Why does America fear/distrust it's government?

[SenseOfTumour]

American politicians are inherently corrupt.

Politicians aren't grown in vats. They aren't raised in secret underground labs.

If American politicians are inherently corrupt, it's because American citizens are.

The Government isn't some kind of scary machine that eats souls. It's run by people. If there is a problem with the Government, it's because there is a problem with the society surrounding it.

So, so true, I genuinely believe MOST politicians go into politics because they feel they might be able to make a change, make their country a better place, and then of course, sometimes they get to a position of power and power corrupts, but not always.

However, they are just people in the end.

Also, if a Government could fix every problem in the world in 10 years, but it meant 9 years of cost cutting and restricted freedoms, they'd be voted out of office in a week, the public just won't accept long term solutions.

Part of the very real problem is people want their roads to be good, want the police to protect them, an army to defend them, schools, libraries, garbage collection, street cleaning, etc, etc, but expect it all to come from nowhere, and when asked for taxes to cover it, start hating the government.

Everyone would be much happier if they had zero tax, and just paid for their own repairs, bin collections, health, etc, until something goes wrong and they can't afford it. Yet no-one wishes to put money into the system to ensure others don't end up stuck with nothing.

I'm always rather ashamed of the lack of compassion and basic humanity we show, so what if a few dollars of your paycheck goes to protecting the poor and needy, they're usually the foundations supporting the entire economy, filling all the minimum wage jobs.

What would make most sense, would be a worldwide minimum wage that ensured anyone in full time employment could afford basic housing, utilities, food, and healthcare, plus a small amount on top for basic luxuries. Then we wouldn't need so much for welfare.

 

[Kopikatsu]

Plus, you know, you guys complain about tax when it's a fraction of what most of us pay, but still expect public services - it's the eternal "I want, but don't want to pay" problem, and when some governments actually point out that they can't do it without tax money, people start complaining about "THE GOVERNMENT WANTS TO STEAL ALL MY MONEY! THEY'RE SOCIALISTS!!!!".

Ironically, the 'ridiculous taxes' that the colonists were being forced to pay (Which is one of the major reasons the revolution happened) were only 1/20th of what British citizens were paying.

I mean, hell, I would give up my right to vote if I only had to pay 1/20th of the taxes. I don't even vote anyway! (I'm a US citizen, and we consider voting to be a 'god given right' or some such nonsense.) I could get into the whole 'Democracy is the majority telling the minority how to live' and 'The electoral college makes voting pointless', but that would be getting a bit off topic.

The problem is people (Yes, people. As in everyone.) these days are extremely opposed to anyone telling ANYONE, even if they aren't invested in the issue in any way shape or form, 'You can't do this'. They're snobby. (If you don't believe it, check ANY thread in the news section. 'They want to block porn sites that stream videos of child porn? NOT ON MY WATCH.' 'Trying to protect their investment with minor DRM? I'M NEVER BUYING FROM THEM AGAIN. CAN BURN IN HELL.', just Americans are more paranoid than other countries because the colonists revolved from Britain on the very basis of government control.

I'm going to hazard a guess and say that it's because the US is a very 'faith' based nation. As in, your person feelings and acting on emotion are considered to be more acceptable than using cold logic. So if at any point you go 'I don't know how I feel about this/I don

America is not faith based at all. It all comes down to freedom. We value our freedom more than we value being given security. You may not agree with this, but that's ok, because you don't have to live here. We do.

I actually DO have to live in the US. I have practically negative money right now because the economy is shit and noone is hiring. NOONE. I've literally gone door to door in a different shopping plaza each day for over a year, and I've only been hired one time for about a week before I was let go. The reason given was 'We just aren't making enough money to keep you on.'

It's hard to enjoy your personal freedoms when you're lying facedown in a gutter.

 

[JWAN]

because self hate is in these days. Pretty soon people wont like it because it will have become too mainstream and it will go the other direction. Also because up until 2000 nobody gave 2 shits about politics, now EVERYTHING is about politics and every time a politician fucks up it becomes their respective parties fault and corruption charges get thrown around until everyone realizes that nothing actually happened in the first place and the cycle resets itself.

Sorry about that massive run-on sentence.

