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It was the people of the United States of America that made this nation great. It is political parties that are bringing her to her knees.

You don�t even have your own individual ideas anymore. There is nothing great in mimicking your political party. It doesn�t matter what party. Get rid of the parties and save your country.

Your congress people and senators are not representing you; they are representing themselves and their party. Should they vote or stand behind an idea that the people want but the party as whole doesn�t? Or could it hurt their chances at reelection, or a comrade�s chance of election, or their party�s chance at election.

How much time has been wasted over bickering? We are heading down the sewer and it is your fault. Forget about political parties and do something about our nation. The people across the seas have the cojones (female and male version � located somewhere in your mind) to change a bad political situation. We don't!

Here our citizens sit on their lazy arses watching the country head for failure. Do something, get off your rears. DO SOMETHING! Don�t blame the problems on someone else or a political party, it is your fault for letting this happen. We deserve to feel the coming pain and suffering, maybe it will make us strong again, enough to rise and roar. If no one even reacts to this it will prove we are as ineffective as it seems.

What do you suggest we do, Diana? Writing to our Senators or Congress does not seem to get us anywhere. Listening to talk shows and calling in to complain does nothing. Calling our Governors does nothing. Voting does nothing. Regardless of how we vote, the politicians do their own thing.

How are we to combat this fast train to the sewers?

I totally agree with you - but what else can we do? We all thought our votes matter and apparently they do not.

Come together as a nation and make them aware we aren't putting up with their BS anymore? Get together as a nation, get enough signatures and recall every single person that represents us. There are many ways to fire these people, it is just a matter of getting people inspired to do it.

The biggest thing is no longer lay claim to ANY political party, don't support them, send millions of dollars to them, ignore them. We are not interested in your candidate. If they don't have the money pouring in it makes them impotent.

I am sure we can think of lots of ways to political change, we just need the guts to do it.

I will think on this, come up with some ideas and talk with local people here, get opinions, find out how to get a petition going...

The things you are discussing need to be done - for us, our children, our grandchildren, for America!

Thanks, Diana.

PS: you have inspired me to act. Thank you! Now we need to inspire others.

As the US nears the brink, the budget row is exposing Republican madness http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jul/17/us-default-debt-ceiling-obama-congress

As a European this article made interesting reading to me and, as we have very complex and long reaching economic problems over here currently, and that is an understatement, it simply seemed to make the situation in the USA, and how it came about, a little more clear.

Am not in a position to judge how accurate the article is, but perhaps there is someone who can comment on its truth, or not.

I hope we can inspire the nation, very few people realize how close we are to collapse. Not just financially, but how others perceive us, and the values our children are learning through our example. What happens when there is a general feeling of hopelessness?

Heading to read it right now Francine. Thank you

I could not pull up the link, Francine.

I read yesterday that Obama Cannot Guarantee Social Security Checks Will Go Out On August 3.

Just WTH does that mean? Where is our money?

I spoke with several other people (family and friends) who say that Obama is just pulling a political scare to make the Republicans look bad.

What is your opinion on this?

It certainly is to the point, and accurate. Very few people have any idea how much trouble we are facing. If it is locust or not, not sure on that one. If every single American called their representative right now and told them I no longer support your political party or any other, get this immediate financial crises taken care of, we will change the government to take care of the long term problems!

"The Treasury Department "borrows" surpluses in the Social Security trust funds for use across the federal government. As a practical matter, the amount of money borrowed equals the balances in the trust funds after benefits are paid out." Andrew Taylor
Associated Press Writer, Washington

This explains why SS won't go out a little better. Not on either political party's side, both parties have borrowed from the fund.

How will Congress pay it's huge debt...

www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jul/17/us-default-debt-ceiling-


Hope it works now, goes through on preview at least.


As the US nears the brink, the budget row is exposing Republican madness

It is economically not feasible to cut the deficit without raising taxes. But as Reagan's presumptive heirs resist, default looms

Okay! I called my representative and stated my concerns and complaints. The staff person I spoke with said many people are calling in and complaining about this current budget crisis and no one is very happy about it.

I just hope all the calls help to make a difference.

But, is it not Obama who makes the decision as to where the funds are borrowed from and what is to be paid out to the different departments? I am NOT very political savvy. Does Obama have no control over all this?

Its good to know people are reacting, now if their representatives would take notice. Why are we paying them a monthly check? Paying their medical insurance for the rest of their lives and all the other perks?

