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Originally Posted by Kevin Marx 2- sure the voting laws mean something to me, which is why I question them; and no I don't advocate "wealthy landowners". I do however have a problem with conflict of interest. No one should be allowed to vote for that which benefits them. It's just a problem. If you are going to take from one person to give to another, then the receiver should have no say in what is being taken (trust me, this is not a statement against the poor, it's against receivers of any benefits... be it welfare recipients, corporations, States, etc). If you allow a receiver to determine the benefits what we get is what's occurring right now. They will elect representatives that care about reelections and therefore do everything they can to increase benefits. It's happening on both sides people, not just with welfare recipients.

Since the time of ancient Athenian Democracy (c. 508 BC) people have voted their own self interest; the alternative is an king, emperor, or dictator. BTW, my paternal grandfather fled Belarus ( called White Russia during the Bolshevik revolution) just prior to the revolution (1911). They still have a dictator strong man in Belarus and life is still shit there just like when my grandfather left.

America has a real problem -- 20% of the people here are surplus. Sad to say but there is little opportunity for them. Some are disadvantaged or repressed and some are just lazy or worthless. Problem is there is no humane solution for this.

Lets all donate $20,000 for a Martian colony ( Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, the Koch Bros, et al. ... can donate $20 Million each-- they wont miss it (make it tax deductible )) and put them on a spaceship and let them figure it out!!! Probably, most of us would be better off that remained, LOL.