 

[SenseOfTumour]

A more perfect example of not having federal control of health care would be from this weeks Extra Credit. Alison's insurance company declined her shoulder surgery. The staff of Extra Credit then went to the web and rasied more than enough money for the surgery in less than 6 hours. The surgery can now occur. If this had happened under the federal health care system and the Feds had declined her surgery, there is nothing Alison could do about it. She will not get her shoulder repaired. In fact the staff would face charges of interferring with a government agency and most likely be in jail now. If a doctor would perform the surgery outside of the gov't mandates they would loose their license.
When the gov't takes control of any aspect of your life they take away all other options.

Just curious, are you sure about that?

It just doesn't make any financial sense is all. In the UK, we have government run healthcare, the NHS, and if you are on a waiting list, but have the money, you can just pay up and go private and be on the operating table the next day. You won't be arrested and jailed for paying for healthcare, hell, the government WANT the people who can afford it to do that, so that the NHS is able to provide more for those who cannot afford private.

As a very simple example, my dentist does NHS services and private, if you need a filling, and you're willing to pay, he'll use the more expensive 'white' filler, instead of the metal stuff, leaving you without a smile like Robocop.

 

[Vanguard_Ex]

I was flicking through the American health service thread, and noticed that the main argument that the main argument against free healthcare was that they didn't want the government controlling it.
Most American's I've talked to also seem to distrust their government, a lot more than Europe does. Your constitution also seems to have been designed from the ground up to prevent the government from having anything more than a fringe affect on anything.

So, why does America distrust it's government so much more than Europe?

And, for comparison, I live it the UK, and we generally get on ok.

I suppose it's a little different for us since we don't have a constitution or a particular bill of rights, rather we operate on residual law and the European Court of Human Rights.

 

[Kopikatsu]

I was flicking through the American health service thread, and noticed that the main argument that the main argument against free healthcare was that they didn't want the government controlling it.
Most American's I've talked to also seem to distrust their government, a lot more than Europe does. Your constitution also seems to have been designed from the ground up to prevent the government from having anything more than a fringe affect on anything.

So, why does America distrust it's government so much more than Europe?

And, for comparison, I live it the UK, and we generally get on ok.

Here's a direct answer: This country was founded by people who'd literally fought against a tyrannical governing system and did not want to institute another government where the voice of the People were cast aside by the ruling elite in favor of "we know better than you". Its in America's blood to distrust those in power, because they're in power and can't be trusted. Our Founders recognized the fallibility of humanity, that we're all imperfect beings and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Therefore our Constitution was designed not to give power to the Government, but give power to the People.

Communism, as designed by Karl Marx and NOT Stalin or Lenin is designed to do much the same thing. Yet America hates Communists more than quite possibly anything else that has, does, will and can exist ever.

Difference being, Communism (supposedly) rewards everyone equally no matter if they make an A effort or a D- effort. It also fantasizes about human beings being inherently good and can be expected to treat each other equally and fairly. Equality isn't everyone gets the same things, its the idea that we're equally free to choose our paths in life, not have them chosen for us. In theory it sounds good but proven in practice, communism is oppressive and self-defeating. IF its such a great idea, how is it that every country its been practiced in is also high on human rights violations?

'In theory it sounds good but proven in practice, communism is oppressive and self-defeating. IF its such a great idea, how is it that every country its been practiced in is also high on human rights violations?'

Here's the thing. A Communist Dictatorship is an oxymoron. If a 'Communist' nation is oppressive, then it isn't Communist. That's just not how Communism works. A Communist Government has very little power.

Besides, the Democratic Republic model (What the US has) hasn't been working either, and it honestly doesn't even sound great in theory. It's the majority telling the minority how to live in theory, but in practice...

Well, what was Obama's public approval rating at last count? 11%? Well, he's who you voted in. Or if you DIDN'T vote for him...well, he got elected anyway, didn't he? That would be the failing of a DR.

Edit: Forgot a point. You're correct in that, in a Communist society, there wouldn't be anyone who wanted to succeed for the sake of what comes with success. However, that just means that people in a particular field are there because they WANT to be. Not because they were in it for the money, or the fame.

Here is an example. In America, a girl's father dies from cancer. Because of that, she wants to become a Doctor, specifically a cancer researcher and help find some kind of cure. If she doesn't have enough money or connections, it's possible that she may never be able to get into Medical school.

In a Communist country, she could, provided that she is intelligent enough to make it thought the coursework.

Communism doesn't kill ambition, it encourages it...it just doesn't encourage ambition for ambition's sake.