They work for us. They should support us.

The president does not control this, not in any way shape or form. For this very reason and other reasons, there are checks and balances in place.

Hi Diana,
Hopefully you will find the below commentary from David Frum at CNN both balanced and relevant to your discussion.

Editor's note: David Frum writes a weekly column for CNN.com. A special assistant to President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2002, he is the author of six books, including "Comeback: Conservatism That Can Win Again," and is the editor of FrumForum.

GOP WANTS OBAMA's UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER

Washington (CNN) -- In this debt-ceiling fight, I'm having horrible flashbacks to the Republican debacle over health care.

Then as now, what could have been a negotiated deal turned into all-out political war.

Then as now, Republicans rejected all concessions by the president as pathetically inadequate.

Then as now, Republicans refused any concessions of their own, instead demanding that the president yield totally to their way of thinking.

Then as now, Republicans convinced themselves that they had the clout to force the president to yield.

With health care, Republicans calculated spectacularly wrong. They pursued an all or nothing strategy and got -- nothing. They neither shaped the bill, nor did they stop it.

Will they make the same mistake again on the debt ceiling?

We don't know the exact shape of the offers President Obama has made inside the negotiating rooms. Republicans tell friendly journalists that the president has been highhanded and long-winded.

Perhaps.

But the president has gone on television to declare himself willing to consider some startling moves: alterations to Social Security cost-of-living formulas, raising the age at which retirees qualify for Medicare, and large dollar figures for deficit reduction over the next decade.
Dealing with the debt talks
The party that asked for everything is on its way to becoming the party that got nothing.

On background, administration briefers have talked about a package consisting of 85% spending cuts and 15% revenue increases. And, they said, they wanted only the kinds of revenue increases least obnoxious to Republicans: changes in deductions and tax credits -- not increases in overall tax rates.

Republican briefers say that the Democrats are exaggerating their offer. They say the Democrats were less conciliatory inside the room than outside.

Again: perhaps.

But it would be remarkable, wouldn't it, for a president to say on TV that he was willing to do something as unpopular as raise the Medicare age -- and then say in secret: Nah, I'll do the popular thing instead. Wouldn't you expect the behavior to be the other way around?

I think we have enough information to draw a very different picture of what happened.

Obama offered Republicans a lot of spending cuts if only they would move even slightly to meet him. But Republicans took the view that any change in current tax rules must be offset by an equal or greater cut in some other tax. Republicans would not agree to alter even the silliest parts of the tax code in ways that raised more revenue. The only deal they would contemplate is one that was 100% spending cuts, 0% tax increases -- that is, all their own way, total surrender by the president.

Unconditional surrender was the Republican demand in the health care debate. That demand led to an unmitigated defeat.

Unconditional surrender has become the Republican demand in the debt demand.

The original Republican plan was to threaten to tip the country into default unless the GOP got everything it wanted. That threat is proving empty, as Republicans' business constituencies mutiny against their party's dangerous tactics.

If blackmail won't work -- and negotiation is not allowed by the party's own taboos -- then the party that asked for everything is on its way to becoming the party that got nothing. Only it's not just the GOP that is the loser. It's the whole country.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of David Frum.

That is quite balanced, good information. I really think we need to stand together and get their act together. Why let them do exactly what they people don't want them to do? They only do things that are popular to get votes. They don't have our concerns or needs above all else, in fact I doubt if they even think about these things anymore. Oust them, start over. Start a party to end all parties, one big party, if necessary surrounding capitol hill. Millions upon million can tell these so called representatives we have had enough of their arrogance, call, show up, swamp them. Write to your local paper, it won't work unless all participate.

"I am whatever you make me, nothing more. I am your belief in yourself, your dream of what a people may become.... I am the clutch of an idea, and the reasoned purpose of resolution. I am no more than you believe me to be and I am all that you believe I can be. I am whatever you make me, nothing more." ~Franklin Knight Lane

As we watch two political parties make a fool of our great nation. Is this what our forefathers had in mind? Rid the country of political parties. Stand on our own integrity and beliefs. We are the people, not we are political parties that are making it look like we can�t think for ourselves, can�t see that they are NOT standing up for us but for their own agenda, reelection, party election, whatever their agenda. They are not representing the people but their own interests. The men and women of the armed services did not fight for this deception.