even your Senator Boxer falls into line with this theory of elitism as well. In 2004 she raised and spent close to 16 million dollars and got 58% of the vote, while her closest competitor raised and spent only 6.7 million and got 38% of the vote:

http://opensecrets.org/races/summary.asp?ID=CAS1&Cycle=2004

This idea of elitism can been seen right now for the race for 2008. You will get your wish, and Bush will be out in 2008. The Constitution that you fear is being ripped to shreds guarantees that he will be out of office. However, the winner of the White House, even if it will be a Democrat, will still represent this theory of elitism. Analysts are saying that if a candidate can’t raise 100 million dollars for 2008, then they might as well drop out right now. If a candidate can’t raise the 100 million dollar entry fee, then they won’t be a major force within the election. The analysts are also saying that the ultimate winner of the White House will probably spend between 400 million and 500 million dollars. So you see it’s not just one person, like Bush, but the whole system that’s crazy. We have elitist politicians working in an elitist system of government where all you seemingly have to do is just outspend your opponents, and you can buy your way, for lack of a better term, jobs in Congress or the White House. Our elitist system is getting so bad that in the 2008 race for President we will have ONE election that will cost ONE person, in all probability, HALF A BILLION DOLLARS!

I feel the biggest part of the problem is directly coming from the corporations. Back in 2000 two of the biggest donors to the Republican convention were GM and AT&T. Both of these companies donated one million dollars, or more, to the convention. Now some people could look at that and say, “ HA! You see, that proves that they ARE in bed with big money.” The only problem is that in 2000 two of the biggest contributors to the Democratic convention were GM and AT&T. The problem is that somewhere over the course of our nation’s history, the regular electorate has lost their power in government. You are dead-on right, this government is supposed to be for the people, and by the people. Unfortunately, this has now been replaced with for the elites and corporations, and by the elites and corporations.

So what does all this talk of elitism have to do with your letter of impeachment for Bush. The reasons I feel that he will not be impeached are as follows:

1) The Democrats are foaming at the mouth to get the White House back. They have control of Congress, and if they can keep that going, and win the White House, they will be able to right all the wrongs. However, the Democrats apparently bite off more than they could chew. Right now the Democratically controlled Congress has an approval rating or around 25%, depending on what poll you read. The people are seemingly upset that the Democrats had offered so much during the run-up to the election, and now they can’t deliver. The interesting part is that the approval rating for Congress is still below that of Bush right now, with Bush standing at around 30/31%. The Democrats don’t have the political clout to pull off an impeachment. If they do, their meager approval rating would crash through the floor, and they could seriously hinder their chances at winning the White House in 2008 which, at least right now, look very good.

2) The impeachment would be tricky for the Democrats to do because of a lack of moral grounding for it. This point revolves back to what was said in the preceding paragraphs about elitism. The Iraq invasion resolution was passed by a 296-133 margin in the House, of which 81 Democrats voted in favor of. The same resolution passed 77-23 in the Senate, of which 29 voted in favor of. The Patriot Act passed the House 357-66, and passed the Senate 98-1. The point here is that Bush needed Democrats, not all but a sizeable chunk, in order to gets these things passed. In order to get the majority needed to pass anything, a Republican president needs Democrats, just like a Democrat president needs Republicans. These types of votes help show that the elites of the system, voted in favor of self-preservation. Some voted because they truly believed what they were doing was right. Others voted because they didn’t want to be the only person standing when the music stopped and they didn’t have a chair. They didn’t want to be the odd-person out. Maybe they were facing a tough re-election campaign and didn’t want to appear soft on terrorism? Maybe they didn’t want to appear soft when in the back of their minds they had their eyes set on higher political offices? You can justly criticize Bush for what he did after these things passed. But he did not do it by himself, and neither did Cheney. The system, Democrats, Republicans, the White House, Congress, all contributed to the current state of things. As a matter of fact I give a great deal of respect to John Edwards for apologizing for his vote. He is one of the few people of character, I feel, in the current system. Also, I think Obama should be given his respect as well, because he had always been against these motions, and he has never wavered on his conviction.