 

[JWAN]

American politicians are inherently corrupt.

In respect to the subject of free healthcare, I was pretty shocked at how they were treating Alison from Extra Credits, the healthcare system in the UK might not be perfect but bloody hell we don't let people become disabled just because they don't have enough money. :<

where did this happen?

 

[Da Orky Man]

I was flicking through the American health service thread, and noticed that the main argument that the main argument against free healthcare was that they didn't want the government controlling it.
Most American's I've talked to also seem to distrust their government, a lot more than Europe does. Your constitution also seems to have been designed from the ground up to prevent the government from having anything more than a fringe affect on anything.

So, why does America distrust it's government so much more than Europe?

And, for comparison, I live it the UK, and we generally get on ok.

Here's a direct answer: This country was founded by people who'd literally fought against a tyrannical governing system and did not want to institute another government where the voice of the People were cast aside by the ruling elite in favor of "we know better than you". Its in America's blood to distrust those in power, because they're in power and can't be trusted. Our Founders recognized the fallibility of humanity, that we're all imperfect beings and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Therefore our Constitution was designed not to give power to the Government, but give power to the People.

Communism, as designed by Karl Marx and NOT Stalin or Lenin is designed to do much the same thing. Yet America hates Communists more than quite possibly anything else that has, does, will and can exist ever.

Difference being, Communism (supposedly) rewards everyone equally no matter if they make an A effort or a D- effort. It also fantasizes about human beings being inherently good and can be expected to treat each other equally and fairly. Equality isn't everyone gets the same things, its the idea that we're equally free to choose our paths in life, not have them chosen for us. In theory it sounds good but proven in practice, communism is oppressive and self-defeating. IF its such a great idea, how is it that every country its been practiced in is also high on human rights violations?

If you read the Communist Manifesto, the wording is more like "To each according to his ability; to each according to his need".
According to that line, those who work harder would get more, though every person would get enough. The only reason that it didn't work is indeed because people are not inherently good.

 

[pat34us]

I am not going to get into the HCR debate on here but a huge reason for distrust over the government is that they forgot that they work for the people and as soon as they get elected their only mission seems to be is to get re-elected.

 

[poiuppx]

Division and stereotyping, ultimately. Ignoring the historical elements for a moment and focusing only on modern America, you've got a two-party system that has turned more antagonistic in my lifetime then I think it had ever been beforehand, to the point where the old joke about two Senators being unable to agree to the color of the sky, or arguing over what to have for lunch till both starve, is a lot less funny now. It's made worse by the fact that each time one person in one party screws up- as, y'know, humans are wont to do, being flawed entities and all -everyone outside of said party tends to identify the person party-first, as if they were part of a hive mind. A Democratic senator was taking bribes? All Democrats are corrupt! A Republican congressman said a racial slur? All Republicans are racists! Repeat over and over to the point where, even if you logically disagreed with all the individual cases, you'd still be left with a bad taste in your mouth.

That's not even getting into the whole 'grass is greener' effect. Person A leaves a mess after being in office, and Person B is radically different and vows to fix it. He gets voted in, and people expect Person B to fix it... immediately. Not in a few months, not in a year, RIGHT AWAY. There's other, more crucial matters of state to attend to? Tough, why aren't you fixing THIS first? The voters get disillusioned, and inevitably end up looking to vote in Person C to fix things, thus breaking up any consistency in the office... self-perpetuating cycle of ineffectiveness that looks- and admittedly sometimes is -like bald-faced lies.

 

[spartan231490]

For me, it's because the government isn't really ours. There's so many different special interests and corporate shills, I honestly don't see how anyone represents me.

spartan231490:
Listen, if you're really trying to understand American culture, there is one very important fact that you need to understand first. It is the basis of most of the differences between America and other countries. We value freedom, over safety. "Those who sacrifice freedom for a little temporary security, deserve neither." This is one of the core beliefs of our culture. That is why we have loose gun control, and that is why we dislike socialism, or any form of government regulation really.

There are other differences of course, but that is the core difference, as far as I can tell.

Then how do you explain the Patriot Act? We are just as prone to panicking and giving away our rights until we feel safe. Every time the U.S. is attacked or under the threat of attack we revert to fascistic systems, usually with discrimination.

