do you believe the house and senate do the bidding of the people of this country?
I believe they are the same kind of people that americans are.
I believe that as the average american becomes shadier, sluttier, weaker, slower, lazier - so do their leaders.
Now, I don't think our elected officials have EVER done the bidding of the people. They cowtoe to just enough social policy to keep their base donors/voters happy enough to elect them - and they scream the loudest about these WEDGE issues - but in terms of starting wars, spending trillions, etc - They do what they're told by the party leaders, who are told by the smarter groups, think tanks, lobbyists, whoever, that really analyze policy and long-term raminifcations. Yes, that opens up corruption, but it also keeps this train on tracks.
See, I don't think joe sixpack can truly understand long term global economic ramifications of policies, like a team of MBAs at some policy center in DC. So essentially, the think tank tells Boehnner, who tells local reps, how to vote, and they do. That's how it is, how it has always been, and I don't have a major problem with that, since the majority of country just isn't that educated.
Seriously, what does your next door neighbor know about european oil sales? Zilch. but there are buildings full of people in DC or whatever, following trends and issues, making the right calls on how to keep the US gas at $3.50 while they're paying $9 a gallon in Paris lol.
SO no, I think they do what is in the best interest of 305 million americans as a macro, but the "influence" we have is limited to little wedge shit and locality stuff that doesn't affect national policy, and it's probably best that way. My next door neighbor is a stone cold racist who would probably carpet bomb Iran just as fast as he'd choose Pabst over Budweiser - I don't really want him having much say over middle east military policy lol.