3) If the huge anti-war fervor of the 1960s couldn’t produce the impeachment of LBJ (Hey Hey LBJ, How many kids you kill today?), when we were embroiled in a conflict that killed 58,000 Americans, then I doubt that it would be able to happen now, where we have unfortunately lost 3,700. Again, it’s not Bush or Cheney whose at fault, it’s the system as a whole. Ever since the days of Jefferson, the executive has been able to siphon more and more power to itself. This is basically what Eisenhower warned America about when he discussed the military industrialized complex. IKE knew the dangers of combining the nation’s armed forces, private industry, and political and commercial interests. It should be no great shock to people that American companies, especially ones with close ties to major politicians are rebuilding Iraq and Afghanistan, and getting huge government contracts. This is exactly what we have been moving towards and doing for the last 50 years or so! The executive has been able to exercise incredible amounts of power in the last 60 years or so. For example, how about war. Most people don’t realize that the last war America was in officially ended in September of 1945. Congress is the only entity with the right to declare war, and that hasn’t been exercised since WWII. Very few people realize that officially, it was called the Korean police action, and the Vietnam conflict. These two episodes of world history certainly had all the trappings of a war, but officially they were not. That’s because the executive has the power to bypass Congress for these decisions. As a matter of fact the Iraq resolution for Bush is not really that much different than the Gulf of Tonkin resolution for LBJ. The executive has an immense amount of power, and the only way they are able to truly use it by the good-graces of Congress, which means Republicans and Democrats are at fault.

4) The last point I wanted to bring up was the pardoning of Libby. First off, it wasn’t a full pardon. Yes he avoided jail time, but the 250,000 dollar fine remained. So his sentence was commuted, not pardoned. However, this really isn’t any different than many other executives throughout recent history. Bill Clinton for example pardoned Democrat Dan Rostenkowski, who had to step down from his seat in Congress after he was indicted on corruption charges, and later admitted to mail fraud. Clinton also pardoned Democrat Mel Reynolds, a congressmen who had to step down after being convicted on 12 counts of sexual assault, obstruction of justice, and solicitation of child pornography, in addition to being indicted for having sex with a 16-year old campaign volunteer. Keep in mind that these were United States Congressmen! George H.W. Bush pardoned the National Security Advisor and Secretary of Defense under Ronald Regan due to their involvement in the Iran-Contra affair. Jimmy Carter pardoned a person who tried to assassinate President Harry S. Truman, and commuted the sentence of one of the most notorious people in the Watergate scandal, G. Gordon Liddy. Gerald Ford, in a move than killed his Presidency for the most part, pardoned Richard Nixon. So you see Bush is not the first the pardon or commute the sentence of someone who has done some fairly dubious things, or who has close ties to the President. He is simply a man who is taking advantage of a system that is there to be taken advantage of, just like all his predecessors before him…regardless of political affiliation.

In all of this, I’m certainly not trying to get you to like Bush or back off on Bush. As I stated earlier, I’m not here to defend Bush. You have your opinions, and while I don’t necessarily agree with you on all fronts, I certainly can understand where you are coming from, and I respect your right to your opinions; just as I hope you respect my right to my opinions, even though I don‘t expect you to agree with me. I’m just trying to convey my thoughts and opinion that it’s not the individual that’s the problem, it’s the system. To clarify that, the ideals and the principles of the system are good and true. What has happened is that America has gone off track, and not just because of Bush, Cheney, Clinton, the Democrats, or the Republicans. This has been a process that started a couple hundred years ago, and each President from both parties has contributed to it. The true question is the following: Will America be able to stop this process of severe polarization that is occurring throughout our political system, and be able to return to a system that speaks more true to the ideals the country was founded upon, and not just to get an individual out, like Bush, or to get a party out, like the Republicans or Democrats, but to get the entire system, as a whole, flying straight and true once again.