The patriot act had a lot of opposition. Our government has become somewhat abusive lately, the Patriot act being a great example of this. There were no people asking for the Patriot act, that came straight from the government. And just because we may be forced to accept some restrictions to our freedoms during a panic time, doesn't change the fact that we still value freedom more than security and that we will not accept something permanent that restricts our rights, if we have any choice.

 

[spartan231490]

Plus, you know, you guys complain about tax when it's a fraction of what most of us pay, but still expect public services - it's the eternal "I want, but don't want to pay" problem, and when some governments actually point out that they can't do it without tax money, people start complaining about "THE GOVERNMENT WANTS TO STEAL ALL MY MONEY! THEY'RE SOCIALISTS!!!!".

Ironically, the 'ridiculous taxes' that the colonists were being forced to pay (Which is one of the major reasons the revolution happened) were only 1/20th of what British citizens were paying.

I mean, hell, I would give up my right to vote if I only had to pay 1/20th of the taxes. I don't even vote anyway! (I'm a US citizen, and we consider voting to be a 'god given right' or some such nonsense.) I could get into the whole 'Democracy is the majority telling the minority how to live' and 'The electoral college makes voting pointless', but that would be getting a bit off topic.

The problem is people (Yes, people. As in everyone.) these days are extremely opposed to anyone telling ANYONE, even if they aren't invested in the issue in any way shape or form, 'You can't do this'. They're snobby. (If you don't believe it, check ANY thread in the news section. 'They want to block porn sites that stream videos of child porn? NOT ON MY WATCH.' 'Trying to protect their investment with minor DRM? I'M NEVER BUYING FROM THEM AGAIN. CAN BURN IN HELL.', just Americans are more paranoid than other countries because the colonists revolved from Britain on the very basis of government control.

I'm going to hazard a guess and say that it's because the US is a very 'faith' based nation. As in, your person feelings and acting on emotion are considered to be more acceptable than using cold logic. So if at any point you go 'I don't know how I feel about this/I don

America is not faith based at all. It all comes down to freedom. We value our freedom more than we value being given security. You may not agree with this, but that's ok, because you don't have to live here. We do.

I actually DO have to live in the US. I have practically negative money right now because the economy is shit and noone is hiring. NOONE. I've literally gone door to door in a different shopping plaza each day for over a year, and I've only been hired one time for about a week before I was let go. The reason given was 'We just aren't making enough money to keep you on.'

It's hard to enjoy your personal freedoms when you're lying facedown in a gutter.

Your not the only one here who's flat broke and can't get a job. But the economy's current problems don't come from too much personal freedom, they come from runaway deficit spending, and 40 years of bad government policies and over-regulation that has completely destroyed all manufacturing in our economy. Policies which also encourage an increased gab between the rich and everyone else to such a point that it should really be called class warfare. That has nothing to do with personal freedom, and everything to do with a government that has become too big, and exceeded the authority laid out in the US constitution.

 

[Kathinka]

For me, it's because the government isn't really ours. There's so many different special interests and corporate shills, I honestly don't see how anyone represents me.

spartan231490:
Listen, if you're really trying to understand American culture, there is one very important fact that you need to understand first. It is the basis of most of the differences between America and other countries. We value freedom, over safety. "Those who sacrifice freedom for a little temporary security, deserve neither." This is one of the core beliefs of our culture. That is why we have loose gun control, and that is why we dislike socialism, or any form of government regulation really.

There are other differences of course, but that is the core difference, as far as I can tell.

Then how do you explain the Patriot Act? We are just as prone to panicking and giving away our rights until we feel safe. Every time the U.S. is attacked or under the threat of attack we revert to fascistic systems, usually with discrimination.

The patriot act had a lot of opposition. Our government has become somewhat abusive lately, the Patriot act being a great example of this. There were no people asking for the Patriot act, that came straight from the government. And just because we may be forced to accept some restrictions to our freedoms during a panic time, doesn't change the fact that we still value freedom more than security and that we will not accept something permanent that restricts our rights, if we have any choice.

they keep saying that, and yet american citizens are under a lot harsher control and restrictions than those of almost all other western nations. i think it's just something that they like to keep telling themselves. and yes, i have lived in the u.s., as well as several other first world contries.

 

[Crazycat690]

Easy, the US is supposed to be a land of freedom, while the government is trying to control everything and ban anything that's immoral according to religious nutjobs. I'd be shitting bricks if I was a US citizen.

