CONGRESS MUST BE REFORMED

The 3 departments of Government are the Executive, Legislature, and the Judiciary. The Executive implement the laws, the Legislative make the laws and the Judiciary interprets the laws of the Constitution. The 3 branches of government were made to check each other to bring balance, so that none usurps it's authority on the other, as far as US system of government is concerned. Of the 3, Congress was to be the most powerful, looking at all the Articles of the Constitution. In particular, Article 1 section 8, the last portion, where the Elastic Clause is, which states, "Congress is to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper ....." When it comes to small laws, Congress is found to be effective, but on big issues such as Health care, Tax, and Immigration reforms Congress is found wanting. Health care needs to be reformed. If one looks around the globe, US is the most advanced country with the poorest health care system. A friend of mine went for surgery, where he had a piece of glass removed from his forehead, he had just five stitches and he was made to pay something like $5,000. He earns about $27000 a year. Whether he has insurance or not there is something wrong. It does not happen in Britain, Germany, France, Japan. Why here? The greatest Economy of the world? Is America lacking in intellectuals who can enact laws that will play it safe for those of low incomes? Answer is no. Or is it because low income earners are lazy and therefore they must be punished? The truth is that, everybody in this country knows that there is something wrong with the Health care system. The Executive branch has taken the initiative to do something about it, and we all know the reaction of Congress. Instead of helping the President, they want to rip him apart. They have vowed to do everything in their power to destroy the so called AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE aka "OBAMACARE". Do they have any alternative? Answer no. This is happening because of the way Congress has been structured. To begin with, about half of the composition of Congress are some of the richest individuals in the nation. They own some of the Corporations or are share holders. The Insurance companies are theirs. Those who are not among this group, are those who were able to use their ideas and strength to solicit help from rich individuals or Corporations. The effect is that they too become their puppets and collectively, they make laws that please only the rich and not the ordinary voter. The reason for this is that, to go to Congress involves time and money. The blue-collard employee will find it extremely difficult to combine his work schedule and campaign around the clock. Campaigning too involves money and the would be candidate should either be rich or fall on the rich for help. This put the rich at an advantage position. Incumbency too is another problem, they have advantage over the challenger, in that they have name recognition, staff, and the rich prefers to invest in them. Gerrymandering, which is redistricting of constituency, is done by state legislators, who are polarized to the main parties and therefore, there is no fair playing ground. The challenger is at a disadvantage position. All these play a part in voting apathy and also the lack of good representation at Congress. Those there are taking good care of themselves and awarding contracts to their cronies to the disadvantage of the ordinary citizens. Until something is done to reform Congress the ordinary citizen will have no peace but the rich few will grow richer and richer. Reformation is needed.

NSA THE GOVERNMENT GOES AGAINST OUR FOUNDING BELIEFS.

I am replying to my colleague who wrote NSA GOVERNMENT GOES AGAINST OUR FOUNDING BELIEFS. I would like to comment on the article written by a colleague by name Skye Garcia on the above topic. To some extent, I do agree with him- when it comes to people's privacy being invaded by no small a body than our government. Skye went on to talk about the fact that the founding fathers divorced from Britain because there were situations where the KING of England allowed his governors search people's houses when the need arose in those days, which incurred the wrath of the colonists. These are some of the undesirable situations that we meet sometimes. In fact things like these are not acceptable. Skye also said that the do these spying yet crime has not gone down and talked about the incidence at Virginia Tech. where someone went on a shooting spree, killing children and adults, and that he would wish the government use the money to increase security at places of events where security may otherwise be compromised. He said a bill covering this should be amended. I do agree with Skye, however, I would like to view this from a different perspective. In the first place, when the founding fathers made the constitution, they had no idea how far the young United States would evolve to. They expected prosperity but never dreamt it was going to be the most advanced, powerful, with the largest economy and the country which the whole world would look up to for solutions. The position of US on the world scene is now different, therefore the security apparatus should act to reflect the position of America. Intelligent gathering involves a lot in our modern society, not forgetting the 9/11 incidence where over 3,000 Americans were killed in their own soil. This changed the world the focus of the world. Remember also that America had stepped on a lot of toes in this world. Sometimes this happened justifiably, other times not. Whatever it is, in trying to solve international problems it is likely to offend somebody. Think of how America destroyed Iraq because of Saddam Hussein. The number of those who died and those who were maimed. Think of Iraq- the way they see America. Note that there are people over there who see America's action different from the way you see it. What about Libya? Remember the recent attack on the embassy. The killing of the ambassador and the 3 others. It is just the tip of the iceberg the enemies America has. What about Afghanistan, the Talibans? Iran, North Korea? I tell you there people out there who will annihilate the people of America should they get the chance. US is the greatest target of terrorist. Now, you should know that someone is planning to do evil. The authorities know this very well. They are doing everything they can to secure this nation. What they are looking from you is your privacy so that they can do the work better. I am not in support of the authorities getting one's information and abusing it. On a serious note, if compromising my information to the government will ensure my safety, why not? The Boston bombing is still fresh in our minds. Somebody died, someone got her leg amputated. Let us think about these and see what the government is doing.