Signed,

A Debater from the Land of Lincoln

P.S. Sorry that this turned into such a lengthy discussion. It’s just that I love politics, and was a History major in college. So any chance I get to fuse the two together in a nice lively debate, I just can’t stop myself.

Brandon said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Brandon said...

Well, rather than get into the more specific political garbage that bores me to tears (liberal vs conservative) I'd rather say say . . .

This feels like an overblown amount of pessimism, at least to me. Changes brought by people can and do happen on a regular basis, and if none of you are aware of them then you're not looking for them. E-mail me if you'd like a list of them, or spend some quality time on C-Span.

Cheers to video games though, they're fun.

David Jaffe said...

To Debater:

a- thanks so much for the informative and thoughtful response! I love debating politics as well (religion too!) and it's one of those things we're never supposed to talk about...go figure :)

b- I agree that the system itself is the bigger issue, going well beyond one man. And I agree the corporations that control the elections are really the biggest problem- and said so much a few comments back. No argument from me on that one. If I had my druthers, elections would be state funded first, so the state itself whittles down the candidate they want. Then the 50 potential presidents are whittled down in some sort of federal funded election. But regardless of the specifics, federal funding all the way. Yes, it would not be a perfect system to be sure and issues of what is fair and just enter the discussion (i.e. who decides which of the thousand folks who want to run get the money...they can't ALL get it)...BUT that issue would be a better issue/problem than the ones we have now...

c- It's no secret I hate George Bush. Open to changing my mind on the subject, as I feel a good debate is one in which both parties come to the table with an open mind and a willingness to change assuming good enough reasons are given. BUT the issue I have with the logic of: 'well, let's not impeach the guy cause it'll just be a big to-do and we have bigger problems and he's just a little guy when you consider how big the overall problem is' is bullshit. It's a sneaky-ass way to get out of forcing this guy (and his cronies) to deal with the mess he has made. It SOUNDS like a rational, logical argument but when you think about it, what you are really saying is: let the guy get away with his impeachable offenses because it's too much of a pain to deal with. What if we said the same thing about drug dealers, serial killers, hell, what if we said the same thing about terrorists. Oh wait, that's what Bush IS saying when it comes to Bin Laden ('I don't spend too much time worrying about him'....give me a break!)...

d- The other issue is, there are impeachable offenses that can be levied against the guy. Here, watch this if you are interested. It's from the guy who wrote the impeachment resolution against Clinton. He is usually a strict conservative but he's a constitutional lawyer and even he is saying Bush needs to be impeached...check it out:

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/video_popups/pop_vid_impeachment1-1.html

He can explain the why and legal aspects of the issue much better than me :)

e- Finally, I never said Boxer or any other democrat (including the ones running for pres in 08) are clean and perfect. I agree 100% that we need a new system and that ANYONE who is able to get elected in this day and age has got to be at least a LITTLE corrupt (and that is being kind). But just like I feel that WHILE WE TRY TO CHANGE THE SYSTEM WE HAVE we should not just give up on the system we have (in regards to impeachment) I feel that we DO need a new way to elect representatives BUT in the meantime, we should still try to vote in the best of the lot (a lot that I think we will both agree, is a pretty shitty lot).

Again, thanks for the debate/conversation!

David

felman said...

I totally agree with impeachment of Cheney and Bush but do the Dems have the backbone to pull it off? If not, then we can go to Plan B:

Jaffe & Fel 08!
Suck it Bitch!

The current slogan is still up for debate.

PSNID:Felman

Anonymous said...