However living in Finland, sure the governemnt does control alot, but atleast they don't try to ban everything they don't like.

 

[pizzapicante27]

Ah dont worry thats just common paranoia against a capitalistic government (yours is kinda socialist with universal healthcare and whatnot), here in Mexico whe are the same, mainly because our government doesnt frown on using the army to massacre civilians but hey every country has their own problems

 

[thevillageidiot13]

Anybody who finds success in politics has built his or her career on power, money, and lies. Very few politicians are serious about change in a positive direction -- JFK, Jimmy Carter, LaGuardia; the rest only really care about lining their own pockets, and won't raise a finger for the people if it doesn't guarantee another term in office or another dollar in their wallets.

Also, historically, virtually everything the U.S. government has done rings of hypocrisy. To challenge the spread of communism, it has actively supported tyrannical dictatorships in the Middle East and North Africa -- governments that were just as corrupt and twisted. Even in the face of the most ardent anti-war movement in the history of the nation, it managed to stay at war in Vietnam for almost an entire decade, longer than any conflict the U.S. had ever been involved in before. It has cut substantial funding from schools, welfare programs, hospitals, and other public services in order to fight wars in the Middle East that we now know are hoaxes. How can a government that does these things refer to itself a force for democracy and justice, an entity for the people and by the people?

 

[spartan231490]

I was flicking through the American health service thread, and noticed that the main argument that the main argument against free healthcare was that they didn't want the government controlling it.
Most American's I've talked to also seem to distrust their government, a lot more than Europe does. Your constitution also seems to have been designed from the ground up to prevent the government from having anything more than a fringe affect on anything.

So, why does America distrust it's government so much more than Europe?

And, for comparison, I live it the UK, and we generally get on ok.

Here's a direct answer: This country was founded by people who'd literally fought against a tyrannical governing system and did not want to institute another government where the voice of the People were cast aside by the ruling elite in favor of "we know better than you". Its in America's blood to distrust those in power, because they're in power and can't be trusted. Our Founders recognized the fallibility of humanity, that we're all imperfect beings and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Therefore our Constitution was designed not to give power to the Government, but give power to the People.

Communism, as designed by Karl Marx and NOT Stalin or Lenin is designed to do much the same thing. Yet America hates Communists more than quite possibly anything else that has, does, will and can exist ever.

Difference being, Communism (supposedly) rewards everyone equally no matter if they make an A effort or a D- effort. It also fantasizes about human beings being inherently good and can be expected to treat each other equally and fairly. Equality isn't everyone gets the same things, its the idea that we're equally free to choose our paths in life, not have them chosen for us. In theory it sounds good but proven in practice, communism is oppressive and self-defeating. IF its such a great idea, how is it that every country its been practiced in is also high on human rights violations?

'In theory it sounds good but proven in practice, communism is oppressive and self-defeating. IF its such a great idea, how is it that every country its been practiced in is also high on human rights violations?'

Here's the thing. A Communist Dictatorship is an oxymoron. If a 'Communist' nation is oppressive, then it isn't Communist. That's just not how Communism works. A Communist Government has very little power.

Besides, the Democratic Republic model (What the US has) hasn't been working either, and it honestly doesn't even sound great in theory. It's the majority telling the minority how to live in theory, but in practice...

Well, what was Obama's public approval rating at last count? 11%? Well, he's who you voted in. Or if you DIDN'T vote for him...well, he got elected anyway, didn't he? That would be the failing of a DR.

A communist dictatorship isn't an oxymoron. Communism is an economic system where everyone gets paid the same, and a political system where everyone is treated the same. If everyone is equally oppressed, then it's still communism.

The Democratic Republic model works the best of any that I've looked at, and it has the best theory. Do you want to know why our opinions on that subject differ even with identical information. Because we have different values. I believe that freedom is quite literally, the absolute highest good possible. I would rather be dead, than a slave. The democratic republic model is the best with this value system because it allows the common people the opportunity to watch and limit their government. This is necessary because a government is made up of "people, usually notably, ungoverned." When given power, most humans will abuse it, that's just the way it works, so there must be a system to watch them. Unfortunately, Americans have recently declined to take advantage of this opportunity, but the opportunity remains available. Yes, there are many many flaws in the execution of this system, and a few flaws in the system itself, but this is true of any system, IMO others far more than our own.

