United we stand, divided we fall. Truth and yet we as a society fail to adhere to the rule. The very concept of political parties goes against the United we stand by dividing us as a country. Talking politics is frowned apon in many places because it leads to confrontation and division. Yet, this is exactly how those in political power want us as a nation....... divided! Because WE are divided as a nation politically there is no chance that those in control will ever be held accountable for their gross misconduct! We the people means a UNION and until the people of this nation become a UNION the powers that be will run amuck .........
the "United", in "United States" references the treaty/compact between the states (i.e. the constitution) to create a limited federal government and to delegate limited powers to that federal government for limited "united" purposes, such as the common defense, etc. It is expressly NOT a "union" of the people of the various states in common rule, or at least was not intended to be so, rather is is limited unity of states - "United States". When we try to have homogeneous rule over 300 million people of different backgrounds, faiths, beliefs, cultures, and opinions from a single seat of power in the Maryland swamps, we are guaranteed to have conflict, disagreement and be anything but "united".
The current schmuck isn't any worse (or better) than the last schmuck, their agendas and thus far policies are virtually identical once you get past the BS rhetoric -- perpetual war for natural resources, oppression of civil liberties through the ironically named "patriot act", indefinite detention of alleged criminals with no due process of law in foriegn prisons not subject to US law, etc... This is the effect of centralized power, it always is - corruption and oppression, and it will only get worse until we cease to allow it to do so.
The only solution for a truly free, less corrupt, and prosperous America is to follow the blueprint of the constitution, vest power in states, not the feds, allow the states to have the differing laws that their various citizens demand, and allow the citizens of the several states to move and trade freely amongst them to find those laws/circumstances that best suit their life philosophy. If the rules are the same everywhere, where does the minority opinion go to escape the oppression of the majority? State's rights is the key.
I'm sorry that Dutch, Ira and others get caught up in this political BS about government shutdown, and the gamesmanship about what portions of government are de-funded and what are not -- is it coincidence that unemployment and welfare benefits will continue to be paid during any shutdown, but military personnel won't? Nope, they're trying to create the biggest impact so that the public that isn't already on the dole will scream the loudest for a deal to be made so the feds can get back to the business of robbing us all blind -- it is just a bigger version of when the City of Colorado Springs stopped watering parks and shut off streetlights in an attempt to get the citizens to agree to more taxes. Total BS. If we are going to have a government shutdown, then lets shut the f%&#er down, stop ALL federal spending, bring the empire home for common defense instead of common aggression, dissolve the entitlement state, and allow the people of the various states to take care of themselves and each other in the manner I am certain they would.
/rant.