Dear David,

As I stated in my first post, I don’t necessarily agree with you on all fronts, and I don’t expect you to agree with me on my fronts as well. However, it is extremely refreshing that you have this outlet available to voice your concerns. As you mentioned in your reply, politics and religion are the two big taboos that you aren’t supposed to talk about in a public forum. However, it’s important that America does more things like this. It’s only when problems can be talked and discussed about publicly, that we will be able to formulate the best possible solution we can think of. You are a man of strong convictions, and I certainly respect that. I read with great interest your reply to my post from earlier. As a matter of fact, I was surprised I received a response from you at all. I assumed that you have so many different things going on in your life, from what you have posted on your site, that I didn’t really figure you would take the time to really respond. I have a few new comments/clarifications if you don’t mind. Please note that some of the comments that follow are not in direct response to what you wrote per se, but that your comments made me think of a particular problem/issue.

A) To start, thank you once again for your acknowledgement of my post. As I just stated in the opening paragraph, I didn’t expect a response from you, and for you do to so certainly speaks to your appreciation of those who take their time to post their thoughts on your site, as I‘ve seen you respond to other people in other posts as well. Although I certainly realize you don’t have anywhere near enough time to reply to them all.

B) Even though we probably wouldn’t agree on many things in politics, it is nice to see that we both agree that the entire system needs a major overhaul, and that the corporations are definitely one of the major cruxes of the problem. Your idea for national elections certainly has some interesting points. It’s good to see that you present it not as an end-all-be-all perfect solution, but one that you feel would help improve things, but still would leave room for improvement. The problem of who would get the money and other issues of fairness immediately remind me of the problem I see with the argument of revamping the electoral college. Now your state of residence has not and will not, at least for the foreseeable future, have to worry about a loss in prominence for national elections. The number of electoral votes that your state carries makes it a prime player in every election. I personally feel that it’s bad enough that a handful of states like my own Illinois, Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and other swing states are able to take such prominence in the election. Smaller states like Vermont, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Hawaii, etc, are obviously far down the list of importance. However, the electoral college can still keep them somewhat relative. If the college was abandoned than those states would carry pretty much no importance in a national election whatsoever. I’m not against re-vamping the electoral college, but those smaller states, I feel, would have to stay somewhat relative in whatever new system could be created.

C) You certainly don’t have to remind me of your feelings on Bush. I certainly applaud your honesty in willing to have an open mind, and to possible even change your opinion. As I stated in my first post I feel the biggest problem facing America is this severe polarization that is occurring in politics. We are all human and aren’t perfect, and I know for a fact that there are some things I’m completely stubborn with, and I would be willing to bet that you have some things your completely stubborn with as well. However, as we are proving through this exchange, it is possible to have a civilized conversation about things with a opposing party that you might not agree with all the way. If more people could this sort of thing now, and in the future, I think we would be amazed at how much better things could be. I certainly don’t want my original post to be misinterpreted. I simply was stating why I felt that impeachment may not be the best course of action for the Democrats, and why I don’t think it would succeed. It was not my intention to shoot down the idea of impeachment. As I’m sure you well know, one of the greatest pieces of our government is the idea of checks and balances. Now I know you are a bit leery to say the very least, about the relation of checks and balances in the present state of the country with regards to the executive branch and the legislative branch. Even I tried to show in my first post how much the executive has been able to overshadow the legislative branch. However, if the Democrats feel that impeach is the way to go, that this is what is in America’s best interest, and if they have the votes for it, then they should do it. Also I think you are fusing my comments with that of “no fear.” It was in the posts of “no fear” that the idea was discussed that we shouldn’t impeach because, “…we also have other global issues to deal with…”, and the idea that, “…Because whether or not anything is done about the current system they will still have the same difficult task ahead of them.” Again, it may seem like my original argument tried to save Bush from impeachment by arguing that he was a lowly pawn in a bigger system. Once again, if the Democrats feel that the best course of action for the nation is to impeach Bush, then they should go ahead and do it. Also, I agree with you that our leaders should definitely be held accountable for their actions. But as you and I both know, the system we have has insulated our leaders from that type of accountability. I hate to repeat myself over and over again, but if the Democrats want to impeach Bush and feel that’s the best course of action for America, then they should do it. I just don’t want you thinking that I was trying to argue against impeachment by just trying to show that Bush was just somehow caught up in a system that needs fixing. As a matter of fact, your hypothetical analogy on not dealing with drug dealers, serial killers, and terrorists because it would be too much of a pain was somewhat interesting to me. In a lot of ways I feel that this country and society is too lax on serious criminal offenders because we don’t want to deal with the problem. It seems that we both view the system as needing a major overall, but it seems I may take just a bit more cynical view than you do. I sometimes find myself wondering if after 230 or so years, with about 100 years or so in our position as a global leader, if our time is not coming to an end? Again, not because of one person, or party, but because of the system itself. Are we close to seeing our version of the burning of Rome?