If communism is such a great system, move to China. I'll take my US system. I'll try to improve it in any way I can, because it does have problems, but at the end of the day, it's still the best system that I've heard of.

 

[spartan231490]

For me, it's because the government isn't really ours. There's so many different special interests and corporate shills, I honestly don't see how anyone represents me.

spartan231490:
Listen, if you're really trying to understand American culture, there is one very important fact that you need to understand first. It is the basis of most of the differences between America and other countries. We value freedom, over safety. "Those who sacrifice freedom for a little temporary security, deserve neither." This is one of the core beliefs of our culture. That is why we have loose gun control, and that is why we dislike socialism, or any form of government regulation really.

There are other differences of course, but that is the core difference, as far as I can tell.

Then how do you explain the Patriot Act? We are just as prone to panicking and giving away our rights until we feel safe. Every time the U.S. is attacked or under the threat of attack we revert to fascistic systems, usually with discrimination.

The patriot act had a lot of opposition. Our government has become somewhat abusive lately, the Patriot act being a great example of this. There were no people asking for the Patriot act, that came straight from the government. And just because we may be forced to accept some restrictions to our freedoms during a panic time, doesn't change the fact that we still value freedom more than security and that we will not accept something permanent that restricts our rights, if we have any choice.

they keep saying that, and yet american citizens are under a lot harsher control and restrictions than those of almost all other western nations. i think it's just something that they like to keep telling themselves. and yes, i have lived in the u.s., as well as several other first world contries.

How are we under stricter control and restrictions?

 

[thevillageidiot13]

For me, it's because the government isn't really ours. There's so many different special interests and corporate shills, I honestly don't see how anyone represents me.

spartan231490:
Listen, if you're really trying to understand American culture, there is one very important fact that you need to understand first. It is the basis of most of the differences between America and other countries. We value freedom, over safety. "Those who sacrifice freedom for a little temporary security, deserve neither." This is one of the core beliefs of our culture. That is why we have loose gun control, and that is why we dislike socialism, or any form of government regulation really.

There are other differences of course, but that is the core difference, as far as I can tell.

Then how do you explain the Patriot Act? We are just as prone to panicking and giving away our rights until we feel safe. Every time the U.S. is attacked or under the threat of attack we revert to fascistic systems, usually with discrimination.

The patriot act had a lot of opposition. Our government has become somewhat abusive lately, the Patriot act being a great example of this. There were no people asking for the Patriot act, that came straight from the government. And just because we may be forced to accept some restrictions to our freedoms during a panic time, doesn't change the fact that we still value freedom more than security and that we will not accept something permanent that restricts our rights, if we have any choice.

they keep saying that, and yet american citizens are under a lot harsher control and restrictions than those of almost all other western nations. i think it's just something that they like to keep telling themselves. and yes, i have lived in the u.s., as well as several other first world contries.

How are we under stricter control and restrictions?

Try going into an airport. You'll figure it out quickly enough.

 

[thevillageidiot13]

Division and stereotyping, ultimately. Ignoring the historical elements for a moment and focusing only on modern America, you've got a two-party system that has turned more antagonistic in my lifetime then I think it had ever been beforehand, to the point where the old joke about two Senators being unable to agree to the color of the sky, or arguing over what to have for lunch till both starve, is a lot less funny now. It's made worse by the fact that each time one person in one party screws up- as, y'know, humans are wont to do, being flawed entities and all -everyone outside of said party tends to identify the person party-first, as if they were part of a hive mind. A Democratic senator was taking bribes? All Democrats are corrupt! A Republican congressman said a racial slur? All Republicans are racists! Repeat over and over to the point where, even if you logically disagreed with all the individual cases, you'd still be left with a bad taste in your mouth.

That's not even getting into the whole 'grass is greener' effect. Person A leaves a mess after being in office, and Person B is radically different and vows to fix it. He gets voted in, and people expect Person B to fix it... immediately. Not in a few months, not in a year, RIGHT AWAY. There's other, more crucial matters of state to attend to? Tough, why aren't you fixing THIS first? The voters get disillusioned, and inevitably end up looking to vote in Person C to fix things, thus breaking up any consistency in the office... self-perpetuating cycle of ineffectiveness that looks- and admittedly sometimes is -like bald-faced lies.

Dude, high-five right here. You just got mad respect from me.