D) I wouldn’t be surprised if there have been some impeachable offenses committed during the last seven years. I haven’t had a chance to watch the link you included in your reply, but I do want to. These have definitely been some very interesting times in American history, perhaps unlike anything America has ever seen. Although I tend to feel that the Civil War and World War II were probably the most harrowing times for this country. Of course I would also have to throw into the mix the Cuban Missile Crisis as well. Again, I’m not arguing against the impeachment because Bush is in a broken system. If the Democrats feel that’s what is best, than they should do it.

E) I’m well aware that you never said Boxer or any Democrat was clean or perfect. It’s just that, and again I’m sure you know this, in order to make an argument effective you have to give people some form of context that they will readily understand. I just wanted to enlighten you a bit that even ideologues like a Boxer or a McCain, still get themselves caught up in this elitist system that needs fixing. I certainly don’t want you to mistake my comments on Boxer as a form of personal attack since you expressed your admiration/support of her. I agree with that we should try to change the system, for the better of course, and in the meantime we should try and conduct our business within the construct of the current system. I agree with you that we should definitely be putting the best possible people we can because let’s face it, we have some pretty serious stuff to deal in the next couple of years, probably the next couple of decades the way the entire world is operating right now. But I do have agree with you that the lot we have right now, is a fairly dubious one to say the least!

Debater

P.S. It’s my sincere hope that none of what I wrote in these two posts was taken as a personal attack by me, towards you.

David Doel said...

Jaffe you need to move to Canada :p

Chris said...

There is really only one thing wrong with our current political system - the lack of term limits at the House and Senate level of our government. it was never the Founding Father's intention that people would basically become career politicians - it was always their intent that people would get elected, serve their time, and then return to their previous job as a farmer, blacksmith, etc.

In the last Governor's election in Michigan we had one candidate (Granholm, Canadian born) who has done nothing but be a politician her sholw life and another (DeVos, Amway guy, as much as I detest that pyramid scheme) who actually had business experience. And DeVos said it best: "How would Governor Granholm have any idea how to stimulate business - she's never worked for anybody but the government where the solution is always "tax more.""

If you want serious change in our government, the only way to do it is to support term limits - I would put it at 2 terms, period.

Zodiak said...

to impeach Bush back when he was re-elected by rigging...errr winning it fair and square would have been the smartest move. As of right now, I'd say let the fucker have his last year and we can say good riddance!

It'll be tough to pull out of Iraq, but I'm sure we can reduce the numbers drastically (and yes I support my troops regardless of political position) and let them deal with the matter. The Iraqi police force can handle it, we gotta worry about homeland security more than ever now.

Unknown said...

I think in regards to your comment about impeaching our president because it sends a message that we won't put up with this shit, it also sends a message world wide that we are a bunch of fickle idiots that aren't happy with anything and can't get behind our president.

Of course we can't get behind our president now, and the way things are going, there will never be a large presidential approval rate again. The parties are too split and only care about the votes. There is no passion in big time politics anymore to actually make a difference for what you believe is right. This is what is wrong with American politics today.

Republican or democrat, they are both going to do what they believe will get them the most votes, as well as appeasing their respective party (of course Bush is not appeasing either parties).

America needs a revolution or we will continue to tear ourselves apart form one another. Look at the flat out hatred between republicans and democrats. Slashing the tires of buses transporting elderly people to vote on election day. Fighting to get someone fired over what they said as a joke over the radio (another topic). We fucking hate eachother and can't tolerate viewpoints that are against our own.

America needs a revolution. Politicians that actually believe in something and want to make this country better. Want to bring us together. Is it too late?

Anonymous said...

all i know is this, i cant stand bleeding heart liberals who have to cry about everything whah whah no no more guns. whah whah no more war. whah whah no more video games whah whah. i am a hawk, and we dont need to pull out of iraq, we need to stay and keep fighting....if we leave it shows the terrorists we are cowardly, then it will embold them to attack our country again and again.....don't you peaple it is like bush said on 9/11 we asked of our patience, because this war will take time......what did everyone say they said ok, we were all so gung ho about it then and now everyone screams impeach and crys about it...seriously people grow up!! hate to break it to you, but there has been war and fighting for thousands and thousands of years way before any of us were born.....and there always will be.....we are the greatest country in the world because we fight we dont just lay down and take it like so many of you seem to belive we should do i say f*** that s***.........i just hope you ever gets into office its not a democrat i really really hate them....no way will they ever take away our second amendment......i will never give up my arms...democrats also want to take video games away also..and end the war so that we cann all live in fear of being attacked at any moment we have a military for a reason to defend and fight for our safety....personally i want to see john mccain take office, least i wont have to worry or be in fear....

Anonymous said...

jeff are fu*k*** stupid a revolution, you must be joking? what an idiot. so you are willing to risk all of your familys.....it would be the civil war all over not a revolution......you do not know war apparently. or else you would not say that. so many americans would die and and for what cuz you don't like buch, or because people slash others tires...you really need to grow up...

R.Bunk said...

Stick to games on your gaming Blog.

Anonymous said...

Lol.
Bush Derangement Syndrome in the videogame industry.

Funny thing is, the Democrats, whom were elected by the people and brand themselves as saviors, control Congress and the Senate today and you'd be suprised how much they really care about the American people, which is close to nothing.
Ever since democrats gained these powers they've engaged in little more then countless pointless investigations and political witch-hunts that would make Joe McCarthy's alleged comunist withchunting feel like a kindergarden party.

But whatever, just don't expect to be taken seriously with an image like that.

Unknown said...

I'm talking about a political revolution, not a civil war man, settle down.

A revolution is a change. It doesn't have to mean war. I think things need to change. Simmer down there man.

David Doel said...

Jeff - "it also sends a message world wide that we are a bunch of fickle idiots that aren't happy with anything and can't get behind our president."


Jeff, I don't live in the US (I live in Canada), and as someone who has been watching the train wreck that is your current government, what you said is not the least bit true.

Impeaching Bush would show that you as a country don't believe in what he is doing and you won't put up with it. It would be a very positive message to other countries around the world and would not only help the US itself, it would also help how your country is portrayed around the world.

Anonymous said...

To quote a line from The Last Samuri...

"This has been a very good conversation"

Det. Conan said...

David:

Who said you guys are the greatest country in the whole "fucking" world?

Just because you are superior in military power doesn't make you great.

How many countries have you visited around the world? how many cultures do you know about?

When the US starts to understand others, people will respect your country for its greatness..

David Jaffe said...

Conan-

I agree with you. My point is that you always hear: AMERICAN IS THE GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD!!! but for the last 6 years we have come nowhere close to living up to that ideal. And my point is IF we want to actually BE the greatest country in the world- which is a stupid goal, if you ask me- then we have alot of work to do in regards to changing the current system that gets folks into the White House.

David

Kofman said...

Dave, don't take it too personally when I say this. You sir are an arrogant man.

"NOW we'll start seeing some fucking changers around here!!!"

Yea? Really? Let me ask you Dave, do you read every single comment replied to on your blog? Because your fans do. Now if you do read them than surely you recall my own so called letter to the government. This is the government you work for, Sony.

With that being said, if my voice wasn't heard why would yours? Because quite frankly your opinion to a giant corporation such as the US Federal Government matters as much as mine does to you.

Bottom line Dave, why not stick to what you do best, video games.

PS: V for Vendetta was a great movie, it could make a great video game, don't you think?

Det. Conan said...

The problem is that the US thinks that everything is perfect and alright within itself (the country's system)..

But it is not...

If you watch movies such as Micheal Moore documentaries, Half Nelson or Babel, you will surely start thinking: If the US got tons and tons of problems within itself, why the hell do we invade countries such as Irag (military), Japan and the whole world (economically and culture wise).

Dave, can i have your email please?

David Jaffe said...

kofman, you are either joking or have some sort of mental retardation if you are unable to pick up the sarcasm in that last line....perhaps the "err...yeah, right'....followed by the smiley face should have tipped you off?

Anonymous said...

Fact of the matter is that David is in a position to be heard, is it wrong for him to post his opinion where it is likely to be heard by a lot of people? No.

Det. Conan said...

David:

Question:

With your current national and international policies, Where do you think the US will be standing by the year 2015?

Cold War with China? Cold War with Iran?

Regarding your email, you probably don't want to put it online so i will give you my email: aamir_khan7@hotmail.com.

I just want some career advises as a project leader.

Kofman said...

da criminal,
Bud I got the point, but you missed mine. I don't care about how serious Jaffe is about changing the gov. The problem is the hypocracy.

This is Jaffe's blog synonym with a personal journal. Whatever, look it's public, my opinion is mine. If you don't see my point of view. We can agree to disagree than.

Anonymous said...

I think that no matter what happens between now and the '08 election, the one fact that still stands is that our next president will have his (her?) work cut out for him.

Does anyone else see the irony in this? It is possible to have a respectful, insightful discussion about U.S. politics, but, on most sites, the mere mention of Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 in the same sentence can turn into a nasty flamewar.

Great posts, all.

Anonymous said...

To all the naysayers, this is Davids
blog. He can talk about what ever the fuck he wants to talk about. He may be a game designer but he's also an American citizen. Last time I checked
(according to our constitution) that gives him the right to say what he wants. If you don't like it, go elsewhere. Otherwise, GO FUCK YOURSELF!!!

Tim

Sloopydrew said...

I'm a liberal, as well. Barbara Boxer is not. You have been fooled.

Unknown said...

The picture shouldve shown him using the constitution to roll a doobie, wouldve been more appropriate...

Anonymous said...

Impeaching Bush's Administration? These guys should be charged with criminal negligence and war crimes.

Where do most terrorists come from?

Saudi Arabia and Paskistan.

Who is funding terrorists?

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

Who were the terrorists that attacked the US in 9/11?

Saudi Arabians.

Where is Al-Quaeda?

Pakistan.

What country besides Afghanistan has the US attacked?

Iraq.

Who are most of the attackers attacking US forces in Iraq?

Saudi Arabians.

Who is Bush going to give a 20 billion dollars arms sale of American weapons?

The Saudi Arabians and other Middle Eastern countries.

Face it, Bush is a co-conspirator of 9/11?

Instead of declaring war on Saudi Arabia for 9/11 he pardoned them.

Instead of getting Ben Laden, Bush let Ben Laden get away.

Instead of fighting threats to the US, Bush went after countries that are not threats to the US.

The real Axis of Evil.

Saudi Arabia, China and Pakistan which the US supports, gives money to, and eats lunch with.

Bush is a disgrace to America and he knows less than nothing about protecting American.

If he really cared about protecting America, he would have been tough on Saudi Arabia, China and Pakistan instead of giving them the keys to the security of the